SEPTA proposal for Multilevels coaches/cabs

[zebrasepta]

http://www4.septa.org/business/bid/100k ... -AJAC.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is soliciting proposals from qualified firms for the purchase of a Base Order of eleven (11) multi-level cab cars and thirty-four (34) multi-level coach cars with Mandatory Option up to ten (10) additional coach rail cars.

so up to a total of 55 cars with the optional 10

[pete0r]

Bummer, was hoping for restrooms in these but a quick scan through the RFP doesn't show anything about them.

[zebrasepta]

Bummer, was hoping for restrooms in these but a quick scan through the RFP doesn't show anything about them.

SEPTA's never cared for bathrooms in trainsets, and they removed them in the bombers

[NorthPennLimited]

The no bathroom issue was a battle on Norfolk Southern after the Conrail merger. Apparently, the ex Conrail Employees refused to relieve themselves into 5 gallon plastic buckets while working on the train.

The FRA came out with a rule that said a train or locomotive does not need to be equipped with a lavatory AS LONG AS the train trip is less than 60 miles, and the train crew has easy access to bathroom facilities en route (I.e. stations or crew rooms). Unfortunately, there is no language about the rights of passengers to use a toilet over a certain amount of time or distance on the train. The bathrooms in the CFR are EMPLOYEE ONLY.

I would think they would keep the bathroom option in the cab cars, in the WAY OFF chance SEPTA ever sees funding to extend service south of Newark, DE, west of Norristown & Thorndale, or North of Lansdale. The 60 mile rule will come into play with a major service expansion. And I'm sure SEPTA's unions won't go for the 5 gallon bucket idea.

Interesting to see they are going with 2x2 seating. No love lost seeing that middle seat go away.

[MACTRAXX]

Bummer, was hoping for restrooms in these but a quick scan through the RFP doesn't show anything about them.

SEPTA's never cared for bathrooms in trainsets, and they removed them in the bombers

ZS and Pete:

You are both right - SEPTA has not had usable restrooms on its MU equipment since the group of S2 and S3 cars equipped with them were removed
when they were overhauled during the 1980s - and the only newer cars equipped were push/pull cab cars - and the only operating ones were used
by employees only - and kept locked when cars were in service.

NPL: 3/2 seating was tried on the ten experimental LIRR C1 bilevel cars back in the early 1990s - and was found to be too cramped and widely disliked
by riders - and when it came time to order the C3 fleet 2/2 seating was used - and has become a standard seating type for all future multilevel type cars.

Another "pet peeve" that I have is referring to on-train "comfort facilities" as "bathrooms" when they clearly are not.
You can not take a bath or shower there - even though people do use them to wash up at times more then they were designed for...

The term "Lavatory" or "Restroom" more then accurately describes on-train facilities - Or - we can use slang terms like "the John" to describe them...

MACTRAXX

[zebrasepta]

Bummer, was hoping for restrooms in these but a quick scan through the RFP doesn't show anything about them.

SEPTA's never cared for bathrooms in trainsets, and they removed them in the bombers

ZS and Pete:

You are both right - SEPTA has not had usable restrooms on its MU equipment since the group of S2 and S3 cars equipped with them were removed
when they were overhauled during the 1980s - and the only newer cars equipped were push/pull cab cars - and the only operating ones were used
by employees only - and kept locked when cars were in service.

NPL: 3/2 seating was tried on the ten experimental LIRR C1 bilevel cars back in the early 1990s - and was found to be too cramped and widely disliked
by riders - and when it came time to order the C3 fleet 2/2 seating was used - and has become a standard seating type for all future multilevel type cars.

Another "pet peeve" that I have is referring to on-train "comfort facilities" as "bathrooms" when they clearly are not.
You can not take a bath or shower there - even though people do use them to wash up at times more then they were designed for...

The term "Lavatory" or "Restroom" more then accurately describes on-train facilities - Or - we can use slang terms like "the John" to describe them...

MACTRAXX

I find their station bathrooms disgusting, especially at the Center City stations (Market East comes to mind) and even Lansdale Station as there's only one bathroom at Lansdale and is used by a lot of people waiting for the train

[sammy2009]

I knew SEPTA would not include bathroom's lol...but i am glad to see that they are putting outlets next or underneath the seats. I wonder if they would consider getting monitors like the SLV 5 's on these babies. I Doubt it though. I'm guessing we already know what color the seats will be lol...Blue with a little red lining on them.

[trackwelder]

I wonder if they would consider getting monitors like the SLV 5 's on these babies.

i sincerely hope not. i find the looped commercials that play on them between announcements to be extremely distracting. the only thin more annoying than the "we buy any car" ad is the "we buy any car" ad over and over on silent for half an hour.

[dcipjr]

I'm not bothered by the lack of bathrooms. Their station bathrooms are pretty nasty and I doubt the train ones would be much better. Would you like to ride in the seat next to an ill-maintained bathroom? No thanks. The rides aren't long enough to warrant it.

At Amtrak's train day in Philly today, SEPTA had a refurbished and a non-refurbished Bomber cars on display. The non-refurbished one had the bathroom door open and I took a peek inside. It had a air blower for drying your hands, had all the water fixtures removed, and *still* smelled a bit funky.

Nah, it's fine for the multilevels to lose the bathrooms. More seats, less funk.

[zebrasepta]

I wonder who's gonna propose for SEPTA's multilevel and it better not be Hyundai Rotem

[sammy2009]

Truthfully on the bathroom thing. I can do without. I' am on NJT all the time and i don't know if the waste from the bathrooms come through ventilation system or something but i know they are times when i smell the bathroom smell and it is disgusting. When people "Gotta Go" they have to lol....but i can do without the smell.

[acelaphillies]

Is it likely that Bombardier will put in for this contract? I hope that SEPTA goes with the NJT/MARC cars, even if they are redesigned without bathrooms.

[Suburban Station]

Septa is not going to lancaster or reading any time soon, parkesburg is under 60 miles.
The bathroom issue could be alleviated with better maintenance at the cc stations and better station hours at outlying stations so they're actually open when you get there

[pete0r]

For those who aren't interested in bathrooms, just because you wouldn't use them does not mean there isn't a need. There is a large enough portion of our population that would be appreciate having access to restrooms while on the train, even if they're not the cleanest. Plenty of medical conditions that require the use of a restroom frequently, especially in the senior population. For some of those it makes taking the train uncomfortable and for others it makes a non-option. During non-rush periods, it takes the R5 over an hour to get to Thorndale from CC.

[ExCon90]

... and that's if nothing pulls the wires down, stranding trains for hours. And transferring to a bus wouldn't help.