The District Department of Transportation selected Oregon Iron Works Inc. (OIW) to manufacture two modern streetcars for the DC Streetcar system.
The new vehicles will be built in the U.S. and will run — along with the three vehicles the District already owns — on the H Street/Benning Road line beginning in 2013. The proposed Cooperative Purchase Agreement sent to the Council utilizes an existing contract for streetcar vehicles between Oregon Iron Works and the city of Portland, Ore.
“This contract, which we have sent to the Council for consideration, reaffirms our commitment to begin streetcar service in the District next year,” said D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray. “Investing in streetcars makes sense both economically and environmentally, and we must continue to move forward with the program.”
OIW was founded in 1944 and now has more than $100 million in annual sales and 400 skilled craftsmen and support employees. It is the only domestic manufacturer of streetcar vehicles and has the only streetcar test track in the U.S. for testing vehicles before they are delivered.