SALT LAKE CITY — The first of three diesel multiple-unit trainsets for use in Southern California has left Stadler’s Salt Lake City factory.
The low-floor FLIRT trainsets for the San Bernardino County Transit Authority will run on a 9-mile line between the San Bernardino Transit Center and Redlands, Calif., providing a connection to existing Metrolink service. They have 116 seats and standing room for 120 passengers.
“We are pleased to deliver these state-of-the-art vehicles to San Bernardino County this year,” Martin Ritter, CEO of Stadler US Inc., said in a press release. “We are confident that our DMUs will allow SBCTA to provide excellent passenger rail service to their customers and that passengers will enjoy travelling on the new trains after successful completion of testing.”
In addition to the three diesel trainsets, SBCTA has ordered a hydrogen fuel-cell-powered FLIRT H2 trainset. That train, which will be the first hydrogen-powered passenger train in the U.S., is current under development at Stadler headquarters in Switzerland and is expected to be introduced in 2024.
“awauts”? DPM rolls over once more.
I’ve been watching cab ride YouTube videos produced by two Norwegian State Railways passenger engineers. NSR has lots of FLIRTs in local and regional services. Nice-looking piece of equipment. I would like to ride one someday.