The 83 trainset order from Siemens includes 4 different types of trainsets:
26 sets will be Type B-1 which consists of an ALC-42E Charger diesel locomotive and 6 coaches. The coach on the end will be a cab car and the coach closest to the locomotive will be an APV (Auxiliary Power Vehicle) with will include a pantograph and transformer that can power the Charger in electric mode.
32 sets will be Type B-2 which is identical to Type B-1, but it is 8 coaches long instead of 6.
17 sets will be Type C which consists of an ALC-42E Charger diesel locomotive and 6 coaches. The coach on the end will be a cab car and the coach closest to the locomotive will contain a battery to power the Charger in electric mode for short distances (e.g. going to and from Penn Station).
8 sets will be Type D which consists of an ALC-42E Charger diesel locomotive or uses WSDOT-owned SC-44 Charger diesel locomotive and 6 coaches. The coach on the end will be a cab car.
Type B-1 will be used on Downeaster, Vermonter, Pennsylvanian, Palmetto, Carolinian and Keystone services.
Type B-2 will be used on Northeast Regional services including through services to Virginia and Springfield, MA.
Type C will be used on Empire Service, Ethan Allen Express, Adirondack, and Maple Leaf services.
Type D will be used on Amtrak Cascades service and will be the first type to be used in revenue service.
Not sure I buy it but according to Daniel L. Gurley, a huge local railfan:
“The RFP is in its final stages of preparation prior to release and will be announced soon. NCDOT/RNCX will partner with other purchasing entities to produce economies of scale. Delivery dates are undetermined.”
Ehhh I still think we won’t see the new coaches for a long, long time but he’s way more optimistic than me.
Translation: there’s credible rumors that NCRR (which, for our purposes, is actually NCDOT) is preparing to gather bids for new train sets. They may be banding together with other agencies to make one bulk purchase, though, which is a common way to buy big equipment at a much cheaper price than if every participating agency were to make their own, separate acquisitions.
I’ll be looking forward to the details of the request-for-proposal (RFP). The details of that may tell us interesting things, such as:
If our state is finally open to consider modern trains like Stadler’s FLIRT160 that could help us transition towards renewable energy-based engines;
If we’re taking next steps towards higher-speed rail with vehicles like the Siemens Venture used by Brightline in Florida;
If we’re just getting new locomotives (but quieter and less polluting ones) like Amtrak has been, recently, with the Siemens Charger;
If we’re just getting new passenger cars (but they can seat more people, and come with more amenities like easier-to-clean seats or in-seat USB ports), like Chicago is getting from Bombardier/Alstom, or;
If we wind up getting something other than a version of the Siemens Venture/Amtrak Airo, I’ll eat my hat. Or, perhaps not my hat, but maybe I would eat a cupcake with a hat drawn on it in icing.
I would love to see what, if anythting, Stadler brings to the table- but I still think it’s very likely we go the Siemens route.
What other states/agencies might NCDOT pair with? Amtrak has unexercised options on their Siemens order for 8 additional 8-car trainsets of the diesel/electric variety; maybe those are earmarked for NCDOT.
I’d still be very excited about new Siemens equipment for Raleigh-CLT trains. I desperately wish we could get some of those Stadler trainsets for the Durham/Wake commuter rail (which is still very much regional/inter-city) over METRA-style double deckers, or the heavy, gritty, antiquated “freight-look” of MBTA, Tri-Rail, etc.
Here is a drawing by somebody on Twitter. I have no idea how accurate it may or may not be. 8 trainsets is… a lot! It would be enough to support hourly Piedmont service, plus two spares.
Read this opinion piece over the weekend. I have a few initial thoughts on it, but this is probably going to be my only input, mostly because I don’t really understand why you care so much when you’re proudly moving out of the county.
In my opinion, he’s right about the Gold Line: it’s pretty bad. The streetcar craze of the late-aughts proved to be… not great. Turns out that running high-capacity transit in mixed traffic at speeds significantly slower than driving does not win ridership. Most American streetcar installations have been vanity projects that make politicians look good and don’t actually help the average transit rider. Also, twenty-minute peak headways is garbage for urban rail. I know they have an operator shortage, so it’s not really their fault, but man, that’s not gonna build ridership.
He immediately follows that argument with this line: “Imagine, for a moment if that money was spent on improving electric powered buses on 15-minute intervals to support much needed regular trips to and from center city destinations? Money would be better spent and local economic solutions achieved.” This is what BRT is doing, but better, so… yeah. Idk man.
Along those same lines, Charlotte has notoriously neglected their bus system in favor of rail. In contrast, the Wake Transit Plan does an excellent job of balancing larger capital projects with improving existing service. In fact, nearly all of the improvements that have been implemented since 2016 (when it was voted on) have been upping frequency on and restructuring existing lines. Their primary goal with the bus network is shifting from a “coverage model” to a “ridership model” by concentrating funding and efforts on areas that already have high ridership. Charlotte has not historically been doing this, from what I can see.
Lastly, his primary thesis: “Moore was right, fund highway expansion instead.” There’s a million things I could say on this, most of which has been said here before and dead-ended due to strawman arguments. So I guess I’ll just throw this out there: can you honestly look at this map and tell me that Charlotte, of all NC cities, needs more highways? Ridiculous.
Not really sure why I’m bothering here when I’m just feeding the trolls. Also not really sure why you keep making such a big deal out of people who live in a city wanting more transportation options like most other developed cities in the world while you’re simultaneously leaving said city. I guess I’m mainly responding for everyone else who reads this, so here’s my thesis: Charlotte isn’t really the best example to follow when it comes to transit planning, so you’re not really making the point that you think you’re making. ¯_(ツ)_/¯
I was just in Charlotte this weekend and you have no idea how confusing it is. I missed the turn for my hotel and tried to go around the block and somehow ACCIDENTALLY turned onto a highway… and the highway layout is awful and very confusing. Also accidentally went down a toll road once because even my map was confused.
Unless he misrepresented you, not sure why an apology is in order. You’ve given your opinion on the subject more than enough times for him to make an assumption on what that opinion is. If it differs from the opinion piece, I’d be happy to hear what that is.
Typically, people that post opinion pieces don’t do so because they disagree with them without a lot of context that describes how they disagree with them. I don’t see Democrats posting RNC opinion pieces, Livable Raleigh posting Strong Towns pieces, etc.
I am allowed to post a news article relevant to the topic. If a reader does not agree with the topic that’s fine. But very childish to ask why do I care? I pay taxes also.
It’s a logical statement. If you’re moving out of the county, then why would you care about the direction of public transit in the county? Are you concerned about proving a point and winning an argument or are you concerned with Raleigh moving in the best possible direction as it concerns to public infrastructure and transit? I’d argue that one of those choices is much more childish than the other.
former raleigh citizen here and transit rider and i stil find things of interest in my home town of 40 years. i kind of threw this out a few weeks ago but do cities now exist of greater population and transit expenditure than raleigh where their fixed route apparatus is just not delivering? or at the same time car usage is climbing while expensive transit modes are declining? questions seem worthwhile when large projects are concerend.
That’s fair, I was making assumptions about your intent in sharing an article. In my defense, said article was anti-transit, and you’ve kind of made a name for yourself in being rather anti-transit on this forum. Nevertheless, I apologize for assuming without asking. No hate.
There not robust but are having the same problem, we are but you giving me Phil Moore vibes by almost agreeing with his views on just expanding highways.
This guy can be extraordinarily polemical, but the facts in the caption are pretty fun (Also someone in the comments hashtagging #CharlotteDoesItBetter is a real pot-calling-the-kettle-black situation)
He has to be one of the most annoying people online. Constant clickbait, punching down, just posting things for the views and engagement. Never any true policy just “imagine if southern cities were more like the north” and everyone in the replies being like “hmm he’s got a point.” And the Charlotte thing… people’s perception of Charlotte as this beacon of southern urbanity is entirely due to it being the most bankrolled city in the south, with a huge marketing budget and pushing this narrative since the 90s as the future city of the south. It’s honestly shocking seeing how quickly the public has embraced Charlotte in the last few years compared to the perception of the city growing up.
