Hyundai Rotem CEO Lee Yong-bae (L) poses with Sarah Nichols, deputy city manager of Edmonton, Canada, after signing a $220 million rail vehicle supply contract in Edmonton on Tuesday. Photo courtesy of Hyundai Rotem
SEOUL, Feb. 4 (UPI) — South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem said Wednesday that it has signed a $220 million contract to supply high-floor light rail vehicles to Edmonton, Canada.
Under the agreement, Hyundai Rotem is scheduled to deliver 32 trainsets, each composed of three cars, to operate through the city center at a maximum speed of 50 mph.
The company noted that the fleet would replace aging rolling stock, with safety and passenger comfort as top priorities.
Because of the city’s harsh winter climate, the trains will feature customized designs that can withstand extreme cold and heavy snowfall.
Hyundai Rotem previossly has sign train deals in Canada.
In 2021, the Hyundai Motor Group subsidiary secured a separate contract to provide trams for Edmonton. Deliveries of those vehicles started last August, according to the company.
In 2005, it also struck an agreement to supply automated people movers for Vancouver International Airport as part of preparations for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games.
“We will keep strengthening our relationship to contribute to Canada’s efforts to build environmentally friendly rail infrastructure,” Hyundai Rotem said in a statement. “The country is speeding up the replacement of diesel-powered rail vehicles with electric and hydrogen hybrid trains.”
In addition to rail systems, Hyundai Rotem also operates in the defense sector. It is best known for producing the K2 main battle tank for the South Korean military and overseas customers.
Over the past few years, the defense giant exported 180 K2 tanks to Poland. Last year, it finalized a second major contract to ship another 180 tanks to the European country in a deal valued at about $6.5 billion.