Sorry Al:
This is the first time I have looked at this thread.
LYNX has had higher than predicted ridership since day one. The parking problems at the I-485 park and ride have been reduced by leasing an under used parking lot from an adjacent restaurant, and they are just putting the finishing touches on a new ground level lot just outside the underpass entrance to the 1120 space parking deck. The plans for the Blue Line Extension includes 300 foot platforms and upgrading from 200 to 300 on the existing Blue Line. Of course, 300 feet was the original plan, but the Feds made them cut it to 200 as a condition of the funding assistance.
LYNX should get a workout this week because the "Speed Street" festival is in city center. This is NASCAR race weeks in Charlotte. Incidentally, the new NASCAR Hall of Fame is on the Blue Line. It's not open yet, but it is very far along in the construction.
I agree that Austin waitng for demand to dictate non rush hour service will probably be counter productive. Sort of a "chicken or the egg" senario. Reduced service would be better than no service during the slow periods. Governments seldom consider that they might have to expand one day. They just worry about what it costs right now. It usually bites them sometime down the road.
I have never been to Austin, so my opinion is based solely on my experience here.
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
Just timed a DMU through Cedar Park at a little bit better than 15 seconds per quarter mile. Gates and flashers all activating properly. The things look pretty good when they're moving at a higher rate of speed.....
4merroad4man Just timed a DMU through Cedar Park at a little bit better than 15 seconds per quarter mile. Gates and flashers all activating properly. The things look pretty good when they're moving at a higher rate of speed.....
We're getting closer to launch date !
As per my previous post, Capital Metro will run the trains during the morning and evening rush hours. During the day and evening buses will be used as is currently the case.
The train makes sense during the commuter rush hours when the major highways in the Austin area are chockers with traffic and having a separate right-of-way to move people quickly is desirable. During the day and evening, however, when passenger loads and traffic are relatively light, the bus makes more economical sense. It can zip along as quickly as the train. And because it is more flexible, it can cover several stops not served by the rail line.
Cost matters! Although Capital Metro does not yet have the average cost per passenger for the train, the figures for the Trinity Railway Express (TRE) are probably illustrative. The TRE requires an average subsidy of $6.33 per passenger trip. The subsidy is lower during the rush hours, when the average load factor is relatively high, but it is much higher during off hours when the load factors are relatively low.
Ignoring cost is not good management. In the business world doing so would put the entity out of business in short order. Capital Metro made the right decision to run the trains during rush hours and buses during off hours.
Metra's Southwest Service had a similar arrangement until recently. Trains and express buses were operated during rush hours with express buses handling off-peak service. About a year or so ago, the line changed over to full all-day rail service with an approximately 2-hour headway for off-peak. The express bus route was discontinued at that time. Saturday service (3 each way) was added about three months ago.
videomaker 4merroad4man Just timed a DMU through Cedar Park at a little bit better than 15 seconds per quarter mile. Gates and flashers all activating properly. The things look pretty good when they're moving at a higher rate of speed..... We're getting closer to launch date !
Capital Metro announced last week that the launch of commuter rail service from Leander to Austin is still on indefinite hold. Apparently they have not resolved the problems with the road crossing gates and flashers. The project is turning into a public relations disaster at a time when Capital Metro does not need anymore bad press. It is not very popular amongst many people in the Austin area, which is a bit unfair, since it operates a decent bus service.
Sam, I ate to say it, but as long as Veolia is involved, I can't imagine anything good coming out of this. Veolia's signal geniuses were out messing around with the gates at Crystal Falls Parkway a few days ago, and have been at various crossings at various times recently, as the trains run. How difficult does this have to be? It is a crossing circuit, for crying out loud.
They need to get with the program, but I suspect that the FRA already has seen enough to keep the service in limbo for the next couple of months at least. The bus service is a boon to my son, who uses it regularly and finds it clean, efficient and generally on time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQuDppUoSDU
if you take a look at the video you see a replica of the Capitalmetro working as normal in Europe.
sunbeamThat's a very slick looking train. However, the problem in Austin is to make a European trainset which is not compatible with 'standard' American equipment work on a rail line that will have freight service as well . I would guess the video clip shows operation on a dedicated passenger line. No doubt Cap Metro will eventually get the problems with crossing gates and CTC signals solved, but there are several important safety and operational issues. The recent rash of transit and commuter rail accidents in the US will probably have the FRA keeping a very close eye on things.
The problem started from the beginning by Installing the wrong componets on the signals. They should have kept the experience companies and contractors to do the work. Now, they have to spend Millions dollars of Tax money to fix the problem.
On Friday the FRA told Capital Metro that will will be required to install PTC equipment...it only gets better......
txhighballer On Friday the FRA told Capital Metro that will will be required to install PTC equipment...it only gets better......
When?? Now before starting service; sometime between now and 2015; 2015 ??
The article in the Statesman did not say whether they service could start before it was installed or whether they could start then install PTC, as far as I can remember.
Capital Metro has announced that the start-up date for the commuter rail service from Leander to Austin has been delayed until at least the middle of September. In addition, it said that the scheduled running time from Leander to Austin will be increased from 52 to 60 minutes, thereby reducing significantly the schedule spread between the current bus service and proposed rail service. As if to add insult to injury, the number of trains scheduled to and from Leander will be reduced to accommodate expected greater passenger loads down the line. Lastly, Capital Metro will use only four of the six train sets it bought because of unforseen operating constraints. In other words, millions of dollars of equipment will sit idle. Is this a first class operation or what?
Is there anything that has NOT gone wrong with Capital Metrorail?
Sam1 Is this a first class operation or what?
Agreeded. third class probably. They certainly need people from Dallas and Houston to shake up the management. Does this reflect any on Veolia??
Sam1Capital Metro has announced that the start-up date for the commuter rail service from Leander to Austin has been delayed until at least the middle of September. In addition, it said that the scheduled running time from Leander to Austin will be increased from 52 to 60 minutes, thereby reducing significantly the schedule spread between the current bus service and proposed rail service. As if to add insult to injury, the number of trains scheduled to and from Leander will be reduced to accommodate expected greater passenger loads down the line. Lastly, Capital Metro will use only four of the six train sets it bought because of unforseen operating constraints. In other words, millions of dollars of equipment will sit idle. Is this a first class operation or what?
-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/)
oltmanndSam1 Capital Metro has announced that the start-up date for the commuter rail service from Leander to Austin has been delayed until at least the middle of September. In addition, it said that the scheduled running time from Leander to Austin will be increased from 52 to 60 minutes, thereby reducing significantly the schedule spread between the current bus service and proposed rail service. As if to add insult to injury, the number of trains scheduled to and from Leander will be reduced to accommodate expected greater passenger loads down the line. Lastly, Capital Metro will use only four of the six train sets it bought because of unforseen operating constraints. In other words, millions of dollars of equipment will sit idle. Is this a first class operation or what? Sounds like this system has all the ingredients to be a "poster child" for how not to do rail transit. First, the plan fails to clear the Federal cost/benefit hurdle, so funding is all state/local. That might not have been all bad, but it should have raised some red flags... The system was built on the premise that getting an FRA waiver to do temporal seporation of freight and light rail was a slam dunk. It wasn't. Then, we have this ongoing comedy of getting the light rail equipment to reliably trip crossing circuits. Apparently, Veolia is delivering their usual, fine "low bidder" performance. (Veolia is our local bus operator. They sure don't sweat the details. They cut every corner they can find until the riders squeak loud enough.) If this was the first time any of this was done, these errors might be excusable. But, it isn't. The RiverLine from Trenton to Camden NJ is doing EXACTLY what the Austin - Leander service is trying to do. I think the difference is that NJT did a build-operate-maintain contract with Bombardier, and that really cut down on opportunities to pass the buck. Bombardier pretty much nailed it on the first pass. Did Austin mess up by subbing out the work (including the design work) to a collection of lowest bidders who weren't "best value" bidders? (because they obviously don't know what they are doing....)
Sam1 Capital Metro has announced that the start-up date for the commuter rail service from Leander to Austin has been delayed until at least the middle of September. In addition, it said that the scheduled running time from Leander to Austin will be increased from 52 to 60 minutes, thereby reducing significantly the schedule spread between the current bus service and proposed rail service. As if to add insult to injury, the number of trains scheduled to and from Leander will be reduced to accommodate expected greater passenger loads down the line. Lastly, Capital Metro will use only four of the six train sets it bought because of unforseen operating constraints. In other words, millions of dollars of equipment will sit idle. Is this a first class operation or what?
Like most projects that go wrong, there are many causes for this debacle. Near the top of the list is an agency (Capital Metro) that is run by a guy who spent his career managing bus operations. Moreover, the board of overseers did not have anyone on it who understands rail. Most of them are lawyers or double speakers of another stripe who were appointed for political favors done. A key criterion for being a transit board member in Texas is to have worked on or donated to the political campaign of the mayor or city council person.
Subsequent to the decision to upgrade the Austin and Western for commuter rail, after the project was well under way, Cap Metro realized that it was in trouble. It brought in a good man from DART, but it was a clear case of the help arriving too late.
While Veolia may not have had input as to the equipment choices, they certainly do have input and control over how to fix the problem, and with each passing day, it doesn't seem to improve. That fact can be laid at Veolia's feet.
CapMetro screwed the whole thing up at the outset by closing the doors to experienced, veteran railroad people who know their business. The fellow from DART is a good man, but he was trying to put out a forest fire with a squirt gun, especially as long as contractors like Veolia are in the mix. I personally know several UP, Amtrak and BNSF folks who submitted significant experience and education-based resumes, only to be ignored to the point of not even receiving call backs from CapMetro and/or Veolia. Apparently, the "good ol' boy" network is alive and well in Central Texas.
So, in the wee hours of every morning, a Veolia van trundles down US 183, stopping occasionally to let its occupant out to inspect and check crossing and block signal operation along the route. What he may find is unknown, unlike the clear signal that mysteriously lit, then went dim and then dropped out completely with no train anywhere around (lest week). FRA variances have been granted for everything from brake systems to air compressors and beyond. There seems to be nothing that gets properly designed or built.
I was excited when we learned we might have a good alternative for transportation in the Austin area. But the broadcast has changed from news to a sitcom; it may eventually wind up as slapstick and it goes on and on and on.
From reading all the stuff from CapMetroRail its sounds like they have TOO MANY COOKS IN THE KITCHEN ! I think there is a contractor for every thing from gravel to what color the personell uniforms should be..If you read the lastest AUG update it sounds like everything has got to work PERFECTLY ,its about as complicated as a shuttle launch !
And nobody has any authority except the FRA
This all started with the Violia contractor ! Bring back the people from Boston and let them have control and I betcha Austin would have a commuter rail before long ! You know this has got to be FRUSTRATING to Capital Metro
videomakerOK, This is to all the neysayers in and around Austin that said this commuter train was a rip off and all the other bad things about it...I went to the open house held at Leander today and Im here to tell you that you should be proud of this new light rail/commuter rail train you now have ! This is one heck of a train,the cars are all WI-FI equipted and are handicapped accessible, security will be very present..The trains will run from 5am til 830-9ish and from 4pm til 7ish M-F.. There is no reason not to ride it ! Some emplyees were saying that from the looks of the crowd that came out the schedule may have to be modified for a Sat run...I was there from about 11:00 til 2 and the crowd was big all day ! I would give up my car permanantly to ride this train everyday ! Give up your car if you live in Leander and work in Austin and ride it and you will see how much better it will be ! You have a great thing there and it will get bigger and better ! My advise to you is USE IT ,IT's GREAT !
OK,
This is to all the neysayers in and around Austin that said this commuter train was a rip off and all the other bad things about it...I went to the open house held at Leander today and Im here to tell you that you should be proud of this new light rail/commuter rail train you now have ! This is one heck of a train,the cars are all WI-FI equipted and are handicapped accessible, security will be very present..The trains will run from 5am til 830-9ish and from 4pm til 7ish M-F.. There is no reason not to ride it ! Some emplyees were saying that from the looks of the crowd that came out the schedule may have to be modified for a Sat run...I was there from about 11:00 til 2 and the crowd was big all day ! I would give up my car permanantly to ride this train everyday ! Give up your car if you live in Leander and work in Austin and ride it and you will see how much better it will be ! You have a great thing there and it will get bigger and better ! My advise to you is USE IT ,IT's GREAT !
This was the Danny the Videomaker's first post on this thread in February 2009. Now opening is tentatively mid-September, 2009? Sounds like much of the problem is when trackage is shared with a freight operator.
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
sunbeamProbably many of the problems Capital Metro is having could have been avoided in the first place if they had purchased equipment that was compatible with freight equipment. I'm not an expert on signals or crossings, but I would guess that railroad crossings malfunctioning and any CTC signal problems are related to European equipment that has just enough differences to make compatibility with American signal systems difficult.
Sharing trackage with a freight operator has little if anything to do with the problem, as passenger trains have shared trackage with freight trains for as long as railroads have existed, with no problems.
And I seriously doubt that CapMetro, at this point gives a flying rat's tail about what the public thinks, as long as the money keeps rolling in. And frustrated is one thing they are not. To listen to some CapMetro folks, the whole situation is a joke worthy of a good laugh and another cup of coffee.
Getting people in from the outside is a solution that might be appropriate, but it is one that is a day late and a dollar short.
On the north end of the route, we hear a lot of freights nowadays, but precious few of the red cars.
I wonder why?
4merroad4manSharing trackage with a freight operator has little if anything to do with the problem, as passenger trains have shared trackage with freight trains for as long as railroads have existed, with no problems.
Au contraire. Trying to run non-FRA compliant equipment from Europe or Japan on trackage owned by freight lines leads to many difficulties. Modification of that equipment leads to greater weight and cost and poorer performance. Having Amtrak run trains on freight lines often leads to huge delays, especially when freight business is booming. Trying to run HSR on existing freight lines is a non-starter. This is 2009, not 1959, when freight and passenger were pretty compatible.
You're preaching to the choir.
Logistically, the number of commute trains placed in a window around the operation of freight trains has no bearing upon the Three Stooges-like planning and implementation and it is that miserable planning that put non compliant equipment on the line in the first place. Railroading is, as it always has been, railroading, especially when compared with the bus mentality that currently runs CapMetro.
I will agree that sharing tracks in a high density environment could pose problems for start-ups, but a shortline hardly qualifies for high density, and is definitely not on my list of definitions for HSR.
As an Amtrak Engineer, I am well-versed on delays and on time performance, especially in high freight traffic environs. The "problem" (my previous quote) that has been discussed here is largely due to the lack of skill and/or interest on the part of CapMetro and Veolia. BTW, no one mentioned HSR in any part of this conversation. This is 2009, and just like in 1959, the CTC is pretty much comparable, the technology is better, allegedly, and the rails, for the most part are still 4 feet 8 and 1/2 inches between them. As Don (Oltmannd) said, "it ain't rocket science."
Sam1 Moreover, the board of overseers did not have anyone on it who understands rail. Most of them are lawyers or double speakers of another stripe who were appointed for political favors done. A key criterion for being a transit board member in Texas is to have worked on or donated to the political campaign of the mayor or city council person.
Moreover, the board of overseers did not have anyone on it who understands rail. Most of them are lawyers or double speakers of another stripe who were appointed for political favors done. A key criterion for being a transit board member in Texas is to have worked on or donated to the political campaign of the mayor or city council person.
That is hardly a situation that is unique to the state of Texas. One need look no further than Amtrak to find other examples.
Perhaps rapid transit screwups, like everything else, are just bigger in Texas!
oltmanndthe only way the FRA allows this is by temporal separation. i.e. the light rail cars run during a set time period(s) when the freight must be off the line. There is no mixed operation where both frt and passenger are out there at the same time.
This is a significant point that has applications in corridors and HSR.
oltmanndIt is likely not a trivial deal to get the track circuits and road Xing overlays working well for both, but it can and has been done....if you know what you're doing. That it hasn't happened in Austin means, by definition, that they don't know what they are doing.
I recall that this was a problem sometimes with RDC's.
schlimmoltmanndthe only way the FRA allows this is by temporal separation. i.e. the light rail cars run during a set time period(s) when the freight must be off the line. There is no mixed operation where both frt and passenger are out there at the same time. This is a significant point that has applications in corridors and HSR.oltmanndIt is likely not a trivial deal to get the track circuits and road Xing overlays working well for both, but it can and has been done....if you know what you're doing. That it hasn't happened in Austin means, by definition, that they don't know what they are doing. I recall that this was a problem sometimes with RDC's.
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