VRE is RFP to purchase 45 new rail cars

Currently, VRE’s railcar fleet includes 71 bi-level Gallery railcars and 30 Pullman Gallery railcars. The Pullman railcars were previously operated
by Chicago-Metra and were built between 1956 and 1969. VRE planned to operate the Pullman railcars through CY 2011 without performing a major
overhaul. However, through aggressive preventative maintenance, VRE projects this timeline can be extended to no later than the end of CY 2013. As such, with an expected delivery time of two years, a procurement for new railcars must be initiated at this time.

Given funding challenges, the procurement is being developed to procure five railcars, with an option for 45 additional units. The first 30 would replace the Pullman railcars and the additional 20 would only be executed after Operations Board approval for specific capacity and/or line expansion projects.

At the time of the original new railcar procurement in 2004, VRE’s fleet management plan required 77 railcars for daily service, including spares. By 2010, this requirement increased to 91 cars. The projected number of passenger cars required for daily VRE service by 2020 is expected to reach 120.

http://www.vre.org/about/Ops_board_item ... ip_RFP.pdf

It's nice having new coaches, but where will VRE park them during the day? 77 or so coaches fill Ivy City coach yard, where or where will VRE park another 43 coaches?

Math: 120 - 77 = 43

Presumably they'll operate some reverse peak trains and store the extra cars at the other end of the lines.

Remember they still have that siding at L'Enfant that is big enough for 2 trains and is currently unused....

Also their goals are to get the ancient "stuff" out of every day service, provide for several trains to increase to 8 cars and to provide equipment for the increase in service with Spotsylvania county joining and the Haymarket/Gainesville expansion....