CLEVELAND — In what is the largest single grant in the history of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA), the Federal Transit Administration announced Friday that the GCRTA has been awarded a $130 million grant to help the transit authority replace its aging, 40-year-old fleet of light and heavy railcars. The massive injection of federal money moves the GCRTA within $38 million of reaching its $393 million funding goal.
Replacing the fleet of railcars has long been a goal for the GCRTA as the agency has cobbled together different grants and funding allocations over the past few years from a litany of state and federal sources. In April, the GCRTA board of trustees signed off on the design and initial order of new railcars, which are expected to arrive in 2026.
The administrator for the Federal Transit Administration, Nuria Fernandez, announced the historic grant at the GCRTA’s rail yard on Friday.
“One-third of our nation’s subway and commuter rail vehicles are more than 25 years old,” Fernandez said. “This program focuses mainly on medium-sized transit agencies that lack the funding they need to address overdue improvements. We are proud to select these projects to improve passenger rail service for riders across the nation.”
GCRTA’s $130 million grant was one of six projects announced Friday as part of the Rail Vehicle Replacement Program, which was funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
"It sounds a little cliche, but it’s true: it’s an investment in the mobility and the future of Cleveland," said India Birdsong Terry, the general manager and chief executive officer for GCRTA. "Being able to say that multiple generations will have success due to this investment is absolutely true. I have a community development background even before transit. Understanding how important transit is to the livelihood of people is an understatement."
Although safe to operate, GCRTA’s fleet of railcars — some of which date back to the late 1970s and early 1980s — has exceeded its useful life, leaving the transit authority with substantial annual maintenance costs. Finding replacement parts for the aging fleet is also prohibitively difficult, officials said.
According to GCRTA analysis, rail car maintenance costs have increased by nearly 150% over the past decade as the rail cars approached and exceeded their useful life. The railcar interiors have begun to wear down and the internal components have been prone to rust.
In terms of performance, GCRTA officials said the new rail cars should decrease our maintenance costs by as much as $80,000 per car per year. The new cars should also reduce service interruptions.
Mary Spuzzillo of Cleveland has used the Red Line to get to and from work every day for nearly nine years. She is hopeful that the new rail cars, which are expected to have seats that are easier to clean, will provide a more enjoyable commuting experience.
“[The current railcars] are very run down. They are dirty and the floor is always sticky,” Spuzzillo said. “They break down. The water runs in the summertime from the air conditioning. There’s a puddle. And if you aren’t careful, the water will drip on your head.”
The addition of the new railcars will also eliminate the need for the GCRTA to run two separate fleets, which creates more operational and maintenance-related overhead.
“[Senator Sherrod Brown’s] leadership regarding the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is catalytic for our country and for the health and economics of Greater Cleveland,” Birdsong Terry said. “These funds will allow GCRTA to replace railcars purchased in 1981 and 1982, respectively, with best-in-class technology and efficiency that will elevate our system to the next level.”
Birdsong Terry said the new fleet will cost up to $7 million per year in repair costs. Prior to the awarding of this grant, the GCRTA had raised $213 million of the $393 million project.
