BROOKVILLE, Pa. – Brookville Equipment Corporation (BROOKVILLE) recently delivered the first of six all-new Liberty® NXT Streetcar vehicles to Valley Metro Rail for its Tempe Streetcar system, slated to open later this year.
The 72-foot-long vehicles are delivering as part of a $33-million contract for the design, build, and test of six streetcar vehicles for the three-mile system, which will connect Tempe residents and visitors, as well as Arizona State University (ASU) students, with key current and emerging local destinations.
“We are elated to deliver the first Liberty NXT Streetcar vehicle to our friends at Valley Metro Rail,” said BROOKVILLE Vice President of Business Development Joel McNeil. “These vehicles integrate the latest in rail technology systems and are designed and manufactured by an American workforce to provide a long-term transit solution for one of the most prestigious transit agencies in the United States – Valley Metro Rail. We look forward to continuing to support Valley Metro with the delivery of five additional Liberty NXT Streetcar vehicles and assisting their team as they strive towards the monumental achievement of revenue service for this all-new system later this year.”
Like the previous iteration of the Liberty Streetcar, the Liberty NXT Streetcars for Tempe Streetcar will utilize a lithium-ion battery onboard energy storage system (OESS) to traverse sections of the alignment without dependence on an overhead catenary system (OCS). The streetcar batteries will recharge while connected to areas where there is overhead wire.
“It’s an exciting time for us,” said Scott Smith, Valley Metro CEO. “The delivery of the first streetcar vehicle opens up a new chapter for regional transit in the Valley.”
The Liberty NXT Streetcars feature a three-section carbody connected by two articulation joints with more than 70 percent available low-floor standing area, station-level easy boarding achieved through an automatic load leveling system, and seating for 40 passengers, and the ability to comfortably transport 120 passengers.
The Liberty NXT Streetcars also include a crashworthy frame, designed in compliance with ASME RT-1 standards for streetcar vehicles and California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) buff strength requirements. The Liberty NXT also complies with Buy America requirements of 70 percent or greater US content.
Tempe will become the fifth city to operate BROOKVILLE’s off-wire capable Liberty Streetcars, which are currently in service for DART in Dallas, Texas (four vehicles), QLINE Detroit (six vehicles), Oklahoma City Streetcar (seven vehicles), and The Hop in Milwaukee (five vehicles). In addition to the six Liberty NXT Streetcars for Valley Metro, BROOKVILLE is producing five (5) similar vehicles for Sound Transit’s Line T and three (3) similar vehicles for Portland Streetcar.
ABOUT BROOKVILLE EQUIPMENT CORPORATION – STREETCAR DIVISION
Headquartered in Brookville, Pa., in the scenic foothills of the Allegheny forests, Brookville Equipment Corporation is a world class American manufacturer of innovative powered transportation solutions for the mining/tunneling, rail freight and passenger transportation industries. BROOKVILLE contributed to the first American manufactured streetcars since the 1950s in 2001 and has modernized, manufactured and remanufactured PCC and heritage streetcars and trolleys for the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (NORTA), the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority (SFMTA) and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). Building upon the company’s 100+ years of rail-mounted vehicle manufacturing experience and nearly two decades of streetcar manufacturing, BROOKVILLE introduced the innovative Liberty Streetcar design in 2012, with the pilot order delivered to Dallas, Texas in 2015. Later in 2015, the Liberty Streetcar onboard energy storage system (OESS) was honored with the LRTA’s Global Light Rail Award for ‘Technical Innovation of the Year.’ Additional Liberty Streetcars are currently in operation for QLINE Detroit, Oklahoma City Streetcar, and The Hop in Milwaukee. The Liberty NXT design is currently on order for Valley Metro’s Tempe Streetcar, Sound Transit’s Line T, and Portland Streetcar.
About Valley Metro: Valley Metro exists to connect communities and enhance lives each day by providing eco-friendly public transit options in metro Phoenix. In Fiscal Year 2020, total ridership for the regional bus and 28-mile light rail system was 53 million passengers. Five high capacity transit extensions are in planning or under construction that will create a 50-mile system by 2030. Valley Metro also offers alternative transportation programs including paratransit services for seniors and people with disabilities, commuter vanpools, online carpool matching, bus trip mapping, bicycle safety and telework assistance. Two Boards of Directors from 18 local cities and towns, and the county, set the policy direction for the agency with the intent of advancing the regional public transit system in Maricopa County. Stay up-to-date by following us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter or by visiting valleymetro.org.