by tomj
So let me explain, cause this is going to be a bit of a long one. I am writing a piece and I am evaluating the cost of rail travel and am trying to determine how much rail equipment would cost.
So the question is, does an EMU have a significantly lower operating cost over a train hauled by an electric powered engine? Based on the CalTrain Order, a Stadler KISS costs around ~$34.5 million per train vs ~$21.7 million for a 6 car train hauled by a Euro Sprinter. I can't find an approximate number of how much an EMU would cost to run. I know an EMU is far better compared to a diesel hauled train, hell even a DMU is better. Based on the rough estimate I came up with shows that an EMU costs 37% more than a similar locomotive hauled train. Is the cost to run an EMU over its life cycle at least 37% lower to justify the cost. Also for the sake of what I am writing, the electrification is assumed to be happening, I am asking about choosing between EMU or Electric locomotives.
So the question is, does an EMU have a significantly lower operating cost over a train hauled by an electric powered engine? Based on the CalTrain Order, a Stadler KISS costs around ~$34.5 million per train vs ~$21.7 million for a 6 car train hauled by a Euro Sprinter. I can't find an approximate number of how much an EMU would cost to run. I know an EMU is far better compared to a diesel hauled train, hell even a DMU is better. Based on the rough estimate I came up with shows that an EMU costs 37% more than a similar locomotive hauled train. Is the cost to run an EMU over its life cycle at least 37% lower to justify the cost. Also for the sake of what I am writing, the electrification is assumed to be happening, I am asking about choosing between EMU or Electric locomotives.