STV, WSP USA to support L.A. Metro rail vehicle acquisition

A joint venture of STV and WSP USA has been selected by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) to provide professional consulting services for the acquisition of new heavy rail vehicles and associated equipment that will play a key part in Metro’s systemwide rail expansion over the next decade.

The joint venture will support Metro’s project manager and transit capital staff with project control, management and oversight of the rail vehicle contractor so its performance  is consistent with Metro’s heavy rail contract delivery requirements.
The contract is for a base order of 64 new rail cars, with five options to potentially order an additional 218 heavy rail vehicles.

The vehicles will be built by China Railway Rolling Stock Corp. MA Corp. (CRRC MA), and will replace existing trains now traveling on the Metro Red and Purple Lines between downtown Los Angeles, Mid-Wilshire District and North Hollywood. Additionally, 34 cars have been earmarked for the Metro Purple Line’s first four-mile extension from the Mid-Wilshire District to Beverly Hills, which is expected to begin operating in 2023. The other 30 cars are to be replacements for the original Base Order A650 cars, which are reaching the end of their lifespan.

“These new, state-of-the-art vehicles will help Metro better meet the needs of its expanding customer base as the system opens up new lines and extensions over the next 10 years,” said Christopher Holliday, P.E., STV senior vice president of vehicle engineering. “These vehicles will feature a totally new design, with all of the latest technology and amenities that today’s riders have come to expect.”

Metro has estimated that the first six pilot cars could arrive in the fall of 2020 with all 64 cars going into revenue service by April 2022.

The initiative is also expected to bring manufacturing jobs to the region. CRRC has announced plans to invest in a Los Angeles-based facility that will be used to manufacture components, including propulsion, auxiliary power, air conditioning, lighting and communications systems. Body shells for the fleet will be fabricated in China with final assembly taking place at a CRRC plant in Springfield, Mass.

As part of STV/WSP’s scope of services, the team will provide schedule analysis, consultant budget control, engineering support, warranty program implementation support, a final configuration audit and safety certification, while also developing a reliability demonstration test program.