New rail cars for MARTA

[081552]

I like the proposal to purchase cars with open gangways. I rode Rotem cars in Athens last year and they were very spacious.

 

http://www.railwayage.com/index.php/passenger/rapid-transit/marta-issues-rfi-for-new-metro-train-fleet.html

[CandOforprogress2]

are DC cars and Atlanta cars the same? they could be made at Hornell NY

[NorthWest]

I take a dimmer look at the gangway cars, as they have the same problem that has always doomed articulated trainsets in the US: you have to yank the whole train out of service for repairs. It's a lot less disruptive to simply pull out a married pair. And you have no flexibility for off-peak times.

No, MARTA and Metro cars are not the same, but they are extremely close and I wouldn't be surprised to see a modified 7000 series order.

[daveklepper]

The Washington Metro has lower tunnel clearances than Atlanta.   Atlanta is cl close to what is common North American practice for ten=foot-wide cars, while Washington chose to save construction money by smaller diamater tunnel tubes.  The result is a car that has smaller wheels, a lower floor, tighter equipment installation, and a car considerably more difficult to maintain than any of the other systems except possiblr BART.  The Standard was set by Boston's Cambridge-Dorchester "Tunnel," now the Red Line, immediately adopted by the BMT, now part of the B-division in New York, and Philadelphia Broad St., DRPA Camden-Lindenwald, Cleveland Red Line, LA Red Line, Baltimore, Miami, and Toironto (except wider gauge),   The other standard is that which dates back to the steam elevated railroads, and the IRT (New York's A-Division), Chicago, and Phildelopphia's Market STreet (except for wider gauge) are the survivors of that other standard.  Washington's tunnels are lower than any, but allow clcose to ten-foot wide cars.

[081552]

I get the issues relating to fixed trainsets. The open gangway cars create a totally different riding experience which may offset the operational issues.

[daveklepper]

A majority of routes in NYC use constant consists all day, 8 or 10 cars, 11 on the 7, simply providing less service, longer headways, during periods of light travel.   And about half the fleet of former married pairs has been configured into four-car and five-car blocks, with regular controls remaining only in the end cabs.   This is even true  of the 7, with two five-car blocks and one single car for a typical train.