The rail car that experienced an electrical fire recently, triggering the suspension of Baltimore’s entire light rail line last week, had received a scheduled rehabilitation prior to the incident, Maryland’s top transit official said Tuesday.

Holly Arnold, the administrator of the Maryland Transit Administration, said the rail car flagged for safety reasons was among 49 that had gotten a so-called “midlife overhaul.”

Arnold’s team pulled the entire fleet for inspection after an investigation into the Oct. 21 fire event revealed problems in the electrical system of the car in question. It’s unclear how many other rail cars, if any, of the 49 in service before Friday’s suspension have the same mechanical issue or other problems that have been identified through the ongoing inspections of rehabbed cars.

The rail cars on the 31-year-old, north-south line were overdue for a midlife overhaul when the MTA in 2013 hired Alstom Transportation Inc. to perform the major rehabilitation over five years. The project was meant to ensure the light rail fleet’s safety and reliability over its expected 30-year lifespan.

But state spending board records indicated the contractor hired to perform the required maintenance experienced persistent and long-running obstacles in completing the work, causing the state to extend the $156 million contract eight times in the last five years.

The story continues at The Baltimore Banner: MTA says light rail car at center of shutdown had been rehabbed before electrical fire

WYPR and The Baltimore Banner have a joint operating agreement that allows the nonprofit organizations to work collaboratively to deliver quality journalism across the region. To learn more about the partnership, click here.