Muni retiring iconic trains that debuted at height of 90s dot-com boom

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Recently reunited British rockers, Oasis, were at the height of their first go-round when the now iconic Breda light rail vehicles first hit San Francisco streets and trackways. The Breda trains, which made their debut in 1996, are now rolling into retirement, the San Francisco Municipal Transit Agency announced Monday.

Introduced at the height of the original dot-com boom, the Bredas came into service as a replacement for Muni’s original, first-generation Boeing trains. Over an eight-year period, a total of 151 Bredas were added to Muni’s fleet.

The trains, which have carried passengers on more than 10 million trips, helped Muni expand metro service from Ocean Beach to Dogpatch and were in service when what is now Oracle Park first opened, transporting Giants fans to games.

They were also the first trains to run on Muni’s T Third line.

“The Bredas were designed to meet commuter demand in an evolving city,” SF Muni wrote in a blog post. “And they were an integral part of a transit investment that helped promote housing construction and create lively new neighborhoods in the South of Market area. They have been a rolling symbol of how San Francisco innovates.”

Muni began phasing the Bredas out in 2021, clearing room for its current generation of light rail vehicles, the state-art Siemens LRV4 trains. The new trains, Muni said, are faster and boast improved wheelchair access.

The Siemens trains, according to Muni:

• Are three to four times more reliable than Bredas and experience fewer service delays
• Have onboard predictive diagnostics to help prevent issues before they affect service
• Have modern crash safety systems that include energy absorption in case of a crash
• Feature ergonomic seating, better visibility, and intuitive controls for operators

The Bredas’ last day of service will be on Wednesday, Nov. 12, when a Breda train will run on the J Church line from 11:45 a.m. until 9 p.m. You can also raise a farewell toast to the trains at a special Farewell Breda Happy Hour at Churchill on Church Street from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. that same day.

One of the Bredas — car #1534 — will be put on display at the Western Railway Museum in Solano County.