Xochimilco Light Rail - Rolling Stock

Rolling Stock

The Xochimilco line's rolling stock currently consists of 20 articulated light rail vehicles (LRVs) built by Concarril or Bombardier/Siemens. Each car is about 29 metres (95 ft) long and capable of carrying up to 300 passengers. These replaced older cars starting over the period 1991–95.

The line's original fleet consisted of semi-new articulated LRVs built by Moyada (Motores y Adaptaciones Automotrices, S.A.), incorporating the bogies (trucks) and some other parts from STE's large fleet of withdrawn 1940s-vintage PCC streetcars. A prototype was numbered 000, and the remainder 001-016. The Moyada cars had all-new bodies and were equipped with pantographs instead of trolley poles to collect current from the overhead wires. Unlike the old streetcars/trams, they were also bi-directional, having operating cabs at both ends and doors on both sides. Perhaps because of their vintage running gear or electrical components, these cars were found to be unreliable, even after the refurbishment of six in 1989–91.

In 1989 STE placed an order with Concarril for 12 all-new LRVs with similar capacity, to the same design as LRVs Concarril had recently supplied to Guadalajara's light rail system. Numbered 017–028, the order's first cars arrived in January 1991 entered service on 6 December 1991, replacing all of the Moyada cars except on the Tlalpan shuttle service. When Tlalpan service was withdrawn again in October 1992, the Moyada cars were no longer used. However, in 1992–93 three Moyada cars (005, 010 and 016) were again fitted with all-new bodies, now to a design intended to resemble the Concarril cars, this work being undertaken by local firm Sintra S.A. The three "Sintra" cars, the fleet's last to use PCC-type control systems, were withdrawn in late 1995, and shortly afterward the voltage of the line was raised from 600 V DC to 750V. The newer cars had already been able to operate at the higher voltage.

Four additional LRVs of the same type as the Concarril units were purchased later, in 1995, numbered 029–032. These were built by Bombardier, which had acquired Concarril in 1992, but were built in the same factory (in Ciudad Sahagún) and were nearly identical to STE's 12 Concarril cars. Four more cars, numbered 033–036, have since been purchased from Bombardier, and these entered service on the Xochimilco light rail line in September and October 2008, increasing the fleet size to 20 cars. However, 016 was withdrawn from service by the end of 2010. On August 30, 2011, on its way to Huichapan station, number 031 was hit, while stalling, at full speed by 027. 29 people were injured and both traims suffered damage beyond repair.