#14 Orange Line Cars 1400-1551 (From Red/Orange Procurement discussion)

[Kilo Echo]

Article: CRRC to start production of MBTA cars in Springfield in 2018

http://www.masslive.com/business-news/i ... _in_1.html

[Martin Baumann]

Is it known what number series will be used for the new cars? 01900 and up perhaps?

[Bramdeisroberts]

I could see the T doing like they did with the HSP46s and jumping to 2000/2200 or something similar since both orders are for 100+ cars, unless they were going to number them by the married pair.

[dieciduej]

I have heard that the Orange Line cars, Main Line #14's, will be in the 01400 series but there will be interference with the Red Line 01500s at some point. As for the Red Line, South Shore #4's cars no clue, but 01900 would be in series.

JoeD

[sb150]

Any testing shots of the new OL cars?

[dieciduej]

Any testing shots of the new OL cars?

They are still in the shops at this time. The test track between Wellington and Community College isn't completed yet. My guess exterior view wouldn't be until late Spring, unless we keep getting 20+ snowfalls.

JoeD

[diburning]

Someone on Reddit shared this pic on Friday. Looks like they're getting ready to test them. Anyone know of when they'll do this testing? I'd like to catch them somewhere along the test track.

[dieciduej]

I was over there on Saturday and they were not in the yard or on the test track in the morning.

JoeD

[dieciduej]

On the way home today I saw the two cars from the photo back out in the yard. Then as my bus was pulling out I saw them bring out the second pair of cars from the shop.

JoeD

[rethcir]

This got tweeted out today by the MBTA: https://cdn.mbtace.com/sites/default/fi ... update.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Kilo Echo]

Will this throw a monkey wrench into the acquisition process?

From MassLive: CRRC MA executive worried about possibility of US trade war with China.

[BandA]

The "T" has a contract. Does CRRC-MA plan to declare bankruptcy & break the contract? If tariffs get too high perhaps they can have Siemens or Bombardier fabricate the shells. There is sovereign risk and more when the Massachusetts government signs a contract with a company owned by a communist dictatorship.

I don't understand why the "T" passed over the feddybucks. I thought all rolling stock and most buses were purchased with some sort of federal funding.

In the comments for that article, someone alludes to a deal that Chicago got from CRRC-MA that is better than what MA got? Or did they get a better deal from a different company?

So I guess CRRC absorbs any steel tariff costs. Additional sanctions might be more problematic, but if CRRC can save money by substituting domestic parts they will, and that would be a win for the US

[rethcir]

I for one clicked the link and read the article. It does not sound like CRCC stands to be impacted very hard.

[orange1234]

I don't understand why the "T" passed over the feddybucks. I thought all rolling stock and most buses were purchased with some sort of federal funding.

This was done to jump-start a railcar manufacturing industry in western MA and, at the same time, boost the economy in that region. If you want to get political, I think the underlying reason this was done was to give the politicians from western MA an incentive to fund this project.

In the comments for that article, someone alludes to a deal that Chicago got from CRRC-MA that is better than what MA got? Or did they get a better deal from a different company?

The CTA 7000 series are being manufactured by CSR Sifang, one "arm" of CRRC. I'm not so sure that the CTA got a better deal because CSR is less reputable than CNR Changchun. In fact, CSR bid on the MBTA contract and was disqualified after the technical review.

So I guess CRRC absorbs any steel tariff costs. Additional sanctions might be more problematic, but if CRRC can save money by substituting domestic parts they will, and that would be a win for the US

Most of the sub-systems are already being provided by non-Chinese companies. To my knowledge, only the carbody shells are coming from China. There is a minimum 60% domestic content requirement in the contract and CRRC has exceeded that. The trucks (bogies) are coming from Bradken (formerly Atchison Casting) and most of the electrical and traction sub-systems are provided by Mitsubishi Electric (MELCO).

[marlowe]

Saw a pair today on the test track.