AUSTIN Transit Partnership (ATP) has awarded Stadler a contract worth up to $US 352m to design and build the rolling stock for Austin’s first light rail line, with an initial order for 21 vehicles and options for a further 19 as the network expands.
Approved by the ATP Board on July 15, the contract covers vehicle design, manufacturing, testing and delivery. It includes an initial $US 39m work authorisation for preliminary design activities with additional work requiring approval by ATP’s board of directors. ATP says the award represents one of the final major procurements in its delivery plan and keeps the project on course for construction to begin next year.
The vehicles will be based on Stadler’s Citylink platform but adapted for Austin’s requirements. The five-car trains will feature level boarding and a 100% low-floor interior throughout, a configuration Stadler says has not previously featured on a US light rail system. Assembly will take place at the company’s manufacturing facility in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The vehicles will reach speeds of up to 105km/h and carry around 240 passengers. They will offer accessible spaces, flexible areas for bicycles, luggage and pushchairs, wide doorways and large windows. ATP says the public will be invited to help shape elements of the vehicle design, including seating layouts, accessibility features and colour schemes.
The agreement also brings Stadler into the project’s systems engineering activities during final design to coordinate vehicle, infrastructure and depot development.
Initial phase
The initial phase of Austin Light Rail will comprise 15 stations along a 15.8km corridor, with services operating every five to 10 minutes for much of the day. The line is intended to form the backbone of a future regional network extending to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.
Austin Rail Contractors (ARC), a joint venture of Stacy Witbeck and Sundt Construction, was selected to build the line in February.
For detailed data on light rail projects from around the world, subscribe to IRJ Pro.
