Michigan’s M-1 Rail has select Inekon Group as the preferred vendor for the design and construction of individual streetcars to service along Woodward Avenue in Detroit, US.
According to M-1 RAIL, the vehicles are expected to start service in early 2016. The expected value of the contract is $30m.
Under the contract, the vendor will build six separate custom coaches featuring both regulatory compliance and customer comfort.
The streetcars will follow Buy America provisions and be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Weighing 76,000lb, the new build streetcars will measure in 73ft-long, 8.5ft-wide and are 13ft-tall.
Equipped with lithium-ion battery packs, it will enable the entire line to run 60% off-wire.
M-1 Rail CEO Paul Childs said: “Other streetcar projects utilise overhead wiring for everything from vehicle propulsion to the infrastructure of their maintenance and repair sites.
“M-1 Rail will minimise its impact on the aesthetics of Detroit’s iconic Woodward Avenue and we also will not have the labyrinth of wires overhead at the Penske Technical Centre.”
This technology also offers better safety and faster maintenance.
Features of the vehicle also include the regenerative braking, 100% low-floor and doors in three locations on each car to offer enhanced access.
