Next generation of MAX trains arrives

New models add seats and rider capacity

The next generation of MAX trains was unveiled today. This "Type 4" model is the first of 22 light rail vehicles to be delivered for the I-205/Portland Mall Light Rail project. The Type 4 has a modern streamlined look featuring:

Four more seats per vehicle for a total of 136 seats per two-car consist.
The Type 4 has a little more standing room with a design capacity of 344 for a two-car consist compared to 332 for the existing Type 3 trains.
Only one operator cab per car compared to two cabs on existing MAX trains.
A rearview camera system to enhance the rear field of vision for operators. The cameras include sensors that switch from color mode to black and white in low-light situations, offering increased visibility at night.

New MAX train

About Type 4

The cars are manufactured by Siemens Transportation Systems, Inc. in Sacramento, Calif. The remaining 21 cars will be delivered separately and arrive by October 2009. Each Type 4 vehicle costs about $3.75 million. A two-car consist is seven feet longer than existing light rail vehicles but weighs 11,000 pounds less. The Type 4 model is currently being used in Paris, Houston, San Diego and Charlotte, N.C.

Next Steps

Before it can go into service, TriMet will put it through a rigorous 1,000-mile testing and "burn-in" period. The first Type 4 should be ready for service in fall 2008. The vehicles will go into service along the entire 44-mile MAX line.

About the I-205/Portland Mall project

TriMet's fifth MAX line will add light rail between Gateway Transit Center and Clackamas Town Center, and to 5th and 6th avenues in downtown Portland between Union Station and Portland State University (PSU). It is the first light rail extension into Clackamas County. It will serve the heart of downtown Portland and the busiest transit destination in the TriMet system - PSU. When it opens in September 2009, it will help revitalize the Mall and poise the region for future rail extensions. The I-205/Portland Mall project is a partnership between the city of Portland, Metro, TriMet, Clackamas County and the Oregon Department of Transportation.