Meet the New MAX
Our next generation of light rail vehicles delivers modern looks, new technology and more useful features for riders.
Our new MAX trains are here, and we can’t wait to get them rolling on the rails! They have significant improvements and more features than the previous generations of MAX trains to make riding more comfortable, plus many upgrades to make them run more efficiently.
We’re bringing on 26 of them to replace our aging first-generation trains, which are gradually being retired. Four additional trains are being purchased for our A Better Red MAX Extension and Reliability Project, for a total of 30 new MAX trains on our rail system beginning in early 2024.
MAX disruption between PDX and Gateway
June 16–21 7:30 p.m. to 3:30 a.m.
The disruption will be limited to the MAX Red Line during evening and early morning hours.
Shuttle buses will run in place of MAX Red Line trains, serving all closed stations between Gateway Transit Center and Portland International Airport. We encourage you to plan up to an extra 30 minutes for your trips. MAX Blue, Green, Orange and Yellow Line trains will operate on their regular schedules.
We will be testing our MAX Type 6 trains along a section of the MAX Red Line before they go into service.
Regular MAX Red Line service will resume on Saturday, June 22.
360° Tour
Take a 360° tour of the new MAX Type 6! Explore train’s layout and features, including the priority seating areas, destination displays and bike hooks.
A familiar design
We’re calling this latest generation of MAX trains “Type 6,” because they’re the sixth version of the light rail vehicles we’ve had in service since the original 26 MAX trains arrived in 1985 for the Banfield light rail line (now known as the MAX Blue Line).
The new Type 6 trains, made by Siemens, share some of the same characteristics as their Type 5 predecessors. They’re the same length (96 feet, 11 inches) and width (8 feet, 8 inches). They have slightly less capacity due to having operator cabs at both ends, which means the “parlor” style seating is gone, resulting in a loss of several seats. But, they’re still high-capacity trains, with room for 168 riders (336 riders when two are coupled).
Improved technology and upgraded features
Some of the trains’ new features will be seen and experienced by riders, while others are working behind the scenes to keep the trains running with the latest technology. Here are some of the improvements on the new Type 6 MAX trains:
- Updated digital signs inside the trains show the next MAX station and dynamically change when approaching stations.
- Better temperature control for heating to keep trains warm in cold weather.
- New LED lights indicate available doors for boarding and getting off trains. The lights will display in green when a door is available, red when not available and flash yellow when the doors are operating to provide better visual aids for riders.
- LED headlights for better efficiency and longer lifespan.
- Improved reliability using predictive maintenance. Trains will communicate digitally with our maintenance teams to better troubleshoot possible issues before they occur.
- Improved on-board cameras with clearer pictures. The new cameras also feature wireless data downloading.
Getting trains into service
We require every new MAX train to undergo operational testing before we put them into service. This includes a 5,000-mile “burn-in” on the MAX system and in our rail yards for the first two vehicles. The rest of the vehicles go through a 1,500 burn-in period. This gives us time to test and adjust each train so they’re ready for riders. The new Type 6 trains are expected to last for about three decades of service.
We expect to have the first Type 6 train in service in 2024.
Preview event at SE Park Avenue MAX Station, Oct. 15, 2023
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