Siemens-Built Light Rail Vehicles Ready to Begin Revenue Service in San Francisco

Siemens joined San Francisco's Municipal Transportation Agency and city officials to celebrate the first Siemens-built light rail vehicle entering revenue service. The new light rail vehicles, built near San Francisco out of Siemens Sacramento, California manufacturing hub, include features selected with public input including a new seating configuration, new interior color schemes, and new exterior design, among others, that will improve service for hundreds of thousands of daily riders. In total, the company will deliver 219 light rail vehicles for the Muni transit system, Siemens’ largest order for light rail cars placed in the U.S.

“With this critical investment, we are providing the people of San Francisco with a modern transportation network,” said Mayor Edwin M. Lee. “Our new and expanded fleet of light-rail vehicles will offer our passengers a safe and comfortable ride while supporting and connecting the growing communities of our city.”

“An incredible amount of work went into making sure these state-of-the-art, once-in- a-generation vehicles are going to work well for Muni riders for many years to come,” said SFMTA Director of Transportation, Ed Reiskin. “When we initiated the contract, it was the largest light rail vehicle contract ever awarded in the United States and we are pleased that this project is ahead of schedule.”

“Siemens is thrilled to celebrate this important milestone not only with SFMTA and city officials, but also with the more than 700,000 passengers who use San Francisco’s world-class transportation system” said Michael Cahill, president of Siemens Rolling Stock. “We are proud to produce the nation’s most advanced rail vehicles at our Sacramento manufacturing hub and we’re excited that these light rail vehicles are not only designed in California, but also produced in California, for Californians.”

Siemens newly-developed light rail vehicle is based on its Model S200 and is especially energy-efficient thanks to a light-weight drive system that recuperates braking energy and an LED lighting system that uses up to 40 percent less electricity than standard lighting.

Siemens is building the light rail vehicles out of its 1,200-person Sacramento, California manufacturing hub. The Sacramento plant, in operation for more than 30 years and powered in part by renewable energy, features full design, engineering, and manufacturing capabilities across the rolling stock industry including electric and diesel-electric locomotives, light rail, streetcars and passenger coaches.