San Francisco Muni Plan To Replace Aging Subway Cars Moves Forward

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) - A San Francisco supervisors committee has added its stamp of approval to a plan to upgrade Muni's entire underground fleet with new light-rail vehicles that can hold more passengers.

The hope is to provide more reliable transit service for the growing number of riders by replacing the existing 155 LRVs with 260 cars that require less maintenance and travel longer without breakdowns.

"We have a fleet that is held together with duct tape and broken promises and we don't have enough trains to serve even our existing riders," said Superivsor London Breed.

The supervisors Finance Committee voted Wednesday to recommend the Board of Supervisors approve a $1.2 billion contract with Siemens for the new vehicles, a purchase Muni transportation director Ed Reiskin sees as a re-boot for the system.

"This is a very significant step forward for improving Muni service for the hundreds of thousands of people that the light-rail system serves," he said.

The contract calls for the first 24 vehicles to be delivered by 2019, to debut on the Central Subway when it opens that year.