$82M in federal grant money will help Pittsburgh Regional Transit purchase new light-rail vehicles

Over $82 million in federal grant money is coming to Pittsburgh Regional Transit so that the agency can purchase new vehicles for its light-rail system, locally known as the "T."

Pittsburgh Regional Transit announced the funding on Tuesday, saying that the investment will help modernize the light-rail system and help shape the future of transit in Allegheny County. 

PRT said the grant money will help to support the agency's purchase of 45 new, 170-foot vehicles for the "T."

The new vehicles will replace 76 of PRT's current 80-foot vehicles, which PRT said have "exceeded their useful design life and reached technical obsolescence." 

"This investment will help us move forward with a new fleet of rail cars that will provide riders with a safer, more accessible, more comfortable, and more reliable experience," PRT CEO Katharine Kelleman said. 

PRT said that the new vehicles are expected to feature a more modern interior design and on-vehicle wheelchair lifts that will make boarding accessible at every light-rail station. 

It's unclear when the new vehicles are expected to be rolled out within PRT's fleet.