WMATA 8000 Series Rail Cars

Manufacturing group accuses Metro of sidestepping ‘Buy America’ clause for new rail cars
Metro said there are no U.S. manufacturers of passenger rail cars to contract
https://www.washingtonpost.com/transpor ... rail-cars/

He also said a lack of U.S.-based rail car builders is just an excuse when he says there is no shortage of manufacturers that would start or move operations within the United States to acquire a $1 billion project that would last several years.

Haven't we been down the "Win the contract, then learn how to build the product later" route once already?

Iiinteresting...

davinp
Manufacturing group accuses Metro of sidestepping ‘Buy America’ clause for new rail cars
Metro said there are no U.S. manufacturers of passenger rail cars to contract
https://www.washingtonpost.com/transpor ... rail-cars/

Do any of these American steelworkers and U.S. manufacturers have the facilities and tooling to make the stainless steel parts and weld them together from 70% US sourced material.

It looks like Hitachi Rail (the former Breda) will be building the 8000 series.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/transpor ... L8n9kcbdrQ

tommyboy6181 wrote: ↑Tue Oct 06, 2020 9:39 pm It looks like Hitachi Rail (the former Breda) will be building the 8000 series.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/transpor ... L8n9kcbdrQ

They need to start building them ASAP, because the 2000 series will be 40 years old by 2022, so they will need to be retired. They can't be delayed any longer/

The article does not say what Metro will do with the 6000 series - either mid-life rebuilt or early retirement

If they go with all of the options, it could allow the 6000 series to be fully retired. But, the 6000 series cars have done well overall with reliability, being the most reliable fleet besides the 7k. Realistically, the 6k could go for an overhaul and last another 20 years.

That would determine when the 9000s are due up, if the 6000s stay, the 9000s I could see around 2035-40.

Metro has selected Hitachi Rail Washington LLC to build the 8000-series. The contract includes a base order of 256 railcars, with options to build up to 800. First cars are expected to be delivered in 2024. Press release is here https://www.wmata.com/about/news/Metro- ... ilcars.cfm

JDC wrote: ↑Wed Mar 17, 2021 8:14 am Metro has selected Hitachi Rail Washington LLC to build the 8000-series. The contract includes a base order of 256 railcars, with options to build up to 800. First cars are expected to be delivered in 2024. Press release is here https://www.wmata.com/about/news/Metro- ... ilcars.cfm

Interesting that may order up to 800 more because they were only to replace the 2000/3000 series. Metro has not said what they will do with the 6000 series, which will be soon due for a mid-life overhaul.

davinp

Interesting that may order up to 800 more because they were only to replace the 2000/3000 series. Metro has not said what they will do with the 6000 series, which will be soon due for a mid-life overhaul.

The 7k cars were originally procured to increase the fleet size for the Silver line and replace the 1k cars and increase the overall fleet size by more then 200 cars to allow all 8 car trains during peak. The 4k cars were to mid life rehabilitated to be compatible with the 7k cars. The board trashed that idea and replaced 4 and 5k cars with 7k cars. When all was said and done total increase in overall fleet size became 32 cars. The 8 car procurement will do what was planed in the original 7k procurement and increase the overall fleet size to allow all 8 car trains during peak.

https://wjla.com/news/local/new-renderi ... ed-in-2024

this was the previously proposed design which got nixed: https://www.memuk.org/wp-content/upload ... ring-1.jpg

That's actually not a bad evolution of the front end in the rendering. One thing I think will probably occur is that Hitachi will likely use their own propulsion. My guess is it will be similar to the new Miami Metro trains that they built a few years ago (propulsion developed by AnsaldoBreda but now of course Hitachi).

YOLO
https://wjla.com/news/local/new-renderi ... ed-in-2024

this was the previously proposed design which got nixed: https://www.memuk.org/wp-content/upload ... ring-1.jpg

What wrong about both renderings, hint there are three.

6 things wrong (I think)

1. Headways for Red Line
2. Train going the wrong way to Judiciary Square
3. Blue/Red line don’t share any stations where just the two intersect
4. Display says all trains are 6 cars (I assume these will have the same 4x4 config as the 7ks)
5. It’s NOMA/Galludet-U not NY Ave
6. Glenmont is at the end of the line AFTER Silver Spring.

The picture is shoddy work the more I look at it.