Hyundai Rotem Co., a prominent South Korean railway system manufacturer under the Hyundai Motor Group, has announced a landmark $663.7 million agreement with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority (LACMTA) to supply electric trains. This contract, the company’s largest in the US to date, aims to replace LACMTA’s electric trains that have been in service since 1993, in anticipation of the increased traffic demand for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and Paralympics.
Hyundai Rotem was selected as the supplier for this significant project after fulfilling LA Metro’s stringent criteria, which included the trains’ quality and technology, adherence to delivery schedules, and competitive pricing. In an effort to validate Hyundai Rotem’s train manufacturing expertise, LA transit authority officials visited the Osong railway test track in Korea, which is managed by the Korea Railroad Corp. (KORAIL).
The delivery of these trains to LACMTA is scheduled for April 2028, following the completion of performance testing, although the exact number of train cars ordered has not been disclosed. The new electric trains, configured as two-car units with the capability to connect up to six units, will each hold up to 245 passengers. These trains, designed to reach speeds of up to 113 km/h, will service the 26.4 km B (Red) Line from downtown Los Angeles to North Hollywood, and the 10.3 km D (Purple) Line from downtown to Koreatown.
Hyundai Rotem’s engagement in North America is not new; the company has previously secured several supply contracts across the continent. Notable contracts include supplying unmanned electric trains to Vancouver, Canada, in 2005 and 2018, double-deck train deals with California and Florida in 2006, an electric train contract with Philadelphia, and the construction of double-deck vehicles and electric trains for Boston and Denver transportation authorities.
A Hyundai Rotem official expressed the company’s commitment to leveraging its extensive experience and capabilities from previous US projects to deliver electric trains that will meet the expectations of both locals and tourists, especially in the lead-up to the global spectacle of the 2028 Olympics.
