Agenda
AP070(1) Self-Powered Rail Car Technologies Subcommittee
Annual Meeting
Wednesday January 13, 2010 10:15AM- 12:00PM
Hilton, Lincoln South, Washington Hilton, Washington, D.C.
David Nelson, Chairman Paul Stangas, Secretary
Minutes of the Mid-Year Meeting – Saturday June 13 2009, Chicago, Illinois
Committee Business
A. Discussion Topics
· FRA Compliant DMUs: Recent Developments affecting Supply and Demand
· Updates on Non-compliant DMU planning and development
· Positive Train Control , Fail Safe Collision Avoidance, and the Future of Light Passenger Rails in the Share Track Environment
· What’s after TCRP 130?
· US Rail Car
B. Research Update
· FRA Crashworthiness Research
· 2007 FRA ITS Report
C. Plans for Midyear Meeting
· Vancouver, British Columbia 6/6/2010 - 6/9/2010
D. Research Plan and Agenda
Monday, December 21, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Reflections from the 2009 TRB Rail Caucus: Phila PA
Saturday November 14, 2009 3:43 pm
Track 6 Suburban Platform 30th Street Station Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA
I’m sitting in the suburban nave of an art deco cathedral to the American economy. The ancient arched steel and glass canopy filters a soft grey light onto the twenty patient passengers waiting for the 4:04 R1 train to the airport. The tranquil atmosphere is hushed between infrequent weekend trains. The air is cool but not cold. A middle aged woman chats quietly in French with her aged mother. The incessant rain of the last two days has blessedly relented.
This will be the 26th passenger train I’ve boarded in the last 54 hours on a whirlwind tour of Philadelphia’s rail network organized by the Transportation Research Board. The tour gave me a chance to reconnect with old friends, renew acquaintances and make new contacts. It also provided a hands-on opportunity to ride some services and see some facilities that I’ve only read about or haven’t seen in a long time.
The Ninth TRB Rail Passenger Caucus included a joint business meeting of the passenger
rail-oriented committees in the TRB Public Transport and Rail Groups and provided an opportunity to learn more about rail transit
systems, programs, and policies through a concentrated combination of
technical presentations and field tours.
The itinerary for the Rail Passenger Caucus provided in-service demonstrations and briefings of the following modes and agencies:
Thursday, November 12
Amtrak, DART & SEPTA Commuter Rail, SEPTA Light Rail & 25th Anniversary
Ceremonies for the Center City Commuter Connection
Friday, November 13
SEPTA Commuter Rail, Rapid Rail Transit, Light Rail, Streetcar, Electric Bus.
Saturday, November 14
PATCO Rapid Rail Transit, NJ Transit Commuter Rail and Light Rail.
PARTICIPATING AGENCIES
Delaware River Port Authoriity
Delaware Transiit Corporatiion (DART)
Delaware Valley Regiionall Planning Commiissiion
National Rail Passenger Corporatiion (Amtrak)
NJ Transiit Corporation
Port Authority Transit Corporatiion (PATCO)
Southeastern Pennsylvaniia
Transportation Authority (SEPTA)
Southern New Jersey Rail Group
A few quick observations: Philadelphia, like Boston has an extensive light rail and trolley network but in contrast to Boston it generally serves the city’s lowest economic stratum rather than its highest. The biggest surprises were the odd Norristown High Speed Line, the quaint Sharon Hill and Media lines, the newly reopened Girard Street car, the vitality of NJTransit’s RiverLINE and SEPTA’s 21st century operations control center. I never realized that Philadelphia had an extensive network of underground pedestrian passages.
Philadelphia’s investment in transport infrastructure continues to lag other major America cities, and like other cities in these times, the prospects of meeting their transport funding needs are dim for the foreseeable future. But unlike other cities they have a number of underutilized transport facilities that they continue to support at no small expense. If asked, I’d advise Philadelphians to focus their economic development efforts on employment, education and safety in neighborhoods and areas that are rich in transport capacity but socially and economically deprived.
David O. Nelson
Chair Subcommittee for Self Powered Railcar Technologies AP070(1)
45 annotated photos from the caucus are found at http://picasaweb.google.com/DAVID.NELSON.AT.JACOBS/TRBPassengerRailCaucusPhilaPANovember12142009?feat=directlink
Saturday, July 18, 2009
US Railcar to Resume Production of Former Colorado Railcar DMU
In the aftermath of the shutdown of Colorado Railcar Manufacturing late last yer, private investors affiliated with Value Recovery Group Inc. (VRG) of Columbus, OH, announced that they have formed a new firm, US Railcar LLC, that will resume the manufacture of Colorado Railcar’s Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) later this year in a new manufacturing facility to be established.
Michael P. Pracht, a rail industry veteran with experience at Siemens and Ansaldo, will serve as president and CEO of US Railcar. Assets acquired by the firm include the former Colorado Railcar DMU proprietary rights and information, manufacturing documentation, inventory, and other equipment necessary for production.
“US Railcar intends to re-establish passenger train production in the United States,” said Barry H. Fromm, chairman of VRG. “We want to keep American jobs and U.S. public investment at home.”The company plans to manufacture both single- and bi-level DMUs, which are self-propelled railcars that eliminate the need for locomotive-hauled push-pull trains in lower density corridors. The US Railcar DMU was prototyped through a demonstration project in 2002 and is available in both regional and intercity configurations.
VRG is an asset recovery and management firm that specializes in asset management, advisory, and asset recovery services for state and local governments, commercial banks, private investors, and several federal agencies.
(Appeared in APTA Passenger Transport Online July 20 2009)
Michael P. Pracht, a rail industry veteran with experience at Siemens and Ansaldo, will serve as president and CEO of US Railcar. Assets acquired by the firm include the former Colorado Railcar DMU proprietary rights and information, manufacturing documentation, inventory, and other equipment necessary for production.
“US Railcar intends to re-establish passenger train production in the United States,” said Barry H. Fromm, chairman of VRG. “We want to keep American jobs and U.S. public investment at home.”The company plans to manufacture both single- and bi-level DMUs, which are self-propelled railcars that eliminate the need for locomotive-hauled push-pull trains in lower density corridors. The US Railcar DMU was prototyped through a demonstration project in 2002 and is available in both regional and intercity configurations.
VRG is an asset recovery and management firm that specializes in asset management, advisory, and asset recovery services for state and local governments, commercial banks, private investors, and several federal agencies.
(Appeared in APTA Passenger Transport Online July 20 2009)
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Crash Energy Management
The FRA and the Volpe Center are making remarkable progress demonstratating the effectiveness of Crash Energy Management for improving the survivability of train collisions. Click here for a dramatic illustration.
The top frame in the video shows a test collision between a conventional passenger train operating at 30 mph and a short freight train standing on the same track. The results (as also shown in the timelapse photo shown here) are devastating for anyone in the first car of the passenger train.
The bottom frame in the video shows the same test collision but with prototype crash energy management gear installed. The results are relatively mild and frankly very surviveable.
Kudos to the research team from the Volpe Center and Tufts University.
Click for more information.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Agenda
AP070(1) Self-Powered Rail Car Technologies Subcommittee
Mid-Year Meeting
Saturday, June 13, 2009 3:15–4:45 PM
In conjunction with parent committee: AP070
Chicago Hilton, Chicago, Illinois
David Nelson, Chairman Paul Stangas, Secretary
Minutes of the Annual Meeting – Tuesday January 13, 2009, Washington DC
Committee Business
A. Planning for 2009 Annual Meeting: Potential Topics
- FRA Compliant DMUs: Recent Developments affecting Supply and Demand
- Updates on the Non-compliant DMU planning and development
- Positive Train Control , Fail Safe Collision Avoidance, and the Future of Light Passenger Rails in the Share Track Environment
- What’s after TCRP 130?
- Other topics?
B. Recent Industry Developments
- Demise of Colorado Rail Car: What’s Next?
- Changing Economics for Imported European Rail Cars
- Other topics?
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Field Trip on Colorado Rail Car Double Decker DMU
On Saint Patrick's Day 2009, I finally got the opportunity to inspect the DMU demonstration rolling stock in South Florida. Miami’s Tri-Rail uses a very small fleet of very large double deck self-propelled diesel rail cars. I rode the DMU train set southward from Pompano to Sheridan Street in midday revenue service.
My reactions were mixed.
On the positive side, the seating was very comfortable and the views from the windows were absolutely spectacular, especially from the upper deck. The reported maintenance and reliability statistics are positive.
But, the negatives make the car a hard sell; lackluster fit and finish, rocky ride quality, lots of clutter on the lower deck, and a floor covering that doesn’t seem to be responding well to the wear and tear of daily use. I’d find the ride quality and finish acceptable in a car that’s 25 to 30 years old but unsettling in a car with less than 1,000 days of operation.
My reactions were mixed.
On the positive side, the seating was very comfortable and the views from the windows were absolutely spectacular, especially from the upper deck. The reported maintenance and reliability statistics are positive.
But, the negatives make the car a hard sell; lackluster fit and finish, rocky ride quality, lots of clutter on the lower deck, and a floor covering that doesn’t seem to be responding well to the wear and tear of daily use. I’d find the ride quality and finish acceptable in a car that’s 25 to 30 years old but unsettling in a car with less than 1,000 days of operation.
David Nelson (david.nelson@jacobs.com)
Mid Year Meeting: Saturday June 14 2009 3:15 pm in conjunction with AP070-Commuter
The midyear meeting of the committee is tentatively scheduled for Saturday June 14, 2009 at the APTA Rail Conference in Chicago Illinois!
Minutes from Annual Meeting Tuesday January 13, 2009
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
Transportation Research Board
500 Fifth Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20418
MINUTES of COMMITTEE MEETING
88th Annual Meeting
APO70 – COMMITTEE on COMMUTER RAIL TRANSPORTATION
AP070 (1) Self-Powered Rail Car Technologies Subcommittee
Tuesday, January 13, 2008 TIME 3:45 PM
Lincoln South, Washington Hilton Hotel
PRIVILEGED INFORMATION – Minutes of all TRB meetings are regarded as privileged and not for public release without prior approval of the Executive Director.
ATTENDANCE
Attendees (22): Bruce Horowitz, Cynthia Wentworth, John Hugunin, Nigel Davies, Clay Schofield, Stephen Bonina, David Wilcock, Tom Cornille, John Wilkens, Brad Barkman, John Schuman, Thomas Janssen, Tom Furmaniak, Jack W. Boorse, David Nelson, Vic Kamhi, Phil Strong, Peter Fahrenwald, Alan Bing, John Aurelius, Tom O’brien, Paul Stangas
David Nelson, Chairman Paul Stangas, Secretary
CALL TO ORDER
The Subcommittee Chair, David O. Nelson of Jacobs Engineering, called the meeting to order at 3:45 PM. The meeting began with a round of introductions of the participants, followed by a brief history of the role and activities undertaken by the committee. The Chairman announced that the subcommittee now has two sponsors, one the “Commuter Rail Transportation Committee” and the other “Passenger Rail Equipment and Systems Integration Committee” and reviewed the mission statement.
AGENDA
See attached meeting agenda and sign-in list.
GENERAL ITEMS FOR THE RECORD
TCRP Project A-27: Shared Use of Railroad Infrastructure with Non-FRA-Compliant Public Transit Rail Vehicles
This report is complete and will be published by the TRB; issue is anticipated in February of 2009. The report states that there is a strong business case; it can be made safe using conventional train control technology and rail operating practices and procedures.
US DOT Joint ITS Office (FRA/FTA) Study of Intelligent Transportation Systems Technologies for Integrated Rail Corridors
This report has been submitted to sponsoring agency. Official approval and a schedule for publication remain to be determined.
The Chairman stated that the APTA Shared-Use Working Group was somewhat dormant, as it awaited results of both the TCRP A-27 and FRA ITS reports.
PTC Regulation
It was noted that new legislation requires PTC to be installed and operation on most major railroads in the future. This requirement may affect the potential for shared-use in that a common standard may be established for both freight and passenger railroads.
DMU Rail Car Manufacturers and Market
The sole domestic builder of compliant DMU railcars (Colorado Railcar) has gone out of business, and this too may influence future choices of rail cars for shared-use services.
The number of cars required for a system also influences the decision to choose a compliant or non-compliant railcar. Siemens expressed the view that approximately 50 cars would be required for commercial viability; and Bombardier has stated that approximately100 cars would be necessary. Certainly standardization on vehicles will accelerate support of the shared-use concept.
Another option for application of non-compliant cars would be to use DMUs for mid-day or off-peak services. Other lines considering some form of shared-use operation and vehicles include Denver RTD, and METRA “Star” line. The line planned for Denton TX, considered non-compliant cars, but may alter its decision and select a compliant car to be compatible with the DART system that currently uses the Budd RDC railcar. Line opening is planned for 2010. However, surely a growing future of shared-use is not likely to be based on the dated RDC design.
Presentations at the 2009 Annual Conference
The Chairman reported that the Presentation # 628 tonight was sponsored by the Subcommittee. It will include presentations by representatives of Austin, TX and Tri-Rail systems. The Chairman will present a report about the system in Portland, OR since an agency representative was unable to attend.
Recent Industry and Service Developments
· The NCTD Sprinter service from Oceanside to Escondido opened in Feb 2008
· Portland, OR is projected to open in February 2009.
· Orlando, FL is issuing RFP for conventional Commuter Rail (i.e. locomotives and coaches).
· Ann Arbor is considering a DMU service on a 33-mile service on a Norfolk-Southern line.
· Tri-Rail (SFRTA) is using the Double Decker model of the Colorado Rail Car DMU. Tri Rail has recently double-tracked most of the railroad/, runs about 50 trains per day. Future service may involve 15-minute turns, and may go to 40 minutes train turns. The DMU may run 20,000 miles per year in mixed fleet operation. The Colorado Railcar vehicle uses a “Voith Transmission, a hydraulic transmission of power to rail wheels.
· Austin, TX projected to open in March 2009The Austin, TX revenue service is expected to start in late March or early April of 2009. This system Is a contract operation, and Veolia is the contract operator at this time. The pre-revenue service test is to run at about 30 days. Freight is scheduled to run at night at this time. In Austin presently there are two freight trains per day that run to quarries. Austin has adopted a low-platform arrangement to allow adequate freight clearances. The passenger window is seen as 3 hours in the morning peak and 3 hours in the PM peak. Austin’s operation is planned on a 6-car fleet. To satisfy regulatory authorities, Austin has established a 60 MPH operating speed limit for its service, and installed an FRA compliant fuel tank on its rail car.
Mid-Year Meeting
The mid-year meeting tentatively set for mid-June in Chicago. June 13, 2009 presently is the planned date.
Proposed Research And Session Topics For 2010 Annual Conference
Suggestions were solicited regarding a potential agenda and topics of research for future presentations.
1. Can a standard “PCC” type DMU be developed? Research would have to indentify the issues, the definition of standard. The issue is more relevant to the “user” than the manufacturer, since they establish the product requirements. European suppliers design “families” of cars based on modular designs that can be easily adapted to specific requirements.
2. What are the implications of the new PTC rule for use of non-compliant vehicles? Does PTC have any mitigating effects on the benefits or the need to implement crash energy management technology in new rail cars.
3. Does CalTrain policy impact the market and regulatory environment for non-compliant DMUs, and if so to what extent?
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 6:00 PM
Distribution: Subcommittee members and friends
Committee Chair
Section Chair
Group Council Chair
TRB Staff Representative
Transportation Research Board
500 Fifth Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20418
MINUTES of COMMITTEE MEETING
88th Annual Meeting
APO70 – COMMITTEE on COMMUTER RAIL TRANSPORTATION
AP070 (1) Self-Powered Rail Car Technologies Subcommittee
Tuesday, January 13, 2008 TIME 3:45 PM
Lincoln South, Washington Hilton Hotel
PRIVILEGED INFORMATION – Minutes of all TRB meetings are regarded as privileged and not for public release without prior approval of the Executive Director.
ATTENDANCE
Attendees (22): Bruce Horowitz, Cynthia Wentworth, John Hugunin, Nigel Davies, Clay Schofield, Stephen Bonina, David Wilcock, Tom Cornille, John Wilkens, Brad Barkman, John Schuman, Thomas Janssen, Tom Furmaniak, Jack W. Boorse, David Nelson, Vic Kamhi, Phil Strong, Peter Fahrenwald, Alan Bing, John Aurelius, Tom O’brien, Paul Stangas
David Nelson, Chairman Paul Stangas, Secretary
CALL TO ORDER
The Subcommittee Chair, David O. Nelson of Jacobs Engineering, called the meeting to order at 3:45 PM. The meeting began with a round of introductions of the participants, followed by a brief history of the role and activities undertaken by the committee. The Chairman announced that the subcommittee now has two sponsors, one the “Commuter Rail Transportation Committee” and the other “Passenger Rail Equipment and Systems Integration Committee” and reviewed the mission statement.
AGENDA
See attached meeting agenda and sign-in list.
GENERAL ITEMS FOR THE RECORD
TCRP Project A-27: Shared Use of Railroad Infrastructure with Non-FRA-Compliant Public Transit Rail Vehicles
This report is complete and will be published by the TRB; issue is anticipated in February of 2009. The report states that there is a strong business case; it can be made safe using conventional train control technology and rail operating practices and procedures.
US DOT Joint ITS Office (FRA/FTA) Study of Intelligent Transportation Systems Technologies for Integrated Rail Corridors
This report has been submitted to sponsoring agency. Official approval and a schedule for publication remain to be determined.
The Chairman stated that the APTA Shared-Use Working Group was somewhat dormant, as it awaited results of both the TCRP A-27 and FRA ITS reports.
PTC Regulation
It was noted that new legislation requires PTC to be installed and operation on most major railroads in the future. This requirement may affect the potential for shared-use in that a common standard may be established for both freight and passenger railroads.
DMU Rail Car Manufacturers and Market
The sole domestic builder of compliant DMU railcars (Colorado Railcar) has gone out of business, and this too may influence future choices of rail cars for shared-use services.
The number of cars required for a system also influences the decision to choose a compliant or non-compliant railcar. Siemens expressed the view that approximately 50 cars would be required for commercial viability; and Bombardier has stated that approximately100 cars would be necessary. Certainly standardization on vehicles will accelerate support of the shared-use concept.
Another option for application of non-compliant cars would be to use DMUs for mid-day or off-peak services. Other lines considering some form of shared-use operation and vehicles include Denver RTD, and METRA “Star” line. The line planned for Denton TX, considered non-compliant cars, but may alter its decision and select a compliant car to be compatible with the DART system that currently uses the Budd RDC railcar. Line opening is planned for 2010. However, surely a growing future of shared-use is not likely to be based on the dated RDC design.
Presentations at the 2009 Annual Conference
The Chairman reported that the Presentation # 628 tonight was sponsored by the Subcommittee. It will include presentations by representatives of Austin, TX and Tri-Rail systems. The Chairman will present a report about the system in Portland, OR since an agency representative was unable to attend.
Recent Industry and Service Developments
· The NCTD Sprinter service from Oceanside to Escondido opened in Feb 2008
· Portland, OR is projected to open in February 2009.
· Orlando, FL is issuing RFP for conventional Commuter Rail (i.e. locomotives and coaches).
· Ann Arbor is considering a DMU service on a 33-mile service on a Norfolk-Southern line.
· Tri-Rail (SFRTA) is using the Double Decker model of the Colorado Rail Car DMU. Tri Rail has recently double-tracked most of the railroad/, runs about 50 trains per day. Future service may involve 15-minute turns, and may go to 40 minutes train turns. The DMU may run 20,000 miles per year in mixed fleet operation. The Colorado Railcar vehicle uses a “Voith Transmission, a hydraulic transmission of power to rail wheels.
· Austin, TX projected to open in March 2009The Austin, TX revenue service is expected to start in late March or early April of 2009. This system Is a contract operation, and Veolia is the contract operator at this time. The pre-revenue service test is to run at about 30 days. Freight is scheduled to run at night at this time. In Austin presently there are two freight trains per day that run to quarries. Austin has adopted a low-platform arrangement to allow adequate freight clearances. The passenger window is seen as 3 hours in the morning peak and 3 hours in the PM peak. Austin’s operation is planned on a 6-car fleet. To satisfy regulatory authorities, Austin has established a 60 MPH operating speed limit for its service, and installed an FRA compliant fuel tank on its rail car.
Mid-Year Meeting
The mid-year meeting tentatively set for mid-June in Chicago. June 13, 2009 presently is the planned date.
Proposed Research And Session Topics For 2010 Annual Conference
Suggestions were solicited regarding a potential agenda and topics of research for future presentations.
1. Can a standard “PCC” type DMU be developed? Research would have to indentify the issues, the definition of standard. The issue is more relevant to the “user” than the manufacturer, since they establish the product requirements. European suppliers design “families” of cars based on modular designs that can be easily adapted to specific requirements.
2. What are the implications of the new PTC rule for use of non-compliant vehicles? Does PTC have any mitigating effects on the benefits or the need to implement crash energy management technology in new rail cars.
3. Does CalTrain policy impact the market and regulatory environment for non-compliant DMUs, and if so to what extent?
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 6:00 PM
Distribution: Subcommittee members and friends
Committee Chair
Section Chair
Group Council Chair
TRB Staff Representative
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Miami Tri Rail Reviews First Year of Successful SPRC Service
On January 13, 2008 Mr. Brad Barkman, Director of Operations for the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority reviewed the operations and performance of his agency's fleet of double deck SPRCs operating along a 73 mile corridor between West Palm Beach and Miami's International Airport. For a copy of Mr. Barkman's presentation follow the link below.
Austin TX Capital Metro to open new SPRC service in March
On January 13, Stephen Bonina of Interfleet Technologies reviewed the plans of Austin's Capitol Metro to open a 34 mile SPRC this spring. For a copy of his presentation follow the link below.
http://docs.google.com/Presentation?docid=dgv8p59k_1z9qhfm5n
http://docs.google.com/Presentation?docid=dgv8p59k_1z9qhfm5n
Annual Meeting Agenda Tuesday January 13, 2009
Agenda
AP070(1) Self-Powered Rail Car Technologies Subcommittee
{Joint Subcommittee of Commuter Rail Transportation Committee (AP070) and
Passenger Rail Equipment and Systems Integration Committee (AR020)}
Annual Meeting
Tuesday, January 13, 2009, 3:45 PM - 5:30 PM
Lincoln South, Washington Hilton, Washington, DC
David Nelson, Chairman---Paul Stangas, Secretary
Minutes of the Midyear Meeting – San Francisco, Saturday, May 31, 2008
Committee Business
Adjustment in Sub-Committee Sponsorship
AR020 Passenger Rail Equipment and Systems Integration to become 2nd (or 3rd) joint sponsor of the SPRC Technologies Subcommittee (See Appendix A)
2009 Session 628 Recent Developments in North American SPRC Markets
Tuesday, January 13, 2009, 7:30pm- 9:30pm Hilton, Lincoln West
Is it commuter rail or is it light rail? The demand for rail transit services continues to grow each year. In many cases, hybrid services are being created to address the demand for service while trying to control the costs of the service. This session provides a glimpse at several new-start services from the past several years.
Portland West Side Express Story Lisa M. Cobb, Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon
Austin Metro-Rail Project Stephen Bonina, Interfleet Technology, Inc.
Tri-County Commuter Rail Authority Demonstration Program Bradley A. Barkman, Tri-County Commuter Rail Authority
Discussion of Recent Industry Developments
Three new SPRC systems in 2008-2009
SPRC Manufacturing Community – Demise of Colorado Rail Car
Evolving Regulations
Shared Track
Non-Compliant Rail Cars
Research Update
2007 TCRP Shared Track Research
2007 FRA ITS Report
Plans for Midyear Meeting
Chicago June 2009?
Research Plan and Agenda
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