USA: The city of Portland’s Bureau of Transportation has selected CAF USA to supply 15 battery-equipped Urbos trams for use on the city’s 11·6 km two-line streetcar network.
These are intended to replace Portland’s seven Czech-built Škoda 10T cars that entered service with the opening of the Portland Streetcar in 2001 and are nearing the end of their life, as well as other vehicles that are in need of replacement as a result of age or damage.
The batteries will enable the trams to operate beyond the 750 V DC overhead wires when the North South Line is extended to Montgomery Park in northwest Portland. Construction of this extension is currently expected to start in 2028 for revenue service by 2030. The batteries will also support greater reliability when the trams are operating on the rest of the streetcar network.
Detailed details and specifications for the vehicles, cost and delivery timeline will now be finalised following the selection of a supplier. ‘We look forward to moving ahead with negotiating the specifics of design and engineering for these new streetcars’, said Dan Bower, Executive Director of Portland Streetcar Inc, on April 2. ‘Replacing 25-year-old vehicles with brand new streetcars will be an improvement in the comfort, safety and reliability riders can expect and sets the stage for the next 30 years of success.’
The US subsidiary of Spanish company CAF will assemble the vehicles at its Elmira plant in New York state. CAF USA Chief Executive Felix Fernandez said the Urbos tram family was ‘dependable and proven in service all around the world with modern amenities for riders’, adding that ’we will incorporate unique features for Portland, such as the off-wire capability’.
