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 Compañía Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles S.A. (CAF) has been selected to manufacture 26 five-module light-rail vehicle (LRV) units for the Maryland Transit Administration’s new Purple Line Project, a proposed 16-mile light-rail line extending from New Carrollton in Prince George‘s County to Bethesda in Montgomery County.
This new line will provide a direct connection to the Metrorail Red, Green, and Orange Lines. The Purple Line will also connect to Maryland area regional commuter trains, Amtrak regional and long-distance trains, and local bus services.
The CAF contract includes capital spares, special tools, and
test equipment. It will be managed by the company’s subsidiary CAF USA. The contract
value exceeds US$200 million for the supply of rolling stock.
Additionally, CAF
USA participates with a 20% share in the company that will manage the operation
and maintenance of the light-rail system for 30 years. Passenger service is scheduled
for early 2022.
The Purple Line Project is a public–private partnership to
design, build, finance, operate, and maintain the Purple Line with a value of
US$5.6 billion, including the construction valued at US$2 billion. It is one of
the largest public-transit project contracts granted in the United States. A
total of 21 stations have been planned along the 16.2-mi route, providing safe
and rapid lightrail transit in Maryland.
CAF USA will manufacture the LRVs for the Purple Line at its
plant in Elmira, New York. Highlights of the CAF USA’s projects are the 96
units for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority; 40 light trains for
the California capitol, Sacramento; and projects for the manufacturing of 28
new light trains and the refurbishment of 55 existing trains for the Port Authority
of Allegheny County in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
In addition to the Purple Line contract, CAF has also
secured a recent agreement with Transport for New South Wales for the supply of
six trams that will operate on a new network to be constructed in the
Australian city of Newcastle. Delivery is scheduled for 2018. This project builds
on the project previously developed by CAF for the same customer. Twelve trams,
which are currently in revenue service, were supplied for the neighboring city
of Sydney.
At present, CAF is manufacturing 130 passenger cars for
Amtrak and LRV units for Boston’s transit system. It has also recently
completed the delivery of LRV units to the Houston Metro and streetcars to
Cincinnati, Ohio, and Kansas City, Missouri.
Full article: IEEE Vehicular Technology Magazine, Volume 11,
Number 4, December 2016
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 to the Maryland Transit Administration for itsnew Purple Line Project, and to Transport for New South Wales for a project in theAustralian city of Newcastle. In addition, production is underway for LRVs tobe used in Boston; and delivery is completed for LRVs in Houston, Cincinnatiand Kansas City, as well as Sydney, Australia.*/);){kind=small}
