Septa Trolley Modernization - Alstom Fleet

I've heard tell that it's getting to be standard practice to bid low to get the contract and make it up on the change orders, which are cost-plus. Don't know whether that's "urban legend" or there's some truth to it.

Is there any unused light rail routes that the Kawasaki cars be assigned when these new cars enter service on the present routes?. Recognize that the overhead CAT and feeders might need replacing? Been too long since was in PHL.

west point wrote: ↑Sun Jun 04, 2023 6:38 pm Is there any unused light rail routes that the Kawasaki cars be assigned when these new cars enter service on the present routes?. Recognize that the overhead CAT and feeders might need replacing? Been too long since was in PHL.

Their lack of ADA accessibility makes them unusable on any other route. Any route that gets reactivated must be done with accessible equipment.

https://wellsvillesun.com/blog/2023/06/ ... n-hornell/

BREAKING NEWS: Another street car contract worth $718 million secured by Alstom in Hornell

The contracts for Alstom employees in Hornell continue to roll in.

Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) officials told the Hornell Sun an agreement has been reached for ALSTOM employees to make 130 low-floor street cars and there is an option for another 30.

SEPTA said there is a signed contract for Citadis light-rail vehicles.

The contract for the 130 cars is worth $712.2 million, SEPTA officials said. That does not include the additional 30 cars, if needed.
...

Why does it cost 5 1/2 million dollars per vehicle?

Now that Alstom owns the Bombardier rail division, the company has two facilities: Hornell and Plattsburgh.

These Alstom cars, $5.69mil per car, at 80 ft long cost $71,153 per foot.

The 2014 MBTA Type 9’s are $4.91mil per car. Adjusted for inflation is $6.2mil per car. 74 feet of car is $66,411 per foot, and adjusted for inflation is $84.259 per foot.

Does anyone have a cost for the Kawasaki cars?

"the Kawasaki cars have held up well over time": last year I said that they were in better shape at age 41 than I was at age 41 (which was, ulp, 28 years ago). But a few days ago I noticed that a trolley operator had to keep pushing the doors closed so he could leave the stops, and while the cars often display a date circa 1979 on their electronic signs, they usually have correct destination signs, but last week I rode a 101 that stubbornly displayed a 102 electronic sign inside and out from 69th St. out onto the Media line (and maybe all the way to Media). I wonder whether the Kawasaki cars are starting to wear out.

SD - Addressing these two K-car problems you describe:
1-The electronic destination signs are around 20 years old (early 2000s I believe) replacing the original
rollsigns that the entire fleet had for the LRV/trolley routes. 1979 is actually before the fleet was built (1980-81).
2-A door problem can affect ANY transit vehicle of ANY age - not singling out the K-cars here.

I will mention recent examples that I have learned of and noticed on a certain type of Suffolk (County) Transit
(Long Island, NY) bus - 2010 Daimler/Chrysler Orion - that are similar to what you have noted with the K-cars:
1-The electronic destination signs sometimes will automatically reset to the opposite of the desired terminal
on a given route - even though the driver may not notice until a rider asks if the sign is correct...
2-On a recent ride a driver was having problems with the rear exit doors sticking in the open position - these
buses will not move unless the doors close correctly - the driver closed the doors manually with a reset than
a quick bus shutdown and restart solved the problem at that point...MACTRAXX