Next Generation Bi-Level Passenger Rail Car

Next Generation Bi-Level Passenger Car
Rendering of the Next Generation Bi-Level Passenger Rail Car
Manufacturer	Nippon Sharyo
Designer	Sumitomo Corporation
Assembly	Rochelle, Illinois, United States
Family name	Superliner
Number built	4 partial shells
Successor	Siemens Venture
Specifications
Car body construction	Stainless steel
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Notes/references
[1][2]

The Next Generation Bi-Level Passenger Rail Car was a failed design of bilevel intercity railroad passenger cars that was to be built by Sumitomo, with construction subcontracted to Nippon Sharyo. The contract was awarded in 2012 with delivery scheduled between 2015 and 2018. After delays in production, a prototype car failed buff strength testing in August 2015, leading to the cancellation of the contract with Nippon Sharyo. Siemens replaced Nippon Sharyo as the construction subcontractor in late 2017 and under the new contract, Siemens Venture railcars will be delivered between 2020 and 2023 instead of the bilevel design.

The bilevel cars were designed by the Next Generation Corridor Equipment Pool Committee (NGCE) under the provisions of the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008. The cars were intended to replace single-level Amfleet and Horizon cars in the Midwest and supplement the bilevel Surfliner railcar and California Car railcars in California.