Metrolinx recently agreed to enter into a contract with Sumitomo Corp. of America for the purchase of 12 diesel multiple units (DMUs) for $55.7 million. The DMUs will be used for the Air Rail Link (ARL) between downtown Toronto's Union Station and Pearson International Airport.
The ARL contract also includes an option to purchase six additional vehicles, which would bring the contract's value to $76 million. The DMUs are new to North America and will be built in the United States, but where possible, Metrolinx will work with Sumitomo to "optimize Canadian content," Metrolinx officials said in a prepared statement.
The DMUs will be Tier 4-compliant clean-diesel vehicles and will be designed to convert to electric propulsion. Metrolinx has received approval from the province of Ontario to begin the environmental assessment on converting ARL to an electric service.
The ARL service is slated to begin by 2015.
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Dan Gornstein from Nippon Sharyo reports:
ReplyDeleteMetrolinx, the parent to GO Transit joined the SMART project as an ‘Option Partner’ and was assigned 12 of SMART’s option cars, with an option to add 6. The 12 cars are all A-cars without toilets. About a month ago we received NTP for the 6 option cars, to be C-cars, which are flat cab end to be used in the middle of the 2 A-cars to make all trains into 3-car. With all that said, although your quantities for SMART and Metrolinx are what was originally contracted for, in reality the quantities are now reversed.
Please note that the Metrolinx distinction is an important one. Metrolinx was created a couple of years ago to be, primarily, a funding agency, while GO Transit is the operator. TTC is not under the Metrolinx umbrella. Metrolinx has created a completely separate new organization for the airport line: ARL, or Airport Rail Link. They have a separate administrative staff. Crews, however, will come from the GO Transit pool, but be separately bid.