Caltrain
Stadler
Railway Interiors International ANNUAL SHOWCASE 2019
56
A NEW FACILITY
The Caltrain vehicles will be built by Swiss
manufacturer Stadler at its new US facility
in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Built on a 62-acre (25-hectare) site near
to the city’s airport, it will employ around
350 local workers, bringing new jobs to a
previously undeveloped area.
Stadler has worked with local rail
provider Salt Lake Garfield and Western
(SLGW) to install a rail spur that links the
new facility directly to the national rail
network. This allows materials from ports
such as Long Beach, California, or Houston,
Texas, to be transported directly to the
facility. Once the trains are complete it
also allows them to be shipped directly
to Caltrain or any other US customer via
the rail network.
Another big part of the project is
the construction of a 0.68 mile (1.1km)
test track, which includes an overhead
catenary system, built with local contractor
Stacy & Witbeck.
This test track will be put to use
commissioning the trains once they
have come off the production line.
The seats, meanwhile, will use a new cantilever
design, which provides space for additional
storage underneath, as well as improved
access for cleaning. Bouchard notes that a
growing number of customers are bringing
collapsible scooters onto the trains for first-
and last-mile transport, and these will actually
fit underneath the cantilevered seats.
Light fantastic
Another aim was to give the cars a brighter,
airier feel with more natural light.
A new LED lighting system has been
selected. Customers will soon
be invited to sample a virtual
reality model of the new cars
that will allow them to experience
the light levels both in daylight
and night conditions.
The event is part of a huge
customer outreach programme
Caltrain
carries more
bikes than any
other commuter
rail service in the
USA – more than
5,500 per day
Caltrain is
planning to
transport 85,000
passengers a day
by 2022, using a
mixture of diesel
and electric
services
Stadler