Beth Nakamura/Staff

By Elliot Njus | The Oregonian/OregonLive

TriMet is preparing to retire the 26 original MAX cars, which have been in service since 1986.

The first-generation cars have each traveled more than 1.5 million miles and could reach 2 million by the time they’re retired in 2022. But they require more frequent maintenance, TriMet says, and the high-floor cars with stairs must be paired with newer low-floor cars to allow wheelchair access.

The agency plans to buy 26 replacement cars, which will be known as its “Type 6” fleet. It intends to seek a contract with a manufacturer by 2019 in order to start churning out the vehicles by 2020. The first of the new-generation cars would enter service in 2021.

It wasn't immediately clear how much the new cars would cost, or where the money would come from. But the agency in 2015 raised its payroll tax, which makes up the majority of its revenue, and it's expected to receive as much as $40 million a year starting in 2019 from a new payroll tax introduced by the state Legislature last year. (That money can't be directly used to pay for light rail.)

TriMet last added light-rail vehicles to its fleet in the lead-up to the opening of the Orange Line. It paid $73.8 million for 18 "Type 5" cars from Siemens as part of the project. That time, the federal government picked up half the tab.

TriMet will also seek to send trains in the middle of their working life to a contractor to be refurbished and returned in like-new condition. It won the right to do so in the contract it reached with its front-line employees’ union late last year.

TriMet is asking riders to suggest features for its new trains through an online form, at comments@trimet.org or at 503-238-RIDE.

Here's a look at TriMet's current fleet:

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Marv Bondarowicz/Staff

Type 1 (introduced 1986)

The original MAX cars, including this Type 1 vehicle shown at Pioneer Courthouse Square, are set to be replaced by 2022.

Manufacturer: Bombardier

Number of vehicles: 26

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Mike Zacchino/Staff

Type 2 (introduced 1997)

The MAX Type 2 fleet, the first of which were ordered during the westside MAX expansion, introduced level boarding at platforms. Extendable bridgeplates provided access to wheelchair users without platform-mounted lifts.

Manufacturer: Siemens

Number of vehicles: 52

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Aimee Green/Staff

Type 3 (introduced 2003)

The MAX Type 3 cars were introduced with the Yellow Line in North Portland. It's mostly the same as the Type 2 vehicle, but with better air conditioning and automatic passenger counters.

Manufacturer: Siemens

Number of vehicles: 27

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Beth Nakamura/Staff

Type 4 (introduced 2009)

MAX introduced its Type 3 vehicles prior to the opening of the Green Line. This marked a shift to a more streamlined look. They also introduced a cramped interior.

Manufacturer: Siemens

Number of vehicles: 22

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Randy L. Rasmussen/Staff

Type 5 (Introduced 2015)

The MAX Type 5 cars were introduced prior to the opening of the Orange Line to Milwaukie. It squeezed in a few more seats for a total of 72 per car. Including standing riders, each car fits 186. (Most trains include two cars.)

Manufacturer: Siemens

Number of vehicles: 18

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-- Elliot Njus

enjus@oregonian.com

503-294-5034

@enjus