MBTA is spending almost $200 million for 75 new rail cars from a South Korean company that has yet to sell its cars in the U.S., so rail experts have expressed doubts about the wisdom of this purchase for the troubled Boston T.
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority "has placed a $190 million bet (for 75 new double-decker cars) on a company, Hyundai Rotem that has yet to open an assembly plant on American soil, a requirement under federal law."
"Even if someone's produced very good trains elsewhere in the world, doing it in the United States is a whole new drill," said Fred Salvucci, former Massachusetts transportation secretary and now a lecturer at MIT.
"To win the MBTA contract, Rotem bid $30 million less than Kawasaki (the Japanese company that has built rail cars for the MBTA and many of the nation's largest transit agencies for two decades), its only competitor.
The MBTA order will be third in line at Rotem's Philadelphia plant" after Philadelphia's SEPTA and Southern California's Metrolink.
From Ventura County Star:"Metrolink's new cars are reported to be safest yet":
"The train cab and trailer cars - 117 of them - cost more than $230 million and were ordered more than two years ago.
Made by Rotem USA Corp., a division of Hyundai Motors Group in South Korea, the rail cars include the latest "crash energy management" technology developed over a decade of study by the U.S. Department of Transportation."
Thanks to Bay Area Transportation News
FULL STORY: T betting on untried firm to build fleet
Denver's Commuter Rail Cars: Same as SEPTA's But Without the Defects
Denver's transit agency is running very similar Hyundai Rotem EMUs on their new A Line to the airport. The car shells are imported from South Korea and assembled in the same Philadelphia plant as SEPTA's problem-plagued Silverliner V cars.
Safety of Southern California's New Metrolink Cab Cars Questioned
After a February Metrolink commuter train crash in Oxnard, Calif., train officials hailed the new Korean rail cars as having performed well. Now they have expressed second thoughts, and are replacing the front cab cars with BNSF locomotives.
Metrolink Crash Would Have Been Much Worse If Not for New Rail Cars
While all four passenger cars derailed in Tuesday morning's crash with a pickup truck, three on their sides, experts indicate that the new cars likely prevented far greater damage. Also covered is the locomotive push-pull issue and grade separations.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research