This is HUGE. Level (or near level) boarding will allow far more efficient and reliable operations. Proper bike storage is excellent news for reverse commuters, or even traditional commuters who work outside walking distance from the downtown terminals. No longer can Metra deny bike riders access on the whim of a conductor (it's no fun being stranded in the suburbs for 2 hours because the conductor doesn't feel like letting you on).
It's unfortunate that Metra has to be dragged kicking and screaming into a slightly more modern railcar design after zero manufacturers offered to continue building the 1950s style gallery cars. I was worried Metra would just sweeten the pot and offer to pay even more outrageous prices to somebody so they could cling to the gallery car. Looks like the reality check finally sank in.
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Originally Posted by Busy Bee
While the new cars are indeed excellent news, what in god's name does Metra have against a proper cab car, handsomely styled like the rest of the world enjoys? The headscratching doggedness of Metra's horrible 1980s logo as well...
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Metra sometimes puts cab cars in the middle of a consist (two short mid-day trains roll into downtown, then they are linked into a longer outbound train for PM rush). An aerodynamic cab car would look awkward in the middle of a train, and potentially would not allow for a gangway connection.
I'm honestly excited this is Alstom. The railcars are nobody's idea of beautiful, but the interior looks pretty nice. Out of the major manufacturers, Alstom definitely has the edge on design, with a clean but not spartan French sensibility. AFAIK Metra will be the first railroad to use these cars, although they are broadly similar to the Hyundai Rotem bilevels used in Massachusetts and California.