Metro Transit rolling stock

Metro Transit rolling stock

The opening of the Hiawatha Line in 2004 marked the beginning of Metro Transit's expansion into rail transit, 50 years after the last Twin Cities Rapid Transit streetcars were taken out of service. Several new rail transit projects are either under construction or in planning stages, and more are expected to be explored in the near future. Metro Transit will likely be acquiring a significant amount of rolling stock as these new projects move forward.

Contents

Light rail

The Twin Cities region has one active light rail line, the Hiawatha Line, and two lines in advanced planning: the Central Corridor, which has entered construction, and the Southwest Corridor, which is in preliminary engineering.

Type I LRVs

A two-car train of Metro Transit light rail cars in downtown Minneapolis

Metro Transit placed its order for light rail vehicles (LRVs) for the Hiawatha Line with Bombardier in January 2001, originally for 18 cars,[1] but increased in stages to 24 cars by early 2003.[2] Bombardier constructed a full-scale, half-car mock-up of the Minneapolis version of its Flexity Swift design,[3] and this was placed on temporary display on a section of completed track on 5th Street, starting on October 30, 2002,[1] to enable Metro Transit to give the city's residents a hands-on preview of the low-floor design several months before completion of the first actual rail cars. The articulated vehicles use a 70% low-floor design, are 94 ft (29 m) long and can carry 66 seated passengers and 180 standees.[4]

The first light rail vehicle for the Hiawatha Line arrived in Minneapolis in March 2003,[5] and testing of it along the first completed section of the line was underway by June 2003.[6] The line opened on June 26, 2004, with 14 of the 24 Bombardier Flexity Swift LRVs accepted and available for service by then,[7] and all 24 had entered service by the end of the year. In January 2007, the Metropolitan Council announced that three additional vehicles would be purchased, for a total of 27 LRVs on the line.[8]

The Hiawatha Line's Type I LRVs are numbered sequentially from 101 through 127. The Flexity Swift vehicle is an articulated design with three car-body sections, referred to as the A, B, and C sections. The markings on the ends of LRVs indicate the vehicle number and section. For example, car 114 is marked 114A on one end, and 114B on the other end. Vehicle numbers are also displayed (excluding the section letter) on the sides of the C section, on the doors of the operator cabs, and on the roof of the vehicle. Both ends of the vehicle have operator cabs, allowing trains of any length to be operated normally in either direction without the need to turn the train around. The pantograph is located on the B section of the vehicle.

Type II LRVs

Siemens Industry Incorporated will build 31 S70 Avanto Light Rail Vehicles for the Central Corridor line[9] and another 10 for the Hiawatha Line's three-car train expansion project, at a per-LRV cost of $3,297,714 and a total contract value of $153,211,516.[10] The 41 LRVs will be built in Florin, California, with the first vehicle(s) being delivered in late 2012.[11]

The Hiawatha Line's original first-generation fleet of 27 Flexity Swift LRVs was built by Bombardier; the Siemens "type II" LRVs will be mechanically, but not electronically, compatible with the current fleet of 27 "type I" vehicles, so while the two generations will be able to run on the tracks at the same time and either type would be able to push a malfunctioning unit of the other type, multiple-unit consists may only be assembled of one type.[12]

The Type II order will consist of a minimum 41 units, with 31 destined for service on the Central Corridor and 10 on the Hiawatha Line. However, the procurement order contains options for up to 58 additional units, which would provide full three-car operations on both the Hiawatha Line and the Central Corridor, as well as two-car operation on the potential Southwest Corridor line.[citation needed]

Operations

Since the completion of three-car station extensions in winter 2010, Metro Transit operates one-, two-, and three- car trains on the Hiawatha Line, depending on the time of day and ridership needs. Many stations on the line were initially built to be capable of serving only one- or two-car trains, as a cost-saving measure; all of the shorter platforms were designed and built with future extension in mind, and currently all stations are capable of serving three-car trains. The Central Corridor line is being built with three-car platforms at all stations.

The number of LRVs in the first-generation fleet limits three-car operations during peak rush hours, as 27 cars will not allow operation of high frequencies with longer trains. In spring and summer 2010, three-car trains were only used for special event service, such as Twins games, when lower off-peak frequencies allow operation of longer trains to meet demand. Metro Transit continued operating two-car trains during the morning and evening rush hours until September 2010, when they began operating some 3-car trains during rush hour—However, this required a reduction in frequency so trains would arrive every 10 minutes rather than every 7-8 minutes (though some 2-car service remains at the old frequency).[13] The arrival of Type II LRVs should allow 3-car trains at high frequencies in 2012 or 2013.

Maintenance Facilities

The Hiawatha Line's maintenance facility is located between the Cedar/Riverside and Franklin Avenue stations. The Central Corridor's maintenance facility is expected to be in the former Diamond Products building in Lowertown St. Paul, just east of the Union Depot station.

Heavy rail

The Twin Cities region currently has one heavy-rail commuter line, the Northstar Line. Though others are planned, none has advanced beyond alternatives analysis at this time.

Northstar commuter rail line

Locomotives

The Northstar commuter rail line's first five locomotives are the MP36PH-3C, manufactured by MotivePower in Boise, Idaho at a total cost of $13,823,000. The first of the locomotives, #501, was delivered October 3, 2008.[14] The other four arrived around New Years Day of 2009.[15] The locomotives are numbered sequentially 501 through 505.

Around the time the line began service in November 2009, it was announced that a negotiations were underway with the Utah Transit Authority to acquire a sixth locomotive from their FrontRunner service.[16] This locomotive arrived in December 2009. By June, Metro Transit decided to purchase the UTA locomotive due to high leasing costs and the need to have an extra locomotive for when others are being repaired or inspected. $2.85 million for buying the locomotive and repainting it in Northstar livery came from a $10.1 million contingency fund built into the original cost of the service.[17]

# Model Delivery Notes
501 MP36PH-3C October 3, 2008 [14]
502 MP36PH-3C January 2009 [15]
503 MP36PH-3C January 2009 [15] Seen under a sheath in the 200th episode of Dirty Jobs, "Locomotive Builder".
504 MP36PH-3C January 2009 [15] Also featured in the "Locomotive Builder" episode of Dirty Jobs, where it was briefly driven by Mike Rowe.[18]
505 MP36PH-3C January 2009 [15]
12 MP36PH-3C December 2009 Built as Utah Transit Authority #12 for their FrontRunner service, though it never ran in revenue service there. Leased to Metro Transit starting in December 2009,[19] it was purchased the following summer.[17]

Passenger coaches

Northstar uses the Bombardier Bi-Level Coach, a number of which are configured as cab cars. With no straightforward way to turn the trains or locomotives around at the ends of the line, the train is simply run in reverse from Big Lake to Minneapolis. The engineer remotely controls the locomotive from the cab car in the last coach of the train.

Official documents state that the line uses seventeen[20] Bombardier BiLevel Coach passenger vehicles[21][22], although an 18th coach (#712) has apparently been photographed.[23]

# Model Delivery Notes
601 Bi-Level VII coach (cab car) June 9, 2009[24][25] One of the first two coaches delivered to Big Lake on 6/9/09.
602 Bi-Level VII coach (cab car) 2009
603 Bi-Level VII coach (cab car) 2009
604 Bi-Level VII coach (cab car) 2009
605 Bi-Level VII coach (cab car) 2009
606 Bi-Level VII coach (cab car) 2009
701 Bi-Level VII coach 2009
702 Bi-Level VII coach 2009
703 Bi-Level VII coach 2009
704 Bi-Level VII coach 2009
705 Bi-Level VII coach 2009
706 Bi-Level VII coach 2009
707 Bi-Level VII coach 2009
708 Bi-Level VII coach 2009
709 Bi-Level VII coach 2009
710 Bi-Level VII coach 2009
711 Bi-Level VII coach 2009
712 Bi-Level VII coach 2009 Despite official word that Northstar has 17 coaches, there appears to be a #712, bringing the total to 18.[23]

Consists

Five trains are used during a typical day's operations, each consisting of a single locomotive, two or three regular coaches, and a cab car coach. The extra locomotive and coach are available for backup if needed. Northstar platforms were built long enough to accommodate trains of five coaches, which were used for some weekend trains in the early weeks of service.

Maintenance

The maintenance facility for the Northstar Line is located adjacent to the station in Big Lake, Minnesota.

External links

References

  1. ^ a b Tramways & Urban Transit (UK), December 2002 issue, p. 467–468. Ian Allan Publishing/Light Rail Transit Association. ISSN 1460-8324.
  2. ^ Tramways & Urban Transit, March 2003 issue, p. 108.
  3. ^ Tramways & Urban Transit, May 2002 issue, p. 185.
  4. ^ "FLEXITY Swift - Minneapolis, USA". Bombardier. http://www.bombardier.com/en/transportation/products-services/rail-vehicles/light-rail-vehicles/flexity-light-rail-vehicles/minneapolis--usa?docID=0901260d8000cbd8. Retrieved 2009-02-10. 
  5. ^ Tramways & Urban Transit, June 2003 issue, p. 227.
  6. ^ "Minneapolis: First Car Runs on Hiawatha Light Rail Starter Line". Light Rail Now. June 29, 2003. http://www.lightrailnow.org/news/n_min002.htm. Retrieved 2009-12-16. 
  7. ^ Tramways & Urban Transit, August 2004 issue, p. 308.
  8. ^ "Passenger capacity to grow on Hiawatha line". Metropolitan Council. January 2007. http://www.metrocouncil.org/directions/transit/transit2007/railcarsJan07.htm. Retrieved 2009-02-10. 
  9. ^ "FTA Signs Agreement to Fund Central Corridor". http://www.railwaygazette.com/index.php?id=44&no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=13180&cHash=00d875d42e. Retrieved 20 September 2011. 
  10. ^ "Transportation Committee Business Item 2010-275". Metropolitan Council. 2010-07-30. http://councilmeetings.metc.state.mn.us/Transportation/2010/0809/0809_2010_275.pdf. Retrieved 2010-08-06. 
  11. ^ Kevin Giles (August 25, 2010). "Central Corridor contracts awarded". Star Tribune. http://www.startribune.com/local/stpaul/101524299.html. Retrieved 2010-08-28. 
  12. ^ "Transportation Committee Meeting July 26, 2010". Metropolitan Council. 2010-07-26. http://metrocouncil.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=757. Retrieved 2010-08-06. 
  13. ^ "These routes changed Sept. 11". Metro Transit. 2010. http://www.metrotransit.org/TransitArticles/Story.aspx?pageid=18&mid=393&articleid=147. Retrieved September 21, 2010. 
  14. ^ a b http://www.metrocouncil.org/directions/transit/transit2008/NorthstarOct08.htm
  15. ^ a b c d e http://twincitiesrailfan.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=1767
  16. ^ "Ready to roll, train officials say". Star Tribune. 2009-11-15. http://www.startribune.com/local/north/70153487.html. Retrieved 2009-11-16. 
  17. ^ a b Peter Bodley (June 2, 2010). "Sixth locomotive to be purchased for Northstar". Coon Rapids Herald. ABC Newspapers. http://abcnewspapers.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12474&Itemid=28. Retrieved September 21, 2010. 
  18. ^ http://www.megavideo.com/?d=SYCQIKG6
  19. ^ "Northstar ridership below Metro Transit goals". Star Tribune. December 10, 2009. http://www.startribune.com/local/west/78990087.html. Retrieved January 5, 2010. 
  20. ^ "Northstar Commuter Rail Update - Winter 2008". Northstar Corridor Development Authority. December 2008. http://www.mn-getonboard.com/pdf/2008_12_NS_Update.pdf. Retrieved 2009-02-10. 
  21. ^ "Anoka Station Rendering". Northstar Corridor Development Authority. 2008-08-05. http://www.flickr.com/photos/northstarcommuterrail/2736015236/. Retrieved 2009-02-10. 
  22. ^ http://www.flickr.com/photos/vidioman/3274114103/
  23. ^ a b http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/rsPicture.aspx?id=464296
  24. ^ http://northstar.typepad.com/northstar_commuter_rail/2009/06/first-two-northstar-coach-cars-arrive-in-big-lake.html
  25. ^ http://www.flickr.com/photos/northstarcommuterrail/3619709641/

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