Sumitomo/Nippon Sharyo favored to win SMART DMU contract

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20 ... ?p=1&tc=pg

Besides the car that is in service in Japan, Sumitomo also builds an electric-powered car for the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District, which runs from South Bend to Chicago at speeds of 80 mph. Engineers have indicated it too is a basis for the car that was proposed for SMART.


http://www.pressdemocrat.com/apps/pbcsi ... ofile=1350

NICTD EMU
http://www.n-sharyo.co.jp/business/tets ... mu2000.jpg

Japan DMU
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... ries01.jpg

What I think; they're combining the technology of the FRA complaint body of the Indiana EMU with the mechanical propulsion equipment of the Japanese DMU.

Here's a pdf for the SMART's staff's recommendation that includes line drawings of the Nippon Sharyo DMU.
http://www.sonomamarintrain.org/userfil ... -10-25.pdf

Take a closer look at the drawing of the traditional non-streamlined car version from the front view, doesn't it look very similar to NICTD and MARC single level cars?

It looks like Metrolinx (Toronto, ON) will piggyback on the SMART order and have as many as 18 two-car trains built for them.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/nat ... le1801419/

SMART orders 18 Nippon Sharyo DMUs. That sufficient for 9 married-pairs. Surprisingly, they have options for more than a hundred more DMUs, more than what SMART will ever need. Does anyone think any other transit agency may want to buy these FRA compliant DMU trains soon?

Here's an article about the above order:
http://www.progressiverailroading.com/n ... ryo--25285

Local fishrap article:
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20 ... get-SMART-

The above piece says the shells will be fabricated at NS's Toyokawa Plant and then shipped to the new facility in Rochelle, Ill for final assembly, while other articles state the chassis will be be built in Japan, with the shells built in Rochelle. I wonder about the engines to be used, perhaps Cummins, which I believe is HQ'd in neighboring Indiana.

*I am surprised too about the option for 100+ more railcars, no way they need that many for the services proposed. I wonder if SMART is looking to lease units to others, I suppose if these initial units are successful, other transit agencies may start knocking on SMART's door. Perhaps agencies looking to replace life-expired RDCs may be among them.

kaitoku wrote:*I am surprised too about the option for 100+ more railcars, no way they need that many for the services proposed. I wonder if SMART is looking to lease units to others, I suppose if these initial units are successful, other transit agencies may start knocking on SMART's door. Perhaps agencies looking to replace life-expired RDCs may be among them.

There are a few other transit agencies well along in planning to implement DMU trains.
Denver's RTD between Denver, Boulder, and Longmont.
Fort Worth's FWTA SW2NE corridor terminating at DFW airport.
San Francisco's BART to eastern Contra Costa County through Pittsburg, which terminates in Antioch.
Other commuter rail projects in planning could use DMUs too, although the choice hasn't been made.

On rail corridors with lots of existing freight services, these FRA compliant DMU trains are better than choosing non-FRA compliant trains. Likewise, on little used or abandoned freight corridors, smaller non-FRA compliant trains like the Stadler GTW could be a better choice politically, if neighborhoods object to noises from the larger trains.

There are transit agencies looking at starting commuter rail projects on both heavily used and lightly used, if not completely abandoned, freight railroad corridors.

If the LIRR hasn't decided on what DMUs to purchase for the Montauk and Greenport branches, they should piggyback onto this order.

NH2060 wrote:If the LIRR hasn't decided on what DMUs to purchase for the Montauk and Greenport branches, they should piggyback onto this order.

I didn't realize that the LIRR was looking at buying some DMUs. You're correct, these would probably make great DMUs for them as well. Although I believe the LIRR would probably prefer the C car blunt nose versions.

Drawings of SMART's DMU

from http://transit.toronto.on.ca/archives/w ... inx_.shtml

Drawings of GO's DMU

from http://www.metro-magazine.com/News/Stor ... -DMUs.aspx

Additionally, to correct the numbers ordered, both SMART and GO have ordered 12 DMUs each, equivalent to 6 married-pairs each.

LIRR should look into these cars, their sharp looking.

peanut1 wrote:LIRR should look into these cars, their sharp looking.

Apparently someone is looking in that direction: http://southampton.patch.com/articles/d ... o-east-end

From that news article:

$37.2 million to purchase five new trains for the LIRR

That's $7.44 Million per train or married pair, or $3.72 Million per car. That's about the price of a Stadler GTW GTW train that DCTA paid, slightly more than the $3.33 Million price SMART paid for a Sumitomo car, or $6.67 Million per married pair.The news article also used the term "light" when describing the DMU train, again more akin to a Stadler GTW.
So, LIRR may not be discussing the Sumitomo/Nippon Sharyo DMU trains. I believe that the Sumitomo DMUs would be a better match for them, having full FRA compliance allowing sharing tracks with their existing EMUs and double level trains.

electrician wrote:Both SMART and GO have ordered 12 DMUs each, equivalent to 6 married-pairs each.

GO has ordered an additional 6 blunt nose DMUs to make their married pairs triplets. I believe they will have one cab per car, and can be operated as married pairs with each other or with a streamline nose DMU too. So GO has now ordered all 18 DMUs they originally planned.