NEW YORK — California’s Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit District (SMART) has selected Sumitomo Corp. of America and its car builder partner, Nippon Sharyo, to supply 18 Diesel Multiple Units (DMUs).
The $57 million contract for 18 DMUs also includes options for SMART and its partner agencies to purchase up to 146 cars.
The delivery of 18 DMUs is scheduled from the end of 2013 through the middle of 2014. The new 18 DMUs will be used for a newly prepared commuter rail line both in Sonoma and Marin Counties, and more DMUs may be purchased as an option by SMART and/or other transit agencies.
“We are extremely pleased with this strong vote of confidence from the members of the SMART board,” said Gino Antoniello, vice president of the Sumitomo Corporation of America’s Transportation Systems Unit.
“We know the length of time and tremendous scrutiny and rigorous analysis that went into determining what the best system would be for SMART, so to receive a unanimous vote from the board should not be taken lightly,” Antoniello said. “This means a great deal to us as we start our new relationship with this customer, and it should mean a lot for residents of both Sonoma and Marin counties to have had their voices heard, and to have their representatives vote with everyone’s best interest in mind.”
Over the last 30 years, the Sumitomo and Nippon Sharyo team has delivered about 900 passenger cars in markets nationwide. The group will be delivering 160 Gallery Type bi-level electrical passenger cars to Chicago’s Metra in the near future, it said.
