Breda LRV 1501

Location: Embarcadero Station, San Francisco, CA
Operator of Vehicle: San Francisco Municipal Railway
Date of Photo: January 10, 2006

Last month, MUNI in San Francisco operated a final trip for its Breda LRV trains.  Delivered in multiple batches during the 1990s, MUNI ultimately operated a total of 151 Breda LRVs.  These cars were 75 feet long, had air conditioning, and were ordered to replace the not so reliable Boeing Vertol “US Standard Light Rail Vehicle” fleet that had been operating previously.  However, the Bredas had their own flaws over the course of their service lives.  Each car cost $2,000,000 at the time of purchase (over $4 million dollars in 2024), making them the most expensive light rail cars built to date in the United States.  Those living along the lines they served complained of increased vibrations due to the cars’ weight and noisy motors and braking sounds.  By 2011, the Breda LRVs only traveled about 617 miles between breakdowns on average, making them very unreliable.  MUNI placed an order with Siemens in 2014 to replace the entire Breda fleet as well as to expand the overall fleet size.  The first Siemens LRV entered service in 2017.  The Bredas were retired at the end of 2023, but the final farewell event for the fleet did not occur until November 12, 2025.  

For more photos of the MUNI Breda LRVs, please click here.