Local
Metro testing eight-car trains to handle inauguration crowds
By: Kytja Weir
December 21, 2008
Metro over the next few weeks will test longer trains to help carry more passengers.
The project, more than four years in the making, is timed to culminate right before the biggest challenge yet for the transit agency, as up to four million people are expected to descend on the region for the historic swearing in of President-elect Barack Obama.
“We’re testing our power supply leading up to the inauguration,” said Metro spokesman Steven Taubenkibel. “We want to make sure we are prepared and ready.”
Metro is limited in just how many trains it can run. Its schedule maxes out as rush-hour trains run every two-and-a-half minutes, Taubenkibel said. The system needs that buffer between trains to cushion any delays so the trains stay moving, he said.
But even if the system can’t run more trains, it could run longer trains.
Eight-car trains, instead of the typical six-car ones, would help carry about 300 more people per train, Taubenkibel said.
The system was designed to run eight-car trains when it was built in the 1970s. But it has run shorter trains because of limitations to the system’s power supply.
Trains pull energy from an electrified third rail that runs along the tracks. But eight-car trains are heavier and require stronger currents than shorter trains, Taubenkibel said, Some eight-car trains have been running on the Red, Orange and Green lines since January 2006.
The agency has been upgrading the system’s power substations over the past four years so they can handle the increased demands of the heavier trains.
Almost two weeks ago, the transit agency tested more eight-car trains on the Green Line. The experiment went well, Taubenkibel said, though the agency is making some modifications.
Now the agency is gearing up to test more cars on each remaining line, with the goal of eight cars on half of all trains.
Then, Metro will test the trains on all the system’s lines at the same time, right before the inauguration, Taubenkibel said. The goal, he said, is to run as many eight-train cars as possible on Jan. 20 to handle the crush.
The agency has said it won’t be able to handle more than 1 million passengers that day, even as it plans to run 17 consecutive hours of rush-hour service. And they are forecasting long waits.
After the inauguration, Taubenkibel said, Metro probably will assess how the eight-car trains did, but scale back to more regular service until the demands on the rail system increase again during the spring tourist season.
The project, more than four years in the making, is timed to culminate right before the biggest challenge yet for the transit agency, as up to four million people are expected to descend on the region for the historic swearing in of President-elect Barack Obama.
“We’re testing our power supply leading up to the inauguration,” said Metro spokesman Steven Taubenkibel. “We want to make sure we are prepared and ready.”
Metro is limited in just how many trains it can run. Its schedule maxes out as rush-hour trains run every two-and-a-half minutes, Taubenkibel said. The system needs that buffer between trains to cushion any delays so the trains stay moving, he said.
But even if the system can’t run more trains, it could run longer trains.
Eight-car trains, instead of the typical six-car ones, would help carry about 300 more people per train, Taubenkibel said.
The system was designed to run eight-car trains when it was built in the 1970s. But it has run shorter trains because of limitations to the system’s power supply.
Trains pull energy from an electrified third rail that runs along the tracks. But eight-car trains are heavier and require stronger currents than shorter trains, Taubenkibel said, Some eight-car trains have been running on the Red, Orange and Green lines since January 2006.
The agency has been upgrading the system’s power substations over the past four years so they can handle the increased demands of the heavier trains.
Almost two weeks ago, the transit agency tested more eight-car trains on the Green Line. The experiment went well, Taubenkibel said, though the agency is making some modifications.
Now the agency is gearing up to test more cars on each remaining line, with the goal of eight cars on half of all trains.
Then, Metro will test the trains on all the system’s lines at the same time, right before the inauguration, Taubenkibel said. The goal, he said, is to run as many eight-train cars as possible on Jan. 20 to handle the crush.
The agency has said it won’t be able to handle more than 1 million passengers that day, even as it plans to run 17 consecutive hours of rush-hour service. And they are forecasting long waits.
After the inauguration, Taubenkibel said, Metro probably will assess how the eight-car trains did, but scale back to more regular service until the demands on the rail system increase again during the spring tourist season.
