CHAPTER 4: INVENTORY AND DESCRIPTION OF RAIL TRANSIT VEHICLES CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FOR POTENTIAL JOINT OPERATION WITH RAILROADS 4.1 OVERVIEW ! Electrical Systems ! Brakes, Wheels, Trucks, and The broad range of rail transit vehicles that Couplers (LRVs have might be considered for joint use needs to electronic/redundant braking) be identified, along with the characteristics ! Systems (Operations and that differentiate them. The range of Maintenance) vehicles is based upon a variety of LRT and DMU types of equipment, including Resulting standards will be included in an railroad derivative FRA-compliant and FRA rulemaking procedure wholly or in LRV derivative DMUs, but not including part, eventually producing a new set of conventional commuter railroad equipment requirements for railcar construction, (see Figure 4-1 and Table 4-2). maintenance, inspections, and testing. As of January 1, 1997, all states having rail Furthermore, DMU development has transit not regulated by FRA must have recently been focused on more than that of had state safety oversight in place. This LRVs, because the DMU has a much wider includes the AGT people movers, as in range of designs and characteristics. The Detroit, and vintage trolley operations, as newer (less familiar to U.S. markets) LRT in Memphis. derivative DMU option is generally less costly and more likely to be attractive as a Many different types of DMU and LRT rail "new start." The lighter DMUs are vehicles are available outside North sometimes referred to as DLRV (diesel America. Their key characteristics, and light rail vehicles) and can serve as a their compatibility to operate jointly on precursor to LRT. In addition, railroads and on LRT tracks are best contemporary LRVs of varying types are described by category. One suggestion is to far from being FRA-compliant, whereas divide DMUs into subgroups: High Floor DMUs range from designs similar to LRVs DMU, Low Floor DMU and Electric LRT. to much heavier and generally FRA- The TRB Subcommittee on DMUs compliant types. DMU and LRT included (A1E07-1) recommends another system in the range of vehicles are representative based on three categories: FRA Compliant- of the much larger number of choices that RR Derivative, Non FRA Compliant-RR are either currently or soon to be available. Derivative (largely overseas designs), and Non FRA Compliant-LRT Derivative. The evolving APTA Passenger Rail A similar three-category system is Equipment Safety Standards (PRESS) recommended and used subsequently in program may influence the potential use of this report to classify DMU, including: LRT or DMU under joint use operations. The PRESS program is a task force of • Category 1 - FRA-compliant, industry experts funded by commuter rail railroad derivative (e.g. "Budd Car agencies, assembled under the auspices of type") for railroad application APTA and recognized by FRA. Its mission • Category 2 - Non FRA-compliant, is to develop a new set of rail car safety LRV or overseas railroad derivative, standards covering the following: non streetcar track-compatible for railroad, some interurban and rapid ! Collision and Structural transit application Requirements Chapter 4 — Page 1 Dimensional Contrasts - Locomotive, LRV, DMU - Figure 4-1 Chapter 4 — Page 2 Table 4-1 Range of DMU and LRT Vehicles Available for Potential Joint Operation with Freight Railroads DMU Category 1= Railroad Derivative DMU 2= LRV Derivative DMU 3= Dual-Power LRV DMU (or DLRV), 4 = Electric LRV Type A= High-Floor Diesel Vehicle B= Low Floor Diesel Vehicle C= Electric LRT Vehicle (all Category 4, Type C are high floor) Notes: * In Development. *** Averages are based on similar equipment. High - Fully meets most requirements Moderate - Marginally meets most requirements except FRA Low - Non-FRA compliant List of vehicles represents the list information available at the time this report was written Chapter 4 — Page 3 • Category 3 - Non FRA-compliant precedents with early self-propelled rail LRV derivative, dual power (diesel- cars and joint operations do exist. The Rail electric/all-electric), fully LRT- Diesel Car (RDC) and its predecessor compatible [also called Diesel Light "doodlebug" and articulated "shuttlejack" Rail Vehicle or DLRV] for railroad self-propelled cars were embraced by the and light rail track applications U.S. railroad industry because they reduced impacts of regulations and then-prevailing Other subdivisions, based on degrees of labor practices. They permitted "changing FRA compliance are also possible, but the ends" without throwing track switches or research team recommends the above requiring multiple locomotive moves. system because it describes DMUs on both Prime movers could be quickly replaced ends of the operating compatibility and crew requirements were reduced. spectrum, from railroad tracks to in-street RDC's were used in a variety of functions light rail. and operating environments throughout The variety of DMU and light rail vehicles, North America and elsewhere. DMUs have their physical and performance remained in service continuously and characteristics, and their respective degree evolved into rail bus and LRV forms of compliance to U.S. railroad regulations, elsewhere in the world. In the U.S., the industry standards, and practices have been successor to the RDC would be today's outlined. These compliance issues and newly-designed DMU of the three particular Federal requirements may categories suggested above. It has require modifications to current vehicle promising potential for new rail starts for designs to enable joint operation with many of the same reasons that made its freight railroads. Some designs cannot be predecessors attractive. Conversely, their readily adapted to railroad joint use. To rationale faded with commuter rail attempt to do so would destroy the authorities replacing RDCs at the end of integrity of their lightweight design. their useful life with innovative push-pull, Purchasing, operating, and maintaining a bi-level, locomotive-hauled equipment. fleet of DMU vehicles are also monetary For purposes of regulation, FRA considers factors to take into consideration. The all DMUs as locomotives. It does not financial and administrative arrangements differentiate between locomotive-hauled to support this equipment and service is consists and independent self-propelled location-specific. cars coupled into consists. 4.1.1 Historic Perspective and Evolution of Contemporary DMU Most earlier DMU cars were FRA- compliant vehicles in accordance with Joint use of tracks by different types of standards of their era. While technology operators and the availability and use of has progressed and operational/service self-propelled rail diesel cars are not novel requirements may differ, the mixed mode ideas, but these types of operations have of operation with different vehicles is not a not been common in the U.S. for quite new concept. Many of the issues are some time. The attractiveness and similar, but the flexibility to respond and complexities of joint use in today's constraints arising from current standards regulatory, economic, urban land use, are new. Modern signal and control legal, and technical environment have systems can diminish some of these generated supportive discussion and some concerns and provide a superior level of controversy among system planners, co-mingled service. operating agencies, rail system experts, community leaders, and elected officials. DMU generically has a range of potential The issue is controversial. Some deployment scenarios, including: Chapter 4 — Page 4 ! DMU as a free-standing rail transit single-car self-propelled mode where system, not connected to any other the consists split. system and not subject to FRA regulation, operating as a new DLRT ! Low-density intercity railroad line. corridor or branch line shuttles. ! DMU as an integrated part of a new 4.1.2 Vehicle Operational Control commuter rail system or as part of an LRT system, as in the Alternate Rail Two primary modes of vehicle operation Technology (ART) system proposed are available, the most likely being active in California. manual operation by a qualified engineer. This manual mode is common to domestic ! DMU as an initial operating segment railroad operations. However, on some (IOS) for LRT. IOS for LRT is routes, usually where passenger service usually proposed as a central or some occurs, existing automatic train protection other portion of a buildout plan. A has been installed to possibly override the DMU IOS scenario would build engineer. This mode has greater potential either the entire line or most of it, but for error, but is less expensive and has been initially at a lower capital cost and used successfully and safely for decades. level of service. The second option is the passive presence ! DMU as a non-electrified branch of of an engineer while train movement is an LRT system. This could be controlled by automatic train control/ operated as a shuttle, requiring automatic train supervision/automatic train transfer at the junction point or operation. The engineer might make integrated with DMU overlapping announcements and open doors, and is service on the LRT trunk line (DMU available in case of emergency. This Category 2 or 3). With Category 3 complex mode requires significantly more (dual power) DMU, the operation costly and sophisticated technology, but could be fully integrated with DMU affords higher levels of safety and operating in the diesel mode on the redundancy under most conditions. branch and in the electric