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  • Denton, Texas - A-Train

  • General discussion of passenger rail systems not otherwise covered in the specific forums in this category, including high speed rail.
General discussion of passenger rail systems not otherwise covered in the specific forums in this category, including high speed rail.

Moderators: mtuandrew, gprimr1

 #710466  by jtbell
 
The Denton County Transportation Authority has begun construction on stations for a commuter rail line that will connect with DART light rail from Dallas at Carrollton. The goal is to start service when the DART line opens late next year.

http://www.mya-train.com/

I wonder what they'll use for rolling stock? It's kind of short notice for procuring brand-new DMUs or coaches. They're probably figuring on rustling up secondhand coaches and locomotives somewhere. The web sites's "Vehicles" page simply says "Vehicle designs coming soon."

Here's a Dallas Morning News article from February.
 #710467  by superbad
 
yes, any equipment ordered new today would not be ready by this time next year!!! are there any second hand bombardier bi-levels out there? I doubt this for some reason.. plenty of metra equipment is floating around..
 #710469  by Start-Up
 
The Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA) will purchase 11 GTW 2/6 Diesel Multiple Units (DMUs) from Stadler Bussnag AG, a company in Switzerland.

Dee Leggett, DCTA spokesperson, said the Swiss company’s rail cars will eventually be used “as the next generation rail fleet for DCTA’s 21-mile corridor from Denton to Carrollton.”

Members of the DCTA board of directors were on hand Tuesday to witness Jim Witt, DCTA president and Klaus Potocnik, head of DCTA project management and deputy CEO, sign the $73,764,069 contract.

Vehicle construction will commence in September 2010 and the first vehicle is scheduled to arrive in Lewisville, from Switzerland, in August 2011. The final vehicle is scheduled for delivery in April 2012. Testing will continue through August 2012 with “fleet transition” scheduled for September of 2012.

Leggett said DCTA still plans to have passenger rail service up and running between Denton and Carrollton by December 2010. She said DCTA will lease 10 rail diesel cars from the Trinity Railway Express for 18 months, to be used until the DMUs arrive from Switzerland.

Each of the rail cars being purchased from the Switzerland firm can seat 96 passengers and has a total capacity of 200, with up to 104 passengers allowed to stand after the seats have been filled.

Luggage racks, bike racks and space for wheelchairs are provided. The vehicle is 70 percent low floor, meaning level boarding is provided. Though up to three vehicles may be run as a unit, DCTA plans to run two coupled vehicles on 20-minute headways during peak service. Globally, there are more than 430 GTW rail vehicles in operation.

This is Stadler’s third contract in the United States and the largest in North America. The New Jersey Riverline and Austin’s Capital Metro also operate these vehicles. Stadler is known throughout the world as a provider of DMUs and other rail equipment. Founded in 1942, Stadler expanded to produce commuter rail vehicles, streetcars, rack railways, passenger coaches, locomotives and other rail related products.

“This is an exciting day for Stadler, as well as DCTA. This $73 million contract is the largest contract Stadler has ever executed in North America,” Potocnik said. “We are excited to find the right partner with a spirit of cooperation. We look forward to a successful partnership.”

“Stadler is known world-wide for the quality of their products. We are excited to be able to deliver a premium rail car for our customers,” said Scott Neeley, executive vice president of rail development.

A central element of DCTA’ service plan, and heavily endorsed by Denton County residents, the A-train project includes single-phase construction of 21-miles of regional rail, five rail stations, a bicycle/pedestrian trail, and a regional rail operating and maintenance facility.

The immediate objective of the project is to have full service between Denton and Carrollton to interface with Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s (DART) light rail system by December 2010. This timing will coincide with DART’s opening of the northern section of its Green Line and will complete a 50 mile segment of regional passenger rail that is detailed in the Mobility 2030 plan.

The A-train is slated to begin service using RDC vehicles which were previously operated by the Trinity Railway Express (TRE). The Stadler DMUs or “new generation vehicles” are expected to go into operation after approximately eighteen months of the A-train being in service.

“The execution of this contract marks another major milestone in the A-train project and illustrates our agency’s commitment to bringing regional rail service to Denton County,” said Charles Emery, DCTA board chairman and member of the Regional Transportation Committee.

“This is the last piece of the A-train puzzle,” Emery said. “We recently received the funding from TxDOT and gave our CMGC notice to proceed. Today, we signed and sealed the deal for DCTA’s next generation of rail cars.”

DCTA is a coordinated county transportation authority and currently provides fixed-route bus service to the member cities of Denton, Highland Village and Lewisville. The authority also provides paratransit service and a commuter bus service connecting Denton County to Downtown Dallas. The agency was formed in 2002 and carried two million passengers last year.

For information about DCTA and its services, call 972-221-4600 or visit http://www.dcta.net.
Star Community Newspapers
 #710470  by Patrick Boylan
 
This is Stadler’s third contract in the United States and the largest in North America. The New Jersey Riverline and Austin’s Capital Metro also operate these vehicles. Stadler is known throughout the world as a provider of DMUs and other rail equipment. Founded in 1942, Stadler expanded to produce commuter rail vehicles, streetcars, rack railways, passenger coaches, locom
I asked this in another forum that has this article posted. How do they consider Denton's 11 cars to be Stadler's largest contract when the NJTransit Riverline has 20 cars?
 #710474  by electricron
 
superbad wrote:aren't these the same cars they have in austin?
Yes, and no.

Yes, they will be Stadler GTW 2/6.
No, they will be more FRA compliant upon delivery to the DCTA.
From http://www.nctcog.org/trans/spd/transit ... tation.pdf

A. Will also be a non-compliant vehicle
B. Freight and passenger service will be time separate
C. Vehicle addresses a number of FRA non-compliance issues of the Austin vehicle.
a. Compliant interior and exterior decals;
b. Additional passenger side door handholds;
c. Structural fuel tank enhancements;
d. USA-standard emergency window type (pullout type not the breakable type);
e. Provision of solid axles;
f. Deflector shield and pilot lowered; and
g. FRA compliant headlight and marker lights.

Remaining FRA challenges
Evaluating Occupant Volume Strength
A. At a minimum, must satisfy the significant requirement of 49 CFR §238.203 which provides:
a.“. . . all passenger equipment shall resist a minimum static end load of 800,000 pounds applied on the line of draft without permanent deformation of the body structure.”
aa. Traditional: 800,000 pounds load applied as distributed pressure at buff stops (represents compressive load applied through coupled connection)
bb. Alternate: Distributed load of 1,000,000 pounds across outer buffer beam face and 200,000 pounds across outer AT plate face (represents load applied across car end)
B. Must prove that all FRA requirements are met through testing and perhaps waiver process if required.

European/Stadler Solutions for Occupant Protection
A. Aluminum double skin extrusion
B. Fully welded side frame, roof, floor
C. Buff >1,000,000 lbs in passenger compartment
D. Dynamic rollover strength
E. Employs Crash Energy Management EN15227
a. Four crash scenarios
b. Survival zones

The main problem with the present FRA complaint regulations is that they don't even consider crash energy management crumple zones at all. DART plans to work hard to get the FRA to adopt crash energy management regulations, and eventually get the Stadler GTW certified as FRA compliant.
 #710475  by electricron
 
Rolling stock answers. Upon initial startup in December 2010, DCTA plans to lease 10 of the 13 Budd RDCs from the TRE. Starting around September 2012, DCTA plans to use 11 Stadler GTW 2/6.

Images provided by DCTA's A-train web site:
Image

Image
 #710476  by mtuandrew
 
Moderator's note:

The topics "Denton, Texas - A-Train" and "A-Train - Denton County, Texas to purchase 11 Stadler DMUs" have been merged - thanks, we're looking forward to seeing A-Train service!

I'll be bumping an older topic about FRA compatibility shortly, and copying a few posts over, if you'd like to continue the discussion about FRA compliance for Stadlers there.
 #711124  by electricron
 
gardendance wrote:If so then that's a big price increase, or Denton's cars must have substantially more military toilet seats, if 11 cars in 2009-2010 cost more than 20 cars did in 2003.
While the NJT Riverline DMU trains are Stadler 2/6 GTWs, Bombardier was the primary contractor. With CapMetro and DCTA, Stadler was/is the primary contractor. Bombardier received a percentage of total sale with the NJT contract, Stadler receives all of the sale with CapMetro and DCTA contracts.

The Riverline GTWs are also smaller in weight, length, and capacity than CapMetro and DCTA GTWs.

Image

Riverline GTWs
Overall length 31,242 mm (102' 6")
Vehicle width 3,000 mm (9' 10")
Vehicle height 3,911 mm (12' 10")
Tare weight 54.8 t
Low floor height 584 mm (23")
High floor height 999 mm (39.4“)
Diesel engine MTU, 550 kW
Maximum output at wheel 400 kW
Turning radius 40 m (131')
Seating capacity 70
Fold up seats 20
Standing capacity 94
Total capacity 184

CapMetro GTWs
Overall length 40,890 mm (134' 2“)
Vehicle width 2,950 mm (9' 8“)
Vehicle height 3,911 mm (12' 10")
Tare weight 72 t
Low floor 600 mm (23.6“)
High floor 1‘000 mm (39.4“)
Diesel engine MTU, 600 kW
Maximum power at wheel 470 kW
Turning radius 100 m (328')
Seating capacity 96
Fold up seats 12
Standing capacity 92
Total capacity 200

As you can see from the numbers, the NJT Riverline GTWs are sized more like light rail vehicles than commuter rail vehicles.
 #732476  by electricron
 
New revised drawings for DCTA's Stadler GTWs.
Photos from DCTA's A train web site.
Exterior
Image

Interior
Image

Plus a construction photo near the future Hebron Station.
Image
 #739375  by electricron
 
superbad wrote:one thing for certain, the texas stadler DMU's look way better than the Stadler DMU's in New Jersey.
I agree. But you have to remember NJT wanted light rail sized DMUs, and that's what they got.
NJT GTWs are just as beautiful in their own way....

Here's some photos of Stadler GTWs in Europe:
Model 1 (era 1994) First use of GTWs on Rack Railways in Switzerland
Image
Model 2 (era 1999) Germany wanted to loose the ugly bumpers
Image
Model 3 (era 2000) Italians wanted the bumpers back
Image
Model 4 (era 2005) The Dutch wanted GTWs to meet new UIC crash standards
Image

As of November 6, 2009 Stadler Rail had sold 491 GTWs in 10 different countries. They comes in 2, 3, and 4 carriage units. NJT's 2 carriage GTWs have a capacity of 164 passengers, the recently ordered Sistemi Territoriali 4 carriage GTWs have a capacity of 450 passengers.
Image

This latest GTW was designed specifically for a tourist based rack railway in France, which ordered only four vehicles.
Image
Last edited by electricron on Tue Feb 02, 2010 9:53 pm, edited 2 times in total.