METRO Magazine Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

San Francisco rolls out first of new Siemens light rail vehicles

The trains for SFMTA include features informed by public input including a new seating configuration, new interior color schemes, and new exterior design.

November 20, 2017
San Francisco rolls out first of new Siemens light rail vehicles

Siemens newly-developed light rail vehicle is based on its Model S200 and is especially energy-efficient thanks to a light-weight drive system that recuperates braking energy and an LED lighting system that uses up to 40% less electricity than standard neon lighting.

Siemens

2 min to read


Siemens newly-developed light rail vehicle is based on its Model S200 and is especially energy-efficient thanks to a light-weight drive system that recuperates braking energy and an LED lighting system that uses up to 40% less electricity than standard neon lighting. Siemens

The first Siemens-built light rail vehicle for San Francisco entered revenue service. The new light rail vehicles will be built at the Siemens plant in Sacramento, Calif. In total, the company will deliver 219 light rail vehicles for San Francisco’s Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), Siemens’ largest order for light railcars placed in the U.S.

“An incredible amount of work went into making sure these state-of-the-art, once-in-a-generation vehicles are going to work well for Muni riders for many years to come,” said SFMTA Director, Transportation, Ed Reiskin. “When we initiated the contract, it was the largest light rail vehicle contract ever awarded in the United States and we are pleased that this project is ahead of schedule.”

Ad Loading...

“The start of the revenue service is an important milestone not only for Siemens and SFMTA, but also for the more than 700,000 passengers who use San Francisco’s transportation system per day. The new trains will contribute to the growing demand for mass transit in the booming metropolis,” said Sabrina Soussan, CEO of the Siemens Mobility Division.

Siemens newly-developed light rail vehicle is based on its Model S200 and is especially energy-efficient thanks to a light-weight drive system that recuperates braking energy and an LED lighting system that uses up to 40% less electricity than standard neon lighting. The trains for SFMTA include features informed by public input including a new seating configuration, new interior color schemes, and new exterior design.

More Rail

GO Transit railcars
Railby StaffMarch 20, 2026

Alstom Awarded 5-Year Extension for GO Transit, UP Express Services

Company officials said that this latest contract extension with Metrolinx consolidates the company’s position as the leading private provider of Operations and maintenance services in North America.

Read More →
A New York MTA subway car with an open gangway
Railby StaffMarch 20, 2026

New York MTA Seeks Bids for 2,390 Subway Cars in Record-Breaking Order

The new cars, model R262, will be funded by the MTA’s 2025-29 Capital Plan, which received a historic $68 billion in funding from Governor Hochul and the State Legislature in the FY26 Enacted State Budget.

Read More →
Graphic from Amtrak promoting the B&P Tunnel Replacement and Frederick Douglass Tunnel project, featuring the Amtrak logo, project title and an illustration of a high-speed train near the West Baltimore MARC Station.
Railby News/Media ReleaseMarch 17, 2026

Amtrak Announces Community Grants for Projects Near Baltimore’s New Frederick Douglass Tunnel

Amtrak will open grant applications March 23 for community projects near the Frederick Douglass Tunnel alignment in Baltimore as part of a $50 million investment tied to the B&P Tunnel Replacement Program.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Amtrak train with logo
Railby StaffMarch 16, 2026

Amtrak Marks Restoration of Two South Carolina Stations

The Denmark Station $2.3 million construction investment project includes a new 280-foot concrete boarding platform, built eight inches above the top of rail, for improved accessibility for passengers with disabilities and families with small children and much more.

Read More →
A view looking down the rail across the new Portal North Bridge.
Railby Staff and News ReportsMarch 13, 2026

NJ Transit, Amtrak Prepare to Open First Track on New Portal North Bridge

The new bridge will begin carrying passenger trains on March 16, replacing a 116-year-old swing bridge that has long caused delays.

Read More →
Caltrain trains on tracks
Railby StaffMarch 6, 2026

Caltrain Adopts Corridor-Wide Right-of-Way Safety Strategy

Caltrain and its partners have implemented safety improvements at specific locations in response to known risk conditions, operational needs, and available funding since the agency’s founding.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
A photo of rail tracks in Ottawa, Canada

Building a National Framework for Transit Safety and Consistency

On a recent episode of METROspectives, METRO Magazine’s Executive Editor Alex Roman sat down with Ana-Maria Tomlinson, Director of Strategic & Cross-Sector Programs at the CSA Group, to explore a bold initiative aimed at addressing those challenges: the development of a National Code for Transit and Passenger Rail Systems in Canada.

Read More →
Stairs in a New York rail station with text reading "USDOT Invests $686 Million to Modernize Aging Rail Stations."
Railby StaffMarch 2, 2026

FTA Invests $686M to Modernize Aging Rail Stations

Competitive FTA grants will support accessibility upgrades, family-friendly improvements, and cost-efficient capital projects at some of the nation’s oldest and busiest transit hubs.

Read More →
A purple MBTA train at a Mansfield Station platform.
Railby StaffFebruary 27, 2026

MBTA Updates Rail Modernization Plan to Expand Reliability and Accessibility

The strategy outlines near- and long-term upgrades to ease congestion, support housing growth, and advance statewide climate goals.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
LA Metro underground station with vehicle
Railby StaffFebruary 27, 2026

LA Metro Sets D Line Subway Extension Launch Date

The 3.92-mile addition will soon take riders west beyond its current Wilshire and Western station in Koreatown, continuing under Wilshire Boulevard through neighborhoods and communities including Hancock Park, Windsor Square, the Fairfax District, and Carthay Circle into Beverly Hills.

Read More →