Skip to main content

Siemens to build streetcars for Atlanta

Siemens Industry has been awarded a US$17.2 million contract from Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), on behalf of the City of Atlanta and the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District, to provide Atlanta with four new streetcars. The first car is expected to be delivered in September 2012 with revenue service beginning in early 2013. These will be the first streetcars in Atlanta since 1949 and will mark Siemens entry into the streetcar market in the United States.
April 25, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
RSS189 Siemens Industry has been awarded a US$17.2 million contract from 4162 Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), on behalf of the City of Atlanta and the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District, to provide Atlanta with four new streetcars. The first car is expected to be delivered in September 2012 with revenue service beginning in early 2013. These will be the first streetcars in Atlanta since 1949 and will mark Siemens entry into the streetcar market in the United States.

Streetcars are part of the first phase of Atlanta's project to create a comprehensive, regional streetcar and light rail transit system. They will initially run in a loop, bridging the gap between east and west downtown that was formed by the development of the I-75/85 connector. The new system will provide connectivity for the core of downtown Atlanta, improving accessibility to key business destinations and event venues. The system will also serve as the catalyst for transit oriented development within the loop.

The four new streetcars are based on the proven Siemens S70 light rail vehicle platform, which was designed in the United States and is in operation in cities such as Houston, Charlotte, San Diego, Portland and Salt Lake City.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Keolis Amey Docklands to run Docklands Light Railway until 2021
    July 10, 2014
    Transport for London (TfL) has named Keolis Amey Docklands as the new franchisee of the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) to operate and maintain the network until April 2021, with an option for this to be extended until 2023. Around 100 million passenger journeys are made on the DLR network annually and this new contract, with a value in excess of US$1.2 million, will commence on 7 December 2014 and will see Keolis Amey Docklands work with TfL to ensure that passengers continue to see improvements to thei
  • RTA analysis system contract
    April 25, 2012
    Capita Symonds’ innovations team has won a contract to supply its web based road traffic accident analysis system (CIRTAS) to the Traffic and Accident Data Unit (TADU) at Tyne and Wear Council in the UK. The contract covers the Tyne and Wear five partner districts - the metropolitan boroughs of South Tyneside, North Tyneside, City of Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead and the City of Sunderland.
  • Smoothing out city freight movements
    May 28, 2014
    David Crawford welcomes a national first. Urban freight movements, while commercially and socially vital, are a growing logistical headache for planners and people alike. Figures from France’s Lyon Laboratory of Transport Economics indicate that goods transport in major urban areas accounts for: 20% of traffic; 35% of CO2 emissions made by all urban trips; and 50% of the diesel used; while final km delivery runs account for 20% of the total cost of the transport chain.
  • Phoenix rises to the Smart City challenge
    December 10, 2015
    Andrew Bardin Williams looks at the City of Phoenix where voters backed a $30bn plan to revamp its transportation network to cultivate a more connected community. According to a Land Use Institute study, half of all Americans and even more millennials (63%) would like to live in a place where they do not need to use a car very often. The City of Phoenix is putting in place plans to revamp its urban development and transportation policies to meet these changing quality of life perceptions.