The Chicago Transit Authority has placed an order for 300 new train cars.
The Bombardier 5000-series cars will cost about $331 million and come after more than a year of testing on CTA rail lines.
The order is pursuant to an original contract signed between the two companies in 2006, and the new orders will provide the CTA with modernized "next-generation" cars, according to a Bombardier press release.
"We are proud to be a partner with CTA in providing modern, efficient and environmentally-friendly transportation to the citizens of Chicago," said Raymond Bachant, President of Bombardier Transportation, North America.
CTA's new fleet will be the first to utilize alternative current propulsion, a technology that permits dynamic braking regeneration, lower energy and maintenance costs and improved reliability. The new rail cars will also be equipped with an active suspension system to ensure the car floor is level with the station platform during boarding, allowing passengers to board more easily.
Other features to the new transit cars include greater capacity and better communications systems. The cars are being built at Bombardier's manufacturing plant in Plattsburgh, N.Y.
Bombardier is the world's leading supplier of rapid transit cars. Over seven billion people worldwide use Bombardier rapid transit cars every year, according to the press release.
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