Which 10 TRE RDC's went to A-train? I have 7 numbers - 2001-2004, 2010, 2012, 2013 so am missing 3
Here's an interesting 5 page report on recent TRE corridor upgrades. It's great reading.
http://www.apta.com/mc/rail/previous/20 ... -Costs.pdf
I wished it contained a paragraph or two about future upgrades. Alas, it doesn't.
The most interesting paragraphs in the report, imho, were these:
"The shift from DMU to locomotive hauled equipment provided a major cost savings. In addition to the significantly lower capital cost per seat, the staffing requirements for a train of either type of equipment are similar. Each train requires one train operator and one train attendant. Fuel consumption is equivalent at two gallons per mile.
The savings are realized when the ridership demand exceeds approximately 280 seats on a train. This is the seating capacity of either a two car bi- level consist or a three car RDC set. To provide a seat costs approximately $0.064 per seat mile (one seat traveling one mile).
The expansion west created peak period passenger demands which required the TRE to commence operating consists of three and four bi- levels. These loads greatly exceeded the carrying capacity of the earlier RDC trains. A three car bi- level train costs $0.048 per seat mile to operate. Adding the fourth car to the train decreases the costs to $0.042 per seat mile. In the future, the TRE plans to operate five car trains at a cost estimated to be $0.037 per seat mile."
There's the data that shows RDCs are cheaper to operate up to three RDCs on a train. Of course, this report suggest the opposite is true, that RDCs are more expensive to operate when you have more than three RDCs on a train. Both statements are true.