Siemens’ Sacramento shop to play role in $80 million refurbishment of Portland train cars

Siemens Mobility, the German-based conglomerate with train operations in Sacramento, has secured an $80 million contract to overhaul a fleet of light-rail trains for Portland, Oregon.

The contract, announced in a news release, applies to 79 light-rail trains run by TriMet, a public transportation organization for the City of Roses.

Two of these trains will be worked on at Siemens’ West Coast Rail Services Hub, located in McClellan Park in north Sacramento County, while the rest of the fleet will be overhauled at a new Siemens facility in Clackamas, Oregon, according to the release.

“This group of vehicles have been in service since the mid to late ’90s, and they’re still running strong. This mid-life overhaul not only provides the fleet with a face-lift but adds current technology and functionality in order to improve the customer experience,” Siemens head of mobility rail services in North America Michael Tyler said in a prepared statement. “We built these vehicles in Sacramento and we know the cars better than any other company. Having the mid-life overhaul performed by the original manufacturer will provide the highest level of consistency and serviceability for the operator and its passengers.”

Work in Clackamas is expected to continue through 2025 and the facility is expected to hire more than 15 employees over the course of the project, according to the release.

Siemens employs more than 1,400 people in the Sacramento area and has been operating in the region since the 1980s. Sacramento Regional Transit runs 36 Siemens trains in its fleet.

This story was originally published June 4, 2019 at 9:43 AM with the headline "Siemens’ Sacramento shop to play role in $80 million refurbishment of Portland train cars."