The transit authority in 2023 selected Siemens Mobility to provide 24 S200s, with an option for 36 more. The contract was valued at $164 million. In 2024, GCRTA exercised its first option for six cars. The new 18-car order is option No. 2, Siemens Mobility reported March 3.
According to the manufacturer, LRVs from the initial order are currently in production at its Sacramento, Calif., plant, and delivery is expected to begin in 2026.
GCRTA’s current railcars for both heavy rail (Red Line, with service between the Louis Stokes Station at Windermere and Cleveland Hopkins International Airport) and light rail (Blue Line, with service between the Tower City Rapid Station and the Warrensville-Van Aken Rapid Station; and Green line, with service between the Tower City Rapid Station and the Green Road Rapid Station) are more than 40 years old, exceeding the design life of typical transit passenger railcars, Siemens Mobility said. (The last of 60 heavy rail Tokyu cars was placed into service in 1985; 48 Breda cars went into service in 1981.)
The new high-floor S200s will feature two door heights for high- and low-level platform accessibility, allowing for operation on any of the GCRTA lines.
Each of the new S200s offer “52 easy-to-clean seats for the highest level of sanitation, additional standing room, four wheelchair areas for enhanced accessibility, two bicycle racks, and an advanced infotainment system,” Siemens Mobility said. “In addition, the vehicles are built to withstand the coldest Cleveland winter weather, with ice cutting technology and a modern operator cab area with a dedicated heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) unit, heated windshield, and enhanced visibility.”
GCRTA in May 2023 received a $130 million grant to buy 60 new rail vehicles that can operate on all lines, eliminating the need to run two separate fleets over the 33-mile rail network. The grant for its Railcar Replacement Program was from the Federal Transit Administration. Also in 2023, GCRTA was awarded $12.5 million from the Ohio Department of Transportation for railcar replacement. The new cars will replace the existing 40 heavy rail cars and 34 LRVs.
“Our team is elated to be one step closer to achieving a complete replacement of our rail fleet, after decades of dependable service within Greater Cleveland,” said India L. Birdsong Terry, General Manager and CEO of GCRTA, which celebrated 50 years of service in 2024. “Knowing that we are embarking upon a significantly enhanced customer experience for future generations of GCRTA ridership is both exciting and transformative—a rare, once in a lifetime moment that I look forward to celebrating alongside our customers very soon.”
“Siemens Mobility is thrilled to continue our partnership with the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority and further connection for communities in the great city of Cleveland,” said Marc Buncher, President and CEO of Siemens Mobility North America. “These American-made light rail vehicles offer a modern, sustainable transportation solution to keep riders connected and on their way.”
