MAX Vehicle & Fleet Facts

TriMet operates a total of 95 light rail vehicles (LRVs) made up of three groups or "types"—Type 1, Type 2 and Type 3.

Type 1 LRVs

Between 1984 and 1986, 26 LRVs were purchased for the original Eastside MAX line and delivered by Bombardier. Bombardier developed the design from cars previously supplied to Rio de Janeiro and Manila. They’ve run reliably over a million miles on the TriMet system since their first arrival.

Type 1 cars are boarded via stairs located at both ends and at two points near the middle of each car. The Eastside MAX line was built with lifts mounted on the platforms to help passengers with wheelchairs board these "high-floor" cars. When low-floor Type 2 cars were introduced in the late 1990s, these lifts were removed from the stations. Type 1 cars are now only run in consist with Type 2 or Type 3 LRVs, so that all trains are fully accessible.

Type 2 LRVs

TriMet first ordered 35 low-floor cars for the Westside light rail project, supplied by Siemens and assembled in Sacramento. With subsequent add-on orders for system ridership growth and an extension to the airport, a total of 52 cars were delivered between 1997 and 2000. They were the first low-floor light rail cars to be used in revenue service in the United States; now they are the standard for new LRV purchases across the country. Type 2 cars were recently retrofitted with bike hooks where cyclists can hang their bikes, thus reducing the amount of floorspace taken up by bicycles.

Type 3 LRVs

TriMet has 27 Type 3 LRVs on order from Siemens, with 17 currently in revenue service. These newest LRVs are essentially the same as the Type 2s, except they have automatic passenger counters and improved air conditioning systems. They also feature TriMet's new graphics and color scheme. Seventeen were ordered for the new Interstate MAX line and 10 for ridership growth.

Like the Type 2 cars, Type 3s are low-floor. Bridgeplates at two doors on each side of the car provide "level boarding" for passengers in mobility devices. Once activated, a bridgeplate extends out 15 inches and spans a two-inch horizontal and three-inch vertical gap, allowing passengers to roll aboard easily.

Type 4 LRVs (due fall 2008)

Learn about TriMet's new Type 4 LRVs, scheduled to begin service in fall 2008.

MAX fleet stats

TriMet's MAX trains travel about half a million miles per month along 38 miles of track that stretch from Gresham and the Portland International Airport all the way to Hillsboro. Twenty-eight percent of all weekday transit trips are taken on MAX.

LRV maintenance

All LRV maintenance and repair is carried out in TriMet's two light rail facilities—Ruby Junction on the Eastside and Elmonica on the Westside. Repairs and adjustments are performed as needed when a train returns to its facility each day. LRV mechanics follow a comprehensive maintenence schedule with inspections and adjustments ocurring monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually, depending on the type of procedure.

Special procedures for snow and ice

When snowy weather comes to Portland, TriMet's LRV mechanics and Maintenance of Way (MOW) workers kick into high gear to keep the trains running. Special pantograph heating elements are activated on all trains to keep the overhead wires clear of ice and snow. Plows clear packed snow out of the track grooves. For more serious weather, MOW workers have to go out and clear problem areas manually.