Sumitomo Corporation of America and Nippon Sharyo, Ltd Awarded Contract for 18 Diesel Multiple Units (DMU) for Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit

NEW YORK, Dec. 16, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Sumitomo Corporation of America in conjunction with its car builder partner Nippon Sharyo has been awarded a contract from Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit District (SMART) to supply 18 Diesel Multiple Units (DMUs).

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101216/NY19026 )

The contract price is about $57 million for 18 DMUs and includes options for SMART and its partner agencies to purchase up to 146 cars. The delivery of 18 DMUs is scheduled from the end of 2013 through the middle of 2014. The new 18 DMUs will be used for a newly prepared commuter rail line both in Sonoma and Marin Counties, and more DMUs may be purchased as an option by SMART and/or other transit agencies.

Gino Antoniello, Vice President, Sumitomo Corporation of America, Transportation Systems Unit, attended yesterday's meeting where the SMART board of directors gave their unanimous vote to award this contract to the Sumitomo led team.  He stated, "We are extremely pleased with this strong vote of confidence from the members of the SMART board.  We know the length of time and tremendous scrutiny and rigorous analysis that went into determining what the best system would be for SMART, so to receive a unanimous vote from the board should not be taken lightly.  This means a great deal to us as we start our new relationship with this customer, and it should mean a lot for residents of both Sonoma and Marin counties to have had their voices heard, and to have their representatives vote with everyone's best interest in mind."

Over the last 30 years, the Sumitomo and Nippon Sharyo team has successfully delivered around 900 passenger cars in the US market and will be delivering another 160 Gallery Type bi-level electrical passenger cars to Chicago's Metra in the near future. While the Sumitomo/Nippon Sharyo team continues to supply these existing types of cars, the team has decided to develop a new type of car which has broad applicability. The DMU for this contract is fully compliant with Buy-America and other federal regulations for crash energy management and greenhouse gases and emission controls, and has features that assure complete passenger safety. It also has broad functionality as a Semi-High Speed Rail car and is expected to serve various types of future projects.

Sumitomo has 50 years of contract management experience in bringing transportation systems to life. As a prime contractor, the company has developed, managed and delivered transit systems for Chicago's Metra, the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District, the Maryland Mass Transit Administration, California's CALTRANS Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board, the Los Angeles County MTA, and the Virginia Railway Express, and has supplied Automated People Mover (APM) systems for the Washington Dulles International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Miami International Airport.

Sumitomo's global network has been involved in building various types of transit systems around the world, including light rail systems in Manila, Philippines, people mover systems at Hong Kong's new airport at Chek Lap Kok, and other systems in Japan.

About Nippon Sharyo

Nippon Sharyo, founded in 1896, has manufactured railroad vehicles for more than 100 years and has annual sales of over $1,100 million. A world leader in the manufacturing of the Gallery car, the company also owns the largest market share of Japanese "Shinkansen" bullet train sets. In October 2010, they announced that they will establish its own passenger railcar production facility in Rochelle, Illinois and the start of operation is expected to be 3rd quarter 2012.

About Sumitomo Corporation of America

Established in 1952, and headquartered in New York City, SCOA operates offices in 10 American cities. SCOA is the largest wholly-owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Corporation, one of the world's leading traders of goods and services. As an integrated business enterprise, the firm has emerged as a major organizer of multinational projects, an expediter of ideas, an important international investor and financier, and a powerful force for distribution of products and global communications through a network of offices worldwide.  For more information visit www.sumitomocorp.com.

SOURCE Sumitomo Corporation of America