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Siemens completes Brightline's first trainset; Brightline Train departs Sacramento
MIAMI – December 14, 2016 – The first Siemens-built Brightline trainset, comprised of two locomotives and four coaches adorned in Brightline Blue, is complete and has left the company’s manufacturing hub in Sacramento, California. Prior to its departure, hundreds of Siemens employees who worked on the trainset gathered alongside to commemorate the completion and say “bon voyage.”
“Having our first Brightline trainset completed and on its way to Florida is a major accomplishment and brings us one step closer to the introduction of our innovative new train service,” said Michael Reininger, president of Brightline. “Once in Florida, our operations team will begin the required testing as we ready to launch Brightline between Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach next summer.”
The first trainset is approximately 489 feet long and is being transported across the country via rail, journeying 3,052 miles from Sacramento to Florida. Construction on the first car shell began in July 2015. Four additional trainsets for Brightline’s first phase are being built at Siemens. Brightline expects delivery of these additional trainsets in four additional bright hues: pink, red, orange and green by the end of March.
“Building the first full trainset for Brightline is an extremely exciting milestone both for future riders in Florida and also for the many professionals who worked hard at our Sacramento manufacturing hub,” said Michael Cahill, president of Siemens Rolling Stock. “Building these trainsets utilized the latest in modern manufacturing techniques, a vast supply chain and leveraged the best in Siemens engineering and manufacturing know-how. We are all extremely proud to see the first one come to life and make it one step closer to ushering in a new era of modern transportation in Florida.”
Brightline’s trains are built as integrated trainsets, comprised of two diesel-electric locomotives and four high quality stainless steel coaches. These clean diesel-electric locomotives will meet the highest emissions standards set by the federal government. The integration improves ride quality and makes for a much quieter ride. There is a bright yellow locomotive on each end, for high reliability and redundancy.
The trains, 100% Buy America compliant, are being built by 1,000 employees at Siemens 60-acre rail manufacturing hub. Siemens has also developed a robust and diverse base of U.S. rail suppliers to support the next-generation of rail manufacturing for Brightline including components from more than 40 suppliers across 20+ states with additional suppliers still being added. The company will also be providing maintenance for the Brightline trains when they are in operation in Florida, supporting full-time employment for approximately 70 Siemens and 40 Brightline employees.
Brightline is scheduled to begin express inter-city service between Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach in mid-2017. For more information, visit www.gobrightline.com.
About Siemens
Siemens Rolling Stock business unit is part of the Siemens Mobility Division which provides efficient and integrated transportation of people and goods by rail and road – including all products, solutions and services regarding mobility. Siemens designs and manufactures across the entire spectrum of rolling stock including commuter and regional passenger trains, light rail and streetcars, metros, locomotives, passenger coaches and high-speed trainsets. In the U.S., Siemens is providing rail vehicles, locomotives, components and systems to more than 25 agencies in cities such as Washington D.C., New York, Boston, Chicago, Seattle, Miami, Orlando, Philadelphia, Denver, Baltimore, Salt Lake City, Minneapolis, Houston, Portland, Sacramento, San Diego, St. Louis, Atlanta and Charlotte. Cities also rely on Siemens to provide traction-power substations and electricity transmission, as well as signaling and control technology for freight and passenger rail and transit systems. Siemens has transportation manufacturing hubs in: Sacramento, CA; Louisville, KY; Marion, KY; Pittsburgh, PA.
About Brightline
Brightline will redefine what it means to travel by train in America with express inter-city passenger rail service arriving 2017, providing an important transportation alternative to connect Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, with future service to Orlando. The service will ease the stress of traffic, provide a simple and intuitive experience from door to destination, and foster new opportunities to explore more of Southeast Florida. Brightline is the only privately owned, operated and maintained passenger rail system in the United States. For more information, follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
