Photo by Eric Miller
Perhaps the most important element of a transit system is the vehicle. This is what people interact with the most when utilizing the service and it can make or break the system, made even more essential by the fact that vehicles can last upwards to 50 years before being fully retired. Vehicles are a very capital-intensive resource and take a long lead time to procure. And vehicles can be the face of the system, what people think of first when referring to a transit line.
Therefore, it is imperative that the Omaha Streetcar vehicles are the best available, a great fit for our city, and will provide reliable service with a good impression on passengers for many years to come. This article will provide a lot of information on the current Omaha Streetcar vehicles that are being built, dig into the history of light rail/streetcar vehicles in general, and provide some information on rail cars that are built near Omaha!
Part 1: Omaha Streetcar Vehicles
On Monday, March 13, 2024, the Omaha Streetcar Authority (OSA) Board of Directors approved an order for six new streetcar vehicles, plus spare parts, from Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (known as CAF in the transit industry). The total contract is for $41.1 million ($6.85 million per streetcar, plus the spare parts for regular maintenance). The vehicles will be built in Spain, where CAF was founded in 1917. CAF started a manufacturing plant in the United States in 2000 (originally built in 1986 for another rail manufacturer) in Elmira Heights, N.Y.
CAF has recently built rail transit vehicles for other customers in the United States, including light rail vehicles for Houston (39 vehicles built between 2013 and 2015), Boston (24 built between 2017 and 2019) and Maryland (28 for the new Purple Line built between 2019 and 2024). Closer to the Omaha cars, CAF has built streetcar vehicles for Cincinnati (five built between 2012 and 2015) and Kansas City (four built between 2013 and 2015 with two more built between 2017 and 2019 to meet higher ridership and then eight additional vehicles were built between 2022 and 2024 for the north and south extensions opening within the next year). The Omaha Streetcar order has an option for four additional cars at a slightly higher price ($7.1 million per car) if ordered within 24 months of Notice to Proceed (that would be by mid-2026).
The Omaha Streetcar CAF vehicles are the “Urbos 3” model and are very similar to the Cincinnati and Kansas City cars. There is one notable exception: these are the first “On Board Energy Storage System” cars built by CAF for the United States, which take advantage of the latest technology with battery power storage that allow the streetcar to operate in sections without overhead “catenary” wire.
Drawing of the CAF Vehicle from March 2024 OSA Board Meeting Packet
As far as technical specifications, the Omaha Streetcar vehicles are about 75 feet long with two “trucks” (the assembly that holds the powered wheels and axles), three car-body sections with two articulation joints, and 28 seats inside plus space for ADA passengers and bikes. The cars can hold a maximum of 150 passengers in “crush load” environments (such as during special events), although the normal capacity should be about 50-100 passengers per car. The streetcars will include other modern features such as:
- Next-Stop Displays: New interior displays provide real-time updates on upcoming stops and stop requests to improve the passenger experience.
- Enhanced Safety: An improved on-board video surveillance system to ensure a safer environment for all riders.
- System Upgrades: Improved exterior signs, upgraded air compressors, and a cutting-edge train-to-wayside communication system to improve performance and reliability.
- Advanced Driver Assist System (ADAS): This innovative technology supports operators and increases operational safety.
- Computer-Aided Dispatch and Automated Vehicle Location (CAD-AVL): tracking of vehicles for dispatchers and passengers so you know when the streetcar will be arriving at your stop.
The streetcar vehicles that Omaha is getting are otherwise standard compared to others in operation in the United States although they come with these latest innovations. Battery-powered vehicles (either hybrid or completely battery-powered) are increasingly becoming common for transit vehicles, for both buses and trains. The technology has advanced over the last five years so that batteries are safer, more powerful and last longer before needing to be replaced.
The ability to go “off-wire” and charge the streetcars in other areas of the system will help reduce costs so that catenary wire does not have to be strung on the entire line and also helps in sensitive areas where it may be difficult to have the overhead wire. Other cities currently operating with off-wire/battery-powered technology include Oklahoma City, Milwaukee, Tempe and Dallas (all of which use the Brookville streetcar vehicles) as well as Charlotte, which uses the Siemens vehicles.
What is the latest on the Omaha Streetcar vehicle production? Currently, the manufacturing process is still early with the design and subcontracts being approved. The big undertaking now is getting all the parts acquired, such as the door manufacturer. Parts like these will take 12-18 months to complete, then assembly of the car bodies will begin, and we will soon see our new streetcar take shape. Lookout for the specific paint scheme to be adopted soon, most likely later this year.
Part 2: A Brief History of Light Rail/Streetcar Vehicles and Technology in the US
Streetcar vehicles have come a long way even since the first “modern” vehicles started operating in the United States in 2001 with the Portland Streetcar. Streetcar and light rail vehicles are intertwined as they can be used on the same systems, and some cities like Charlotte and Salt Lake City, use similar vehicles for both streetcar and light rail.
The main difference between the two is that streetcar vehicles are slightly lighter than light rail vehicles (some only requiring two trucks instead of three for a similar length as a light rail vehicle), and streetcar vehicles will top out at a lower maximum speed (usually 40-45 MPH) as compared to light rail vehicles (55 to 65 MPH).
The first modern light rail systems in the United States began operating in the early 1980s and utilized cars developed in Europe, similar to how streetcar vehicles that started operating in the United States in the early 2000s also used vehicles with European designs.
The light rail vehicles of the 1980s and 1990s had a high floor, meaning that a lot of the equipment in the car was under the floor and the system was either built with a high floor platform for level boarding or if lower platforms were needed, then the cars had steps in the car to get up to the higher floor with some kind of ramp or elevator outside on the platform at the front end of the train for ADA passengers.
Low-floor light rail vehicles were developed in the late 1990s, which had a lower floor in the center of the car that could match the height of a low platform, making it easier for all passengers to get on and off the cars. Following this trend, all modern streetcar vehicles built for United States systems have low-floor vehicles and many built today have “100% low-floor”, meaning even the ends of the cars are low-floor without the step up above the wheels at the ends.
Interior of KC Streetcar CAF Vehicle
Photo by Eric Miller
Why is all this information important to Omaha? We will be getting these recent technology innovations in our system from the get-go. I wish that we could have started building a streetcar system at least a decade ago, which could have happened if we continued from the excitement of the Destination Midtown plan in the early 2000s. However, one advantage is that we will have the latest in mobility technology operating on our streets.
During my time at the Regional Transportation District (RTD) in Denver, our last vehicle order for 19 light rail vehicles, to meet growing ridership demand and additional light rail extensions, were built similar to the original vehicles delivered for the first 5-mile starter line in 1993. RTD is now embarking on a study to transition to low-floor or level-boarding cars. That will be a massive undertaking considering that the fleet consists of 201 vehicles, although the first 11 cars are approaching retirement, even after a mid-life rebuild. Omaha will have the advantage of at least going with a level-boarding car no matter what other technological advancements take place in the future.
Another advancement that has been increasing over the last few decades is the ability to buy light rail and streetcar vehicles that are made in the United States. With the closing of streetcar systems across the United States in the 1940s and 1950s, the production of rail transit cars plummeted with very few companies remaining, most of which were building intercity passenger rail cars for customers like Amtrak.
As light rail transit systems were built and expanded in the 1980s and 1990s, the demand for rail transit car manufacturing in the United States returned. Siemens took the lead on this with their Sacramento plant that was set up over 30 years ago and has gradually increased the ability of the manufacturing process from final assembly to being able to build entire vehicles. Other companies in the United States that can build entire streetcar and light rail vehicles include Stadler in Salt Lake City (they recently won an order for 20 new light rail vehicles for the Utah Transit Authority), Brookville Equipment that builds streetcars in Pennsylvania, and CAF in Elmira Heights, New York. So why aren’t the Omaha vehicles being built in New York instead of Spain? Our first streetcar line is being built without federal funding (and thus without “buy America” requirements), so these vehicles are being built in Spain for a cheaper price because of the efficiency of coming from a larger plant that is closer to parts suppliers. Future orders could be built in New York (if we stay with the same manufacturer) as it becomes more efficient to build the cars there or if we need to pursue federal funding for extensions.
Part 3: Rail Transit Vehicles Built Locally
While on the topic of rail vehicles, it is prudent to note that there are two rail car manufacturers near Omaha. Unfortunately, the manufacturers do not make modern streetcar vehicles with the specifications requested in the Omaha Streetcar call for proposals. However, it is important that we do have local knowledge and skilled workers nearby that could be utilized for our project.
Close to the Omaha Streetcar project, the Gomaco Trolley Company in Ida Grove, Iowa (about 100 miles north-northeast of Omaha) has been building replica trolleys (meant to look like historic streetcar vehicles) since 1982. These vehicles are either used as the primary streetcar vehicle like in Little Rock, Memphis and Tampa, or could be used to for special events or seasonal operation.
I used to help operate one of these vehicles in Denver for Broncos gamedays – this car was built in 1988. Perhaps we could have a vintage car as a replica of the Omaha & Council Bluffs Street Railway cars for special service, such as charter service, tours, or when we have events in town.
The Platte Valley Trolley, Built by Gomaco in Iowa
Photo by Eric Miller
Another local manufacturer is Kawasaki, whose Lincoln plant builds commuter rail and subway cars. This plant began operations in 2001 and has built over 2,000 rail cars since then (a milestone reached in 2017). It is important to note that the company who built the Kawaski plant, Sampson, is also building the Omaha Streetcar Vehicle Maintenance Facility. The cars are transported either by freight rail or truck (sometimes you can see a subway car on a flatbed going through Nebraska on I-80).
The Kawasaki Railcar Plant in Lincoln with New York Subway Cars
Photo by Eric Miller
Washington DC Metro 7000-series Kawasaki Car
Photo by Eric Miller
And speaking of US rail car builders and seeing these on I-80, BART’s “Fleet of the Future” is being built by Alstom in Plattsburgh, New York, which consists of over 900 new cars to serve people in the Bay Area. Every now and then, you can catch one of these going west on the interstate, easily visible as they aren’t usually covered by a tarp, unlike the Kawasaki cars.
Washington DC Metro 7000-series Kawasaki Car
Photo by Eric Miller
In conclusion, the Omaha area is an exciting place to be to witness the latest on cutting-edge streetcar technology in addition to new rail vehicles that are being built for some of the largest metropolitan areas in the United States. When my family ventures to Washington DC for our spring break trip later this month, I will be checking the builder’s plates on the Metro subway cars to see if they came from Nebraska!
Eric Miller is a senior transit planner at Felsburg, Holt & Ullevig (FHU), a transportation engineering and planning company that was founded 40 years ago and has been in Omaha since 2004. Eric has a 20-year career in the transit industry that includes work in both the private and public sector and work on planning and implementing bus and rail projects for transit agencies all across the country.