A Siemens S70 model streetcar in Atlanta. Source: Wikipedia

The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) board of directors awarded a $220.5 million contract to Walsh Construction Co. to build a 4.1-mile-long streetcar route.

The route will serve Santa Ana’s downtown and employment areas, that include county and local government offices and courthouses. Trains are expected to carry more than 7,300 passengers per day during the first year of operation.

Walsh was selected from four construction firms that met pre-qualification requirements and submitted bids. The total project is estimated to cost $407 million, an increase from the $299 million estimated earlier in the year. Funding is expected to come from a mix of federal and state sources, and from a half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements.

The transit agency says that the Federal Transit Administration is considering a funding agreement that, along with other federal funding, would pay for about half of the project’s cost.

Siemens Vehicles

In March, the OCTA board approved a $51.5 million contract with Siemens Industries to provide the vehicles for the OC Streetcar system. Plans call for the system to have six S70 model vehicles in operation, with two spare cars being rotated into the system as needed.

The contract comes with the option to buy up to 10 additional streetcars at a later date. As part of the deal, Siemens will provide systems support and training to operators and maintenance technicians once the vehicles are delivered.

The S70 model already operates in eight U.S. cities. The vehicles are 88 feet long, have 70 seats and can carry up to 180 passengers at a time. The streetcars will have doors on each side, operator cabs in the front and back, and level boarding, meaning that no steps are required to enter or exit.

Construction on the OC Streetcar is set to begin later in 2018 with testing and operations slated to start in 2021.