Quote:
Originally Posted by Busy Bee
Truth be told, I'm really jsut salivating for Metra electrification. Maybe DMU's don't make as much fiscal or op sense as I thought, but at least the image of Metra would be modernized which it is in immense need of.
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DMUs make more sense with smaller and more frequent trains. In the past discussing RDCs specifically, I have reported that the TRE assistant president of operations reports 4 RDCs as their efficiency limit, if you needed a larger capacity train locomotives and trailers were more efficient. Which in America probably requires corridor ownership by the transit agency, rather than owned by freight railroad companies because the freight railroads will want to reduce the number of passenger trains in their corridor, or if you wish ask far too much money for more corridor access.
I’m not sure who owns each corridor in the Chicago area, but I believe the freight railroad companies own most of them. That means fewer trains, and therefore longer trains to carry all the passengers demanding service. I’m not surprised METRA uses locomtives and trailers in push/pull mode