Sound Transit picks Japanese company for light-rail line.

Cost of deal for light rail cars will keep transit agency under $138-million budget.

November 26, 2003

1 min to read

Ron Sims, Sound Transit's board chairman, announced this week that the agency has chosen Kinkisharyo International to design, build and test 31 vehicles for the 14-mile light rail line planned from downtown Seattle to Tukwila, Wash.

The $108.6-million deal must be approved by the Sound Transit board, which is scheduled to look at it Dec. 4. Including taxes and other allowances, the cost of the deal could reach $131.8 million, according to the Seattle Times, but still remain under the approximate budget of $138 million.

Kinkisharyo International, a subsidiary of Kinki Sharyo of Japan, will work in a joint venture with Mitsui USA, which will help with financing, insuring and shipping.

Kinkisharyo has built light-rail vehicles for transit agencies in Dallas, Boston, northern New Jersey and San Jose, Calif. It is also contracted to build cars for a new line in Phoenix.

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