Metro re-considering 100% 8-car trains

In a detailed story by Martin Di Caro, he discusses how Metro is proposing changing its prior goal of 100% 8-car trains during rush hour on all lines. Instead, the plan would be for 55% rush hour 8-car trains, using the extra 220 7000-series cars to replace "192 5000-series railcars and 28 2000-series railcars" instead of using them for expanding the fleet. His story details that the push to retire less reliable series is coming from the jurisdictions, who want more reliable trains and to spend less money (a smaller fleet means smaller railyard expansions) as well as from revised passenger figures going ahead. http://wamu.org/news/15/04/08/new_metro ... _rush_hour. Under the plan, Blue and Orange lines get all 8-car trains, and the Red line would stay at 50 percent. No 8-car trains for Yellow, which is the current normal, but it's not clear what is happening to the Green, which has a smattering of 8-car trains.

The representatives from the new Maryland and District of Columbia administrations have not been told that one of the reasons why reliability is an issue is because WMATA has to run the crap out of the fleet to fill the time sheet.

More cars would allow the shop staff to keep ahead on maintenance increasing overall reliability, even the less reliability equipment.

On the power side of things, does anybody have details on what levels of output each TPSS can handle and thus what % of 8-car trains could run on each portion of the system? I would love to play around with the numbers a bit.

"srepetsk"
On the power side of things, does anybody have details on what levels of output each TPSS can handle and thus what % of 8-car trains could run on each portion of the system? I would love to play around with the numbers a bit.

This is from the 2002 10-Year Capital Improvement Program: I have another document dated 05 22 14 that calls for upgrading 19 existing substation to 9 Megawatt.

This one will allow 100 percent eight-car train operations. Basically what WMATA wants to do is upgrade the last of the 4 and 6 Megawatt substations on trunk routes to 9 to accommodate 100 percent eight-car train operations.

Once all the 7k's arrive, around 50% of the fleet will have to run as 8-car trains. So the 2-3K and 6K cars will be the only ones that can run as 6 car trains. Either Metro will have to make sure the 8k's can run as 6 car trains OR they will have to get the power upgrade. They have a lot of time though. The last 7k car won't arrive until 2020 assuming no more delivery delays.

"Chris Brown"
Once all the 7k's arrive, around 50% of the fleet will have to run as 8-car trains. So the 2-3K and 6K cars will be the only ones that can run as 6 car trains. Either Metro will have to make sure the 8k's can run as 6 car trains OR they will have to get the power upgrade.

Hopefully WMATA will dump the unnecessary policy of operating 7k cars in 8 car consists only and run 6 packs.

They have a lot of time though. The last 7k car won't arrive until 2020 assuming no more delivery delays.

Being that WMATA chose to retire the 4 and 5k cars instead doing a mid life rehabilitation, the next procurement may be coming sooner then later. Me wouldn't be surprised to see WMATA paying for more 7k cars at a post option price instead of going through the process of advertising proposals for the next procurement. The 7k cars have a unit price just of under $2 million. I would also forget about all 8 car peak service unless they hold out on retiring a significant number of the older cars.

Sand Box John wrote:"Chris Brown"
Once all the 7k's arrive, around 50% of the fleet will have to run as 8-car trains. So the 2-3K and 6K cars will be the only ones that can run as 6 car trains. Either Metro will have to make sure the 8k's can run as 6 car trains OR they will have to get the power upgrade.

Hopefully WMATA will dump the unnecessary policy of operating 7k cars in 8 car consists only and run 6 packs.

They have a lot of time though. The last 7k car won't arrive until 2020 assuming no more delivery delays.

Being that WMATA chose to retire the 4 and 5k cars instead doing a mid life rehabilitation, the next procurement may be coming sooner then later. Me wouldn't be surprised to see WMATA paying for more 7k cars at a post option price instead of going through the process of advertising proposals for the next procurement. The 7k cars have a unit price just of under $2 million. I would also forget about all 8 car peak service unless they hold out on retiring a significant number of the older cars.

I don't know about that. The original 7K order was only to replace the 1k cars and expand the fleet for the Silver Line. They expanded the order to 748 cars to cover the loss of the 4K and 5K while still expanding the fleet. The 8K will replace the 2-3K cars.

Of course, all this depends on predictable conditions for the next few years. If something changes like higher growth than expected, or approval of a new line, or a decision not to rehab the 6k cars, then plans might change.

"Chris Brown"

I don't know about that. The original 7K order was only to replace the 1k cars and expand the fleet for the Silver Line. They expanded the order to 748 cars to cover the loss of the 4K and 5K while still expanding the fleet. The 8K will replace the 2-3K cars.

You got it backwards. The original schema was:

• Base contract: 64 cars – Dulles Phase 1
• Option 1: 64 cars – Dulles Phase 2
• Option 2: 130 cars – Growth 75% Eight-Car Trains
• Option 3: 100 cars – Mid-Life Rehabilitation (4k cars)
• Option 4: 300 cars – Fleet Renewal (1k car)
• Option 5: 90 cars – Growth 100% Eight-Car Trains

After the Fort Totten wreck followed by the decision not to do the mid life rehabilitation of the 4k cars, option 3 became 100 new 7k car, the 5k car will be replaced by option 2 and part of option 5:

• Base contract: 64 cars – Dulles Phase 1
• Option 4: 300 cars – Fleet Renewal (1k car)
• Option 1: 64 cars – Dulles Phase 2
• Option 3: 100 cars – Fleet Renewal (4k cars)
• Option 2: 130 cars – Fleet Renewal (5k cars)
• Option 5: 90 cars – Fleet Renewal (5k cars) balance Growth Railcars

Net increase in fleet size 36 cars.

Of course, all this depends on predictable conditions for the next few years. If something changes like higher growth than expected, or approval of a new line, or a decision not to rehab the 6k cars, then plans might change.

Based on the time line of the Silver line any service on any new line would be at minimum 15 after committing to an official proposal. An example is the schema to begin construction on the extension of the Yellow line to Hybla Valley (page 56) in 2036 with an opening in 2040.

Me thinks a fleet renewal / growth procurement will happen before the Commonwealth commits to extending the Yellow line to Hybla Valley.

Sand Box John wrote:Net increase in fleet size 36 cars.

Minus however many cars they destroy in wrecks over the next 4 years....

MCL1981 wrote:

Sand Box John wrote:Net increase in fleet size 36 cars.

Minus however many cars they destroy in wrecks over the next 4 years....

People are way too dramatic about the Metro crashes. In real life accidents happen. This is just a reality of life. There is never a 100% guarantee of safety in any situation. There is no guarantee a plane won't crash for instance. It doesn't matter how safe the plane is engineered or how good the pilot is.. there is never a guarantee. People just need to grow up and understand this.

Its not like a crash happens on Metro every week or something.

Chris Brown wrote:

MCL1981 wrote:

Sand Box John wrote:Net increase in fleet size 36 cars.

Minus however many cars they destroy in wrecks over the next 4 years....

People are way too dramatic about the Metro crashes. In real life accidents happen. This is just a reality of life. There is never a 100% guarantee of safety in any situation. There is no guarantee a plane won't crash for instance. It doesn't matter how safe the plane is engineered or how good the pilot is.. there is never a guarantee. People just need to grow up and understand this.

Its not like a crash happens on Metro every week or something.

If all their accidents weren't due to outrageous and unacceptable levels of incompetence and negligence, you might have a point.

WMATA's closed a new contract to upgrade 6 power substations on Orange/Silver/Blue: http://wmata.com/business/procurement_a ... on_id=3442" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

G01TB - Benning Road TBS
G02TB1 - 56th Place TBS
G02TB2 - 67th Ave TBS
K06TB2 - Greenwich St TBS
K07TB1 - Ogden St TBS
K07TB2 - Prosperity Ave TBS

"srepetsk"
WMATA's closed a new contract to upgrade 6 power substations on Orange/Silver/Blue: http://wmata.com/business/procurement_a ... on_id=3442" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

G01TB - Benning Road TBS
G02TB1 - 56th Place TBS
G02TB2 - 67th Ave TBS
K06TB2 - Greenwich St TBS
K07TB1 - Ogden St TBS
K07TB2 - Prosperity Ave TBS

Problem is none of those tie breaker station are between D&G Junction and Rosslyn.