Passenger Bus, Rail and Motorcoach Industry News

The Stadler GTW 2-6 diesel multiple unit rail vehicles were manufactured by Stadler Bussnang AG in Switzerland and soon will replace the cars DCTA now leases from Dallas Area Rapid Transit.

The contract price is $22 million for six DMUs and will be for the middle flat-nosed "C-Car", which connects both ends of the slanted nose "A-Cars."

The new vehicles, called Coradia Lint, will be delivered in May 2013.

Once established, the joint venture plans to produce railcars on order for public authorities and communities to improve public transit, commuter and regional rail service.

Service began in March 2008 on a 22-mile route between Oceanside and Escondido and currently carries more than 8,000 passengers each day, serving the most densely populated and transit-friendly corridor in North San Diego County. It links to various BREEZE bus routes along that corridor as well as to the COASTER, Amtrak and Metrolink rail services out of Oceanside.

The US Railcar DMU was prototyped through a demonstration project in 2002 and is currently the only FRA-compliant DMU operating in revenue service in North America.

The company was attempting to rejuvenate passenger railcar manufacturing in the U.S., and featured diesel multiple-unit equipment options, but actual purchases were limited.