- Current
The Plan
The Muni light rail vehicles operate 21 hours per day, 365 days per year to provide vital transit service for 49 million riders annually. To increase this critical rail service, the SFMTA has begun procuring over 200 new light rail vehicles, manufactured by Siemens, to replace our legacy fleet, manufactured by Breda. The procurement of these new light rail vehicles is scheduled to be completed in 2025.
As the replacement Siemens vehicles are delivered, Breda vehicles will be phased out of service. However, the phaseout of Breda vehicles will not be completed until 2028. Until then, the SFMTA must complete planned overhauls of the legacy Breda vehicles. These overhauls will be the last work performed on the Breda fleet, and will ensure they can operate for their full useful lives of 25 years. The overhauls will also ensure that the legacy fleet can provide reliable and safe service through 2025 when we will have fully replaced the fleet.
The SFMTA used transit performance and maintenance data to determine which Breda vehicle components to overhaul and upgrade. Technological upgrades include the following: Propulsion System Gate Driver Boards, Master Controller, Advanced Train Control System Components, and LED Headlights. Proactive maintenance of the legacy vehicles will significantly reduce breakdowns and costly repairs thereby improving light rail service, safety, and reliability.
Environmental Benefits
For almost 85 years Muni has continuously operated a network of vehicles, including light rail vehicles, that run on 100% greenhouse gas-free Hetch Hetchy hydroelectric power. Our legacy light rail vehicle fleet played a key role in the City reaching its 2017 San Francisco Climate Action Strategy goals. Proactively overhauling this fleet will help the City meet future environmental goals by improving light rail vehicle service and growing ridership on the greenest transportation system in North America.
Additionally, the overhaul of the legacy light rail vehicle fleet is in line with the City’s voter-approved Transit-First Policy established in 1973. The policy prioritizes public transit, bicycling, and walking on SF Streets as an economically and environmentally preferable alternative to transportation by individual automobiles. By providing safe, reliable, rapid, and environmentally sustainable transit service, this project will support our city’s economic and population growth while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and resource consumption.