MILWAUKEE — Talgo-SYSTRA will rebuild at least 50 passenger cars for Los Angeles-area commuter operator Metrolink, with the potential of rebuilding a total of 121 cars.
The rebuilding of the Bombardier cars will be done at the Talgo plant in Milwaukee. Work will include updating electrical systems, lighting, trucks, heating and air conditioning, door systems, restrooms, and interiors, and repainting exteriors. The 50-car order is expected to be complete by April 2023. The Southern California Regional Rail Authority, Metrolink’s parent organization, has an option for an additional 71 cars, with a total contract value of $138.9 million.
Talgo-SYSTRA is a joint venture of the two companies created to respond the Metrolink request. “Our joint venture is confident that the unique combination of experience and capabilities will provide the best value and most reliable on-time performance on this rebuild project,” Talgo President and CEO Antonio Perez said in a press release.
Actually, the connection between the original Talgo contract in Milw. and Talgo’s Metrolink contract is linear. Had not Walker and the Wisc. GOP not derailed the former, the experienced workforce would have remained intact due to other contracts won, plus tax revenues would have continued. Somewhat a surprise that the joint venture was cobbled together to win this contract.
It will be interesting to see how these cars are moved between LAX and MKE.
There is no connection between the Metrolink rebuilds and the stopped WI Talgo project..
Fortunately, Scott Walker was defeated in the last election. Wisconsin’s new Governor Evers is actually proposing additional funding for passenger rail in his first budget. Unfortunately, the conservative “Walker” Republicans still control the legislature, so chances of getting it are a “long shot”. Oh, and the Illinois DOT just “caved” to the north shore millionaires to pull back support and funding for the expansion of the hugely successful Hiawatha Service.
Walker is not a progressive. He is a conservative (Republican). The previous governor (a Democrat) is the one who approved it.
Just imagine how many jobs ongoing and how much tax revenue collected if the progressive gov. Walker, who “stopped that train in its tracks” had not done so.
The historical perspective, in part: the AO Smith Co. for years manufactured auto frames which the Milw. Rd. hustled off to the St. Paul Ford plant daily…..an early “just in time” movement. When that whole shebang ceased, the hulking complex slumbered until Talgo and the prospect of $1.12 billion for hi-speed rail in Wisc. Walker ran successfully on the slogan to “Stop that train in its tracks” which, of course, having flunked econ 101, meant foregoing years of jobs and tax revenue, plus no service between Madison (a liberal hotbed, yet a USA city most desirable ion which to live) and having to pay for breach of contract with Talgo.
Give credit to any business willing to set foot into this….beats Beech Grove for sheer idiocy.