Siemens Mobility has received a contract to deliver 14 S70 light-rail vehicles to Houston’s Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (Metro) in the US.
The order will bolster Metro’s S70 fleet to 51 vehicles and support regular services in Houston’s three light-rail lines.
The S70 low-floor vehicles are designed to enable swift and comfortable accessibility for all passengers, including those using wheelchairs and strollers. The aisles of the trains are widened to improve passenger flow while onboard.
Additionally, the S70 trains will be designed to offer an increased field of vision to the train drivers to improve safety and efficiency.
Houston was the first US city to opt for the S70 units, which was inaugurated in its light-rail network in January 2004.
Since then, Siemens has delivered more than 600 S70 vehicles to 11 US cities.
Siemens Mobility CEO Sabrina Soussan said: “We’re proud to support Houston’s Metro since 2004, as they deliver environmentally-friendly and efficient transportation options to one of the largest cities in the US.
“With a growing population, it’s important to constantly improve availability and passenger experience and we’re confident that our light-rail vehicles will support the city’s expansion and sustainability goals.”
The light-rail vehicles will be built at Siemens Mobility’s Sacramento facility in California and will be compliant with the Buy America Act.
Last month, Siemens secured a €400m order to deliver 56 regional trains to Go-Ahead Verkehrsgesellschaft Deutschland.
The vehicles will operate on the Augsburg rail network in Bavaria.
