7k Railcar Contract Awarded

[Sand Box John]

Kawasaki wins $886 million contract
Matt Olberding
Lincoln Journal Star
05 27 2010

Metro to buy new rail cars
Getting There blog by Robert Thomson 05 27 2010
Washington Post

Kawasaki Rail Car, Inc., to build new Metrorail cars
For Dulles rail extensions; replace Metro's Series 1000 rail cars
WMATA Press Release 05 27 2010

Seems the board has adjusted the procurement numbers from what was originally recommended by the WMATA staff.

Recommended:
• Base contract: 64 cars – Dulles Phase 1
• Option 4: 300 cars – Fleet Renewal (1000 Series)
• Unfunded
• Option 3: 100 cars – Mid-Life Rehabilitation (4000 Series)
• Option 1: 64 cars – Dulles Phase 2
• Option 2: 130 cars – Growth 75% Eight-Car Trains
• Option 5: 90 cars – Growth 100% Eight-Car Trains
*Total Project Scope = 748 Railcars

Procurement contract awarded:
• Base contract 128 cars – Dulles Phase I and II
• Option 1: 300 cars – Fleet Renewal (1000 Series)
*Total Project Scope = 428 Railcars

I would hazard a guess there are provisions in the contract to allow for the option of procuring of the other 220 cars that were in the original recommendation.

Odd that there was nothing said about the rehabilitation 100 4k Bredas.

[Antozilla]

Kawasaki lets the good times roll


I mena who is really left who has NOT made Metro cars

Breda
Rohr
CAF
Alstrom

Did I forget anyone?

[Scrabbleship]

I mean who is really left who has NOT made Metro cars..
Did I forget anyone?

One biggie: Bombardier. You could also put Siemens in there but given the delays in making the Tren Urbano and MBTA Blue Line cars it'd be a risk especially in this "ohmygodthe1000sneededtoberetiredlastweek" environment.

[rideonrulez]

John, thanks for the heads up.

Interesting that there doing 4 car trainsets considering they do alot of 6 car trains today. This will be interesting thats for sure...

[Scrabbleship]

John, thanks for the heads up.

Interesting that there doing 4 car trainsets considering they do alot of 6 car trains today. This will be interesting thats for sure...

They'll can be broken off into parts of two so that 3 sets can make 2 6-car trains. I think the goal is to make 8-car trains systemwide with the 7000's.

[WayneNYC]

John, thanks for the heads up.

Interesting that there doing 4 car trainsets considering they do alot of 6 car trains today. This will be interesting thats for sure...

They'll can be broken off into parts of two so that 3 sets can make 2 6-car trains. I think the goal is to make 8-car trains systemwide with the 7000's.

I doubt they'll break up those trainsets as it's pretty much an extension of the married pair concept.  It can work pretty well (and be less costly) as long as the cars are mechanically reliable and of course maintained properly.  The downside is that if one of the cars is down for repairs, then the entire train set  is down.  NYCTA seems to like that they went this route.  They even linked their older equipment (R-44 and up) into semi-permanent trainsets.

My guess is that WMATA is thinking that they'll be phasing out 6-car trains in favor of 8-cars trains, and of course 4-car trains when necessary.  Of course they'd still have the flexibility of having 6-car trains for many more years unless they deicde to link some of the newer cars.

[Sand Box John]

rideonrulez
John, thanks for the heads up.

Interesting that there doing 4 car trainsets considering they do alot of 6 car trains today. This will be interesting thats for sure...

They are not 4 cars train sets. They are married pairs that can only be operated in revenue service in 4 car sets. It is still not clear to me that they can be run as 6 car trains (A-B+B-A+B-A) as WMATA has stated they will only be operated as 8 car trains (A-B+B-A+A-B+B-A).

[WayneNYC]

rideonrulez
John, thanks for the heads up.

Interesting that there doing 4 car trainsets considering they do alot of 6 car trains today. This will be interesting thats for sure...

They are not 4 cars train sets. They are married pair that can only be operated in revenue service in 4 car sets. It is still not clear to me that they can be run as 6 car trains (A-B+B-A+B-A) as WMATA has stated they will only be operated as 8 car trains (A-B+B-A+A-B+B-A).

If this is the case, it sounds somewhat like NYCTA's R44 and R46 cars as originally delivered except those cars weren't even married pairs.   

[Antozilla]

Remember, some of these trains cars will not have control cabs in em.  FYI

[WayneNYC]

Remember, some of these trains cars will not have control cabs in em.  FYI

I totally understand that concept, which makes those cab-less cars "B" units.

[Sand Box John]

WayneNYC
If this is the case, it sounds somewhat like NYCTA's R44 and R46 cars as originally delivered except those cars weren't even married pairs.

The reason why married pairs are being retained is because all of WMATA's shop facilities are configured for maintaining married pairs, servicing bay lengths, lifts, hoists . . .

Antozilla
Remember, some of these trains cars will not have control cabs in em.  FYI

All of the B cars will have no control cabs, they will have hostler control stands for non revenue movements in yards and in the event of emergency. The hostler control stands will have no ATP, ATC functionality and will be limited to 15 MPH.