Woojin Industrial Systems to Ship Upgraded LA Metro Trains to U.S. by Year-End, Targeting Overseas Markets

Operation Scheduled for the 2028 LA Summer Olympics and Paralympics

Woojin Industrial Systems, a specialist manufacturer of railway vehicles, announced on June 5 that it will ship the first batch of upgraded LA Metro A650 trains to the United States by the end of this year.

LA Metro A650 train undergoing a complete upgrade by Woojin Industrial Systems. Woojin Industrial Systems

In May 2024, Woojin Industrial Systems exclusively secured the contract for the 'LA Metro A650 Vehicle Upgrade Project,' commissioned by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA). The contract is valued at approximately 220 million USD, equivalent to about 326.4 billion won.

This marks the first time a Korean company has undertaken a full-scale upgrade project for an overseas fleet that has been in operation for over 30 years. Refurbishing aging railcars is considered more complex and challenging than manufacturing new vehicles. In 2016, a European manufacturer contracted for the LA Metro A650 upgrade project failed to complete the contract, causing the project to stall for six years.

Woojin Industrial Systems has been recognized for its ability to address local U.S. market upgrade projects, such as the auxiliary power system upgrade for the UTA SD160 light rail vehicles in Utah.

The company is operating a dual-track system, connecting Korea and the United States. The first four upgraded trainsets, completed in Korea, have undergone test runs at the Osong Railway Comprehensive Test Center and will be shipped to the U.S. at the end of this year for additional testing. The remaining 33 trainsets will be upgraded at the newly completed Carson, California plant.

Before (left) and after renovation of the old LA Metro A650 vehicles. Woojin Industrial Systems

Major electrical components, including the propulsion control power, train control monitoring system, HVAC system, and passenger information displays, have been newly installed. The first four upgraded trainsets, completed at the Jeungpyeong plant in Korea, also feature new exterior paint and interior fittings. This dual-track operation is intended to verify the quality of the initial batch and to establish a U.S.-based production system that can also respond to additional orders.

The upgraded trains are scheduled to begin operation in time for the opening of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Woojin Industrial Systems expects that this project will help raise the profile of K-railway technology and its competitiveness in the global electric train market.

A representative from Woojin Industrial Systems stated, "The LA Metro A650 vehicle upgrade project is a large-scale initiative that includes designing not only the exterior paint and interior frames but also key electrical components such as propulsion control, auxiliary power, and train control systems," adding, "We will use this project as a bridgehead to accelerate our entry into overseas markets."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.