New Flyer of America Inc. has inked an order from the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) for 75 compressed natural gas (CNG) buses.
WMATA is a tri-jurisdictional government agency operating public transit service in the Washington metropolitan area, including the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. WMATA’s Metrobus provides over 62 million passenger trips per year with a fleet of more than 1,500 buses.
In addition to the 40-foot Xcelsior CNG buses, WMATA also ordered 25 40-foot Xcelsior diesel buses and 10 60-foot Xcelsior diesel buses. The total order converts 110 buses from the option backlog to firm orders.
The new order replaces older, end-of-life vehicles and delivers on WMATA’s plan to improve transit service and reliability. In addition, the articulated buses deliver higher passenger capacity, allowing WMATA to move up to 115 passengers per bus along its busiest routes.
“Since WMATA’s first Xcelsior arrived in 2011, we have continued to support its ridership growth with hundreds of safe, reliable and efficient Xcelsior buses to keep America’s capital moving,” says Chris Stoddart, president of New Flyer. “With leading technology, buses and infrastructure solutions, New Flyer is proud to support WMATA’s move toward sustainable mobility while offering greater reliability, increased capacity and cleaner air for the Washington metro community.”
