SAN DIEGO: Officials for the Metropolitan Transit System and the Argentinean Province of Mendoza signed an agreement today to finalize the sale of 11 San Diego Trolley U-2 model light rail transit vehicles for $3.3 million. Celso Alejandro Jaque, Governor of Argentina’s Province of Mendoza, joined MTS Board Chairman Harry Mathis, Board Member and San Diego County Supervisor Ron Roberts, and MTS Chief Executive Officer Paul Jablonski to sign the documents.
“MTS is retiring its first generation U-2 light rail transit vehicles (LRVs) to make way for the latest generation of low-floor LRVs on order from Siemens, said MTS Chairman Harry Mathis.
“These vehicles had an average selling price of $1.2 million when MTS purchased them more than 20 years ago. Now, even though they have traveled more than two million miles and carried more than nine million passengers each, each car will sell for $300,000. This retention of value is a testament to the rigorous and pro-active maintenance programs at MTS.”
The Argentinean delegation came to San Diego to sign the agreement and inspect the vehicles. In addition to Governor Jaque, the delegation included Ambassador Jorge T. Lapsenson, Argentina’s Consul General from its Consulate in Los Angeles. Also in San Diego representing Mendoza were the Minister of Infrastructure, Transportation, and Housing Humberto Perez,the Minister of General Secretary of Governance (Luís Alejandro Cazaban; leaders of the Provincial Parliament Carlos Omar Humberto Bianchinelli, Mario Roberto Blanco, and Raúl Horacio Vicchi; and the Governor’s Private Secretary, Matías Stevanato.
The Provincial Government of Mendoza has purchased the vehicles for its new light rail transit line that is scheduled to begin operations in the capital city of Mendoza in 2011. MTS has agreed to release the first four LRVs (Vehicle Numbers, 1028, 1055, 1070, and 1071) after December 31, 2010. The San Diego cars are expected to go by truck to Houston, by boat to Buenos Aires, and then by truck the remaining distance to Mendoza. The remaining eight vehicles will be shipped once MTS begins to receive its new S-70 cars from the Siemens factory in Sacramento in 2011. MTS is in discussion with other interested transit agencies about possible to purchase the remaining U-2 LRVs in the fleet.
MTS Trolley’s current fleet of light rail vehicles includes:
• 71 U-2 (operating primarily on Blue Line; scheduled for retirement in 2011/2012)
• 52 SD 100 (operating primarily on East and Green Lines)
• 11 S-70 (operating on Green Line)
MTS will begin to rebuild the Blue Line in October 2010, an effort that will enable low-floor trolleys to operate on the entire MTS trolley network. MTS has ordered 57 new S-70s from Siemens and delivery will begin in late 2011. The new, low-floor S-70 vehicles are 81feet in length to better fit in downtown San Diego streets. The new vehicles are one component of a major light rail transit system renewal project that will also update Trolley’s Blue and Orange Line stations, tracks, and catenary wire to improve speed, reliability, downtown operations, and customer convenience.
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