washingtonpost.com
D.C. Assesses Self-Propelled Train
Inexpensive Locomotive-Free Rail Car Runs on Existing Track
By Lindsey Layton
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, October 6, 2002; Page C12
The train idling on Track 11 at Union Station last week stood out among the Amtrak Metroliners, not because of its gleaming maroon-and-gold body or glass dome windows. What set it apart was what it lacked: a locomotive.
The $2.9 million train is a new type of transit vehicle, a cross between a bus and a commuter rail car, and a top District official says it holds great promise for improving transportation in the city.
"We're looking for simple, inexpensive solutions like this one, that we can use to jump-start new service," said Dan Tangherlini, the District's acting director of transportation, who inspected the train as part of a four-day "Railvolution" conference that began Thursday and drew hundreds of transit officials and planners to Washington.
The train, manufactured by Colorado Railcar Manufacturing LLC, is self-propelled, that is, it runs without a locomotive because its engines are built into the body of rail cars. Inside, the train has the appearance of a luxurious Metro car -- the operator sits in the cab, and the rest of the vehicle is filled with seats on either side of an aisle.
The system, known as diesel multiple units, is the first of its kind to be built in the United States and approved by the Federal Railroad Administration.
The new rail car is less expensive than traditional commuter rail, which consists of a locomotive that costs an average of $4 million and rail cars that cost about $1 million each. The diesel units can run on existing track, unlike a light rail system, which requires construction of electrified track. And it can run on the same track used by freight railroads, a flexibility that is becoming increasingly important as commuter railroads seek to use freight track.
In the District, Tangherlini said the self-propelled train would be a perfect way to launch the "Anacostia Starter Line," a 7.2-mile transit line that would begin in the District's poorest neighborhoods in Southeast, cross the Anacostia River and connect with the burgeoning jobs and residences along the Southwest waterfront.
District officials envision the Starter Line using light rail, the modern equivalent of streetcars.
Until the $310 million Anacostia light rail system is built, the District could run self-propelled trains as an interim step, operating them on an existing freight railroad between the Minnesota Avenue and Anacostia Metro stations, Tangherlini said. "This would jump-start the Starter Line by tapping into the existing infrastructure," he said.
Manufacturers can provide the District with the diesel units in 18 months -- a fast turnaround, Tangherlini said. Each rail car has 90 seats and can carry a maximum load of 254, including standing passengers.
Diesel multiple units can be found in Europe but aren't operating commercially in the United States because they had not passed federal safety tests until recently. Colorado Railcar is the first manufacturer to produce a unit that meets federal standards.
Thomas Janaky, vice president for sales at Colorado Railcar, said the company is targeting emerging commuter rail systems that share track with freight trains. He said the diesel-fueled trains are significantly cheaper to operate than a standard locomotive and passenger cars because they burn less fuel. Each train has two 600-horsepower engines, compared with the 4,000-horsepower engine of a typical locomotive.
Commuter rail systems in California, Oregon and North Carolina have indicated they plan to purchase the diesel units.
© 2002 The Washington Post Company
posted by Charles at Friday, October 11, 2002
washingtonpost.com
D.C. Assesses Self-Propelled Train
Inexpensive Locomotive-Free Rail Car Runs on Existing Track
By Lindsey Layton
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, October 6, 2002; Page C12
The train idling on Track 11 at Union Station last week stood out among the Amtrak Metroliners, not because of its gleaming maroon-and-gold body or glass dome windows. What set it apart was what it lacked: a locomotive.
The $2.9 million train is a new type of transit vehicle, a cross between a bus and a commuter rail car, and a top District official says it holds great promise for improving transportation in the city.
"We're looking for simple, inexpensive solutions like this one, that we can use to jump-start new service," said Dan Tangherlini, the District's acting director of transportation, who inspected the train as part of a four-day "Railvolution" conference that began Thursday and drew hundreds of transit officials and planners to Washington.
The train, manufactured by Colorado Railcar Manufacturing LLC, is self-propelled, that is, it runs without a locomotive because its engines are built into the body of rail cars. Inside, the train has the appearance of a luxurious Metro car -- the operator sits in the cab, and the rest of the vehicle is filled with seats on either side of an aisle.
The system, known as diesel multiple units, is the first of its kind to be built in the United States and approved by the Federal Railroad Administration.
The new rail car is less expensive than traditional commuter rail, which consists of a locomotive that costs an average of $4 million and rail cars that cost about $1 million each. The diesel units can run on existing track, unlike a light rail system, which requires construction of electrified track. And it can run on the same track used by freight railroads, a flexibility that is becoming increasingly important as commuter railroads seek to use freight track.
In the District, Tangherlini said the self-propelled train would be a perfect way to launch the "Anacostia Starter Line," a 7.2-mile transit line that would begin in the District's poorest neighborhoods in Southeast, cross the Anacostia River and connect with the burgeoning jobs and residences along the Southwest waterfront.
District officials envision the Starter Line using light rail, the modern equivalent of streetcars.
Until the $310 million Anacostia light rail system is built, the District could run self-propelled trains as an interim step, operating them on an existing freight railroad between the Minnesota Avenue and Anacostia Metro stations, Tangherlini said. "This would jump-start the Starter Line by tapping into the existing infrastructure," he said.
Manufacturers can provide the District with the diesel units in 18 months -- a fast turnaround, Tangherlini said. Each rail car has 90 seats and can carry a maximum load of 254, including standing passengers.
Diesel multiple units can be found in Europe but aren't operating commercially in the United States because they had not passed federal safety tests until recently. Colorado Railcar is the first manufacturer to produce a unit that meets federal standards.
Thomas Janaky, vice president for sales at Colorado Railcar, said the company is targeting emerging commuter rail systems that share track with freight trains. He said the diesel-fueled trains are significantly cheaper to operate than a standard locomotive and passenger cars because they burn less fuel. Each train has two 600-horsepower engines, compared with the 4,000-horsepower engine of a typical locomotive.
Commuter rail systems in California, Oregon and North Carolina have indicated they plan to purchase the diesel units.
© 2002 The Washington Post Company
posted by Charles at Friday, October 11, 2002
