The CTA has ordered 300 additional 5000-series rail cars for $331 million, the car manufacturer Bombardier Transportation announced today.
The CTA has now ordered 706 of these rail cars, which feature aisle-facing seats, electronic signs and smooth propulsion system, Bombardier announced. The CTA's contract with Bombardier is now valued at $1 billion, the transportation company said.
This is the second order the CTA has placed for the cars. The CTA board voted last year to issue $550 million in revenue bonds to pay for its first order of 406 cars.
State grant is funding the order for 300 cars, CTA spokeswoman Sheila Gregory said.
The CTA began testing 10 of the new rail cars last year on all the lines. The most controversial aspect of the new cars is the aisle-facing seating.
The next-generation cars will be the first in the CTA’s fleet to utilize alternating current (AC) propulsion, a technology that permits dynamic braking regeneration, lower energy and maintenance costs, and improved reliability, a release from Bombardier Transportation said.
The new fleet will be equipped with an active suspension system to ensure the car floor is level with the station platform during boarding, allowing passengers to board more easily. Other features include greater capacity, better communications systems, increased security and real-time diagnostics to improve reliability, the release said.
CTA president Forrest Claypool said earlier this month that the agency is still evaluating the cars.
Bombardier spokesman Marc LaForge said production of the 706 cars should be completed by summer 2014. The cars are being manufactured in Plattsburgh, N.Y.
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