Portland, Ore.’s TriMet previewed the first “Type 5” MAX light rail vehicle from Siemens at its light rail facility in Gresham, Ore. The S70 light rail vehicle was designed and manufactured at Siemens’ Sacramento, Calif. plant and includes new features that increase the comfort and safety for the public, make the operation of the vehicles easier and more efficient, and improve the maintenance process.

The new designs were made with direct input from the riding public and TriMet. Siemens has also delivered the vehicle one month ahead of schedule.

The newly designed light rail vehicles will feature brand-new seating arrangements that include extra foot room, better access through the center car and additional wheelchair accessibility. The vehicle’s HVAC systems now include fresh air dampers that automatically adjust based on the number of people in the vehicle, keeping compartments more comfortable for riders and increasing the HVAC system’s efficiency.

The new vehicles also include better sight lines, more ergonomically designed main cabins, and larger displays for train operators so they are better able to monitor the vehicle’s status to improve safety and efficiency. Maintenance improvements were also made based on TriMet’s feedback including rearrangement of systems to increase access to key components on the vehicles. The diagnostic systems have also been improved to allow maintenance employees to troubleshoot and test each system from one point rather than visiting every device along the rail vehicle set.

The redesigned Siemens S70 light rail vehicles will go into service on TriMet’s Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Transit line, set to open in September 2015. The 7.3-mile project is the region’s sixth MAX construction project and will improve transit in the corridor that extends from the terminus of the MAX Green and Yellow lines at Portland State University in Downtown Portland to South Waterfront, SE Portland, Milwaukie and North Clackamas County.

Siemens is also installing the first regenerative energy storage unit in the U.S. on the Portland-Milwaukie line. The technology allows for energy created during braking to be stored and then re-used in one of two forms, energy savings or voltage stabilization during peak demand times. TriMet will utilize the system in voltage stabilization mode.