New high-tech railcars will begin servicing the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority’s Red Line route in August 2027, according to RTA officials, who recently hosted a media event to update the public on the new trains and other upcoming renovation projects.
RTA expects delivery of the new vehicles in summer of 2026. They’ll undergo testing and commissioning before entering into service the following year.
RTA will retrofit Red Line station platforms for the new cars. Mike Schipper, deputy general manager for Engineering, said one direction of the Red Line at a time may be shut down for around a week for the platform conversions, but the agency is still working out the logistics to complete the conversions without major disruptions to service.
“Because these [new] cars are skinnier than the original cars,” he explained, “once you convert a platform, our existing trains can’t run there.”
There is no current timeline for adding new vehicles to the Blue, Green or Waterfront Lines.
Big transit projects making headway
Design plans for the new MetroHealth Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) are about 60% complete and are expected to be finalized late in 2025, according to Joe Shaffer, RTA’s director of Engineering and Product Development.
Construction would then begin in 2027.
New infrastructure will include fully-enclosed, customizable bus shelters installed along West 25th Street from Detroit Avenue in Ohio City to Pearl and State roads in Brooklyn.
Construction will begin in March on the East 79th Street Blue and Green Line Station, located between Opportunity Corridor and Kinsman Road. Renovations will include new ADA-compliant entrances and access points, new concrete platforms and covered waiting areas. RTA was awarded $8 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s All Stations Accessibility Program for the renovations. Construction is expected to be completed in September 2026.
In May of this year, RTA received a separate grant of around $16 million to renovate the eight remaining non-ADA compliant stations on the Blue Line. That work has not yet been scheduled.
RTA transit ambassador program expands
RTA’s Transit Ambassador program will grow from six ambassadors to 16, and their coverage area has expanded from the Healthline to include the Red, Green and Blue Lines, according to RTA Chief of Police Deirdre Jones.
Jones said that in addition to serving as customer service representatives, transit ambassadors “act as eyes and ears for transit police” and carry police radios.
Jones also discussed the Civilian Oversight Committee that began meeting in January 2024. The committee reviews complaints against RTA police officers and makes recommendations for discipline, training and policy.
“This is different than what other police departments have done,” said Jones. “Most police departments have been mandated to do it. We have taken a proactive approach and decided that this was one of the things that helps not only build trust in the community, but it also creates that transparency that people need to know.”
