Project Profile: San Francisco’s Muni Metro S200 LRV Fleet Modernization

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) is executing a comprehensive fleet modernization for its Muni Metro light rail system, centered on the procurement and integration of up to 260 Siemens S200 SF Light Rail Vehicles (LRVs). This multi-year initiative significantly enhances operational reliability, passenger capacity, and energy efficiency across the network to meet the city’s growing transit demands.

Technical Specifications

The Siemens S200 SF is a custom-designed hybrid light rail vehicle, combining high-floor and low-floor configurations to integrate seamlessly with existing Muni Metro infrastructure. Each vehicle measures 22.86 meters in length and 2.65 meters in width, with a total capacity for 203 passengers (60 seated). The interior design prioritizes accessibility, featuring four dedicated multi-purpose spaces for wheelchairs and bicycles.

Propulsion is managed by a lightweight Siemens IGBT drive system featuring advanced regenerative braking, which captures and reuses kinetic energy to reduce overall energy consumption. Onboard systems are optimized for efficiency, incorporating energy-saving LED lighting that consumes up to 40% less power than legacy systems and a state-of-the-art HVAC unit. A critical design focus was reliability; the S200 SF is engineered for a Mean Distance Between Failures (MDBF) of 59,000 miles, a more than tenfold improvement over the legacy fleet’s 5,500-mile interval.

Key Takeaways

• Operational Reliability: The project’s primary goal is to drastically reduce service disruptions. The S200 LRV’s 59,000-mile maintenance interval represents a paradigm shift from the legacy fleet, leading to higher vehicle availability and lower lifetime operational costs.
• Capacity Expansion: By replacing 151 aging vehicles and adding new units, the program directly addresses San Francisco’s projected ridership growth, ensuring the Muni Metro system can accommodate demand projected to exceed one million daily passengers by 2040.
• Sustainability and Efficiency: The integration of regenerative braking and energy-efficient LED and HVAC systems aligns the project with modern sustainability standards, reducing the transit system’s carbon footprint and operational expenditures.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will the new Muni Metro S200 trains be fully operational?

The complete fleet of up to 260 Siemens S200 SF light rail vehicles is scheduled for phased delivery and full integration into the Muni Metro system by 2028. As of late 2025, a significant portion of the new fleet is already in service, with ongoing deliveries replacing the remaining legacy vehicles.

Who is building the new S200 SF trains for San Francisco?

The S200 SF light rail vehicles are designed and manufactured by Siemens Mobility. The vehicles are being built at their solar-powered manufacturing facility in Sacramento, California, supporting regional economic activity.