San Diego – The Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) and Province of Mendoza, Argentina officials celebrated the donation of 39 San Diego Trolleys for their Metrotranvía light rail network. Elected officials on both sides were present and signed a declaration committing to the partnership, and the continuation of operations of the MTS Trolley fleet in Mendoza. The light rail vehicles donated are part of the second generation of Trolleys at MTS, the Siemens SD100 series, that MTS began decommissioning earlier this year.
"We are proud to have this partnership with the Province of Mendoza, and the opportunity for previous generations of Trolleys to continue operating and safely transporting people," said Nathan Fletcher, MTS Board Chair, and Chair, San Diego County Board of Supervisors. "It's amazing to see the great working condition these Trolleys have maintained after three decades of service in San Diego. This is a testament to the excellent work of maintenance crews, technicians, and operators for MTS."
This is the second time MTS is sending Trolleys to Mendoza. Given the compatibly of the city's light rail infrastructure with San Diego's LRVs manufactured by Siemens, back in 2012, MTS sold 24 Trolleys to Mendoza from its first generation fleet.
"For us, this partnership with MTS is a privilege. The donation of the Trolleys to be added to our Metrotanvía Mendoza system represent a huge asset to our province, which makes greats efforts in order to continue with the development of a public transportation system that is sustainable, accessible and of quality," said Natalio Mema, Secretary of Public Services in Mendoza. "We are eager to continue sharing experiences and perspectives with MTS in the future, and strengthening ties between our regions."
The government of Mendoza is covering all costs associated with the donation including shipping, labor, and training by MTS technicians and operators.
To make the trip, the vehicles must be dismantled into two pieces and encased in plastic. The LRVs are then transported by truck to Long Beach, by boat to Chile, and then by truck the remaining distance to Mendoza through the lower Andes. The first nine cars have already arrived in Mendoza, and shipments are expected to continue over the course of the next year.
About MTS
The Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) operates more than 100 bus routes and three Trolley lines in 10 cities and unincorporated areas of San Diego. MTS is a leader in advancing initiatives to create a greener, cleaner and better-connected transit system in San Diego. Each weekday more than 200,000 passenger trips are taken throughout the MTS system taking people to work, school, health appointments and other essential trips. In FY 2022, MTS served more than 57 million riders. For service schedule updates, news, alerts and more information on how you can use public transportation, go to www.sdmts.com.
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