Kinki Sharyo P3010
| Industry | Rail vehicle manufacturing |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Japan |
| Products | Light rail vehicles, including the P3010 series |
The P3010 is a light rail vehicle with articulated design, produced by Kinki Sharyo specifically for the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. Serving all Metro light rail routes, it constitutes the largest portion of Metro's rail inventory, with a total of 235 units manufactured between 2014 and 2020. Following an order placed in 2012, the initial vehicles were deployed in 2016, replacing older Nippon Sharyo models and significantly improving both capacity and operational dependability throughout the network.
History
Between 2006 and 2011, AnsaldoBreda supplied Metro with 50 P2550 Light Rail Vehicles (LRVs) for the Gold Line expansion. However, delivery was delayed by approximately three years, and due to concerns over excessive weight, Metro decided against ordering additional units beyond the original batch.
As several light rail lines were planned and the P865 fleet approached retirement, Metro initiated a procurement process for new LRVs, designated as the P3010 series. The initial agreement covered 78 vehicles: 63 allocated for the Expo and Blue lines, and 15 intended for the Gold Line Foothill Extension. The contract was finalized on April 30, 2012, with deliveries slated to commence in 2014. The agreement included options for up to 157 more cars.
Contract award
Metro granted Kinki Sharyo a $299 million contract for the first 78 cars. Four additional options allowed for procuring an extra 157 vehicles in groups of 28, 39, 21, and 69 units respectively, potentially bringing the total fleet to 235 LRVs valued at $890 million.
On July 25, 2013, Metro exercised two options adding 97 cars at a cost of $396.7 million, increasing total orders to 175 vehicles. In December 2014, Kinki Sharyo's U.S. subsidiary announced plans to convert a facility in Palmdale for vehicle assembly purposes. Final assembly takes place within leased hangar space at Palmdale Airport. The first unit was delivered in October 2014 to undergo testing before full-scale production began.
Entry into service
P3010 vehicles started entering revenue service in early 2016; however, many units remained under testing during the openings of the Expo Line and Gold Line extensions, resulting in longer wait times and occasional overcrowding. By October of that year, production ramped up to approximately four LRVs per month. In June 2017, P3010 trains were introduced on the Blue Line, facilitating the retirement of older P865 models. Later in 2017, some P3010s were reassigned to operate on the Green Line via the Willowbrook spur and pocket track.
The final train was delivered by Kinki Sharyo in January 2021, marking the completion of the $1.02 billion contract on schedule and within budget.