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SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Transit Authority debuted a revamped TRAX car Monday — the first of what officials hope will be many renovated cars among the Blue Line fleet over the next few years.
Crews updated one of UTA’s Siemens SD100 rail cars with new windows and energy efficient LED lights on the inside and out, as well as a new ramp for those with disabilities. The cars also have a new camera system for “improved safety and security,” said Rob Harper, assistant manager for light-rail vehicle maintenance at UTA.
UTA spokesman Carl Arky said the new cars will be quieter and a “more comfortable ride” too.
This new car is easy to spot because its red, white and blue wrap design breaks away from the primarily white scheme of current Blue Line cars and closely mirrors the wraps for UTA’s Siemens S70 cars, which are typically used on Red and Green lines.
The car that debuted Monday was the first of many. UTA plans to renovate all 40 SD100 and SD160 cars in its fleet over the next 10 years, giving face-lifts to four cars each year during that span. Three more renovated cars are expected to be released later this year, Arky said.
“It’s a long-range project, but little by little they will get renovated and updated,” he said.
According to Jeff LaMora, the light-rail general manager for UTA, a new TRAX car would cost $6 million. It costs the agency much less to renovate current cars to improve TRAX quality.
“It is increasingly important that our existing (light-rail vehicles) are sustained and used to their full design life. This saves taxpayers millions of dollars while still providing them the comfort that they deserve,” he said in a statement.
