HomeDiagramsDatabaseMapsForum About
     

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Discussion Forums > Transportation


Reply

 
Thread Tools Display Modes
     
     
  #1  
Old Posted Dec 8, 2023, 10:03 PM
DetroitMan DetroitMan is offline
Detroiter4life
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Back home in Georgia!
Posts: 4,035
Baltimore Light Rail suspended in Dec 2023 due to mechanical issues (fixed now)

MTA indefinitely suspending light rail services starting Friday
Quote:
The Maryland Transit Administration is suspending light rail services indefinitely starting Friday.

MTA Administrator Holly Arnold did not provide a timetable for when service would return during a news conference Thursday and said the department will provide free shuttle buses along the light rail route, which typically serves 10,000 riders per day from Hunt Valley through downtown Baltimore, past its sports stadiums, to BWI Marshall Airport.

“We’re going to start immediately with inspections and repairs. I can’t give a timeline,” Arnold said. “As soon as we have a better sense of timeline, we’re going to be sharing that with our riders.”

In an interview at the Maryland Association of Counties winter conference Thursday evening, Maryland Department of Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld said that service would be restored “when it’s safe.” In the meantime, he said, the Department of Transportation will supplement the suspended service with extra buses for commuters.According to Wiedefeld, express buses from larger park and ride lots will be provided for people who plan to attend the Ravens game Sunday.

Arnold added that inter-car connecting cables have caused three smoke events in the past four months causing minor injuries for a rider and a police officer, and that full service would resume when the MTA has 19 railcars repaired and available. Arnold said while the MTA is undergoing a $160 million “overhaul” of its light rail service, some of the repairs might be under warranty.
https://www.baltimoresun.com/2023/12...arting-friday/
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #2  
Old Posted Feb 21, 2024, 1:41 PM
aprice1828 aprice1828 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 52
https://www.trains.com/trn/news-revi...ht-rail-fleet/

Maryland to receive $213 million grant for replacement of Baltimore light rail fleet - Trains .com

(Couldn't find a general Baltimore thread but this thread title is still fitting)
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #3  
Old Posted Feb 21, 2024, 2:13 PM
Busy Bee's Avatar
Busy Bee Busy Bee is online now
Show me the blueprints
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: on the artistic spectrum
Posts: 10,260
Quote:
The current vehicles have either reached the end of their useful life or will do so within five years, a time frame required by the Rail Vehicle Replacement program.
It seems that their main objective is a low floor accessibility initiative as these original cars aren't particularly old by international standards as several European cities are still operating 50 year old Düwag and Tatra trams. In my opinion the desire for low floor boarding isn't worth this kind of expense for a system like Baltimore that should be focusing on other expansions and improvements. These ABB cars probably have another 15 years in them with a minor cosmetic and running gear overhaul. Waste of scarce $$$.
__________________
Everything new is old again

There is no goodness in him, and his power to convince people otherwise is beyond understanding
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #4  
Old Posted Feb 22, 2024, 4:31 PM
electricron's Avatar
electricron electricron is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Granbury, Texas
Posts: 3,523
Lightbulb

Quote:
Originally Posted by Busy Bee View Post
It seems that their main objective is a low floor accessibility initiative as these original cars aren't particularly old by international standards as several European cities are still operating 50 year old Düwag and Tatra trams. In my opinion the desire for low floor boarding isn't worth this kind of expense for a system like Baltimore that should be focusing on other expansions and improvements. These ABB cars probably have another 15 years in them with a minor cosmetic and running gear overhaul. Waste of scarce $$$.
I'll agree, too many transit vehicles in the USA are replaced prematurely. But, all these vehicles when purchased had a specified service life, and the FTA and FRA are eager to help fund the replacements of transit vehicles at the end of their service lives. It is a difficult task to ask transit agencies to deny funding from the FTA and FRA.
So I understand why many transit vehicles are retired before complete obsolescence.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #5  
Old Posted Mar 17, 2024, 5:53 PM
Nouvellecosse's Avatar
Nouvellecosse Nouvellecosse is offline
Volatile Pacivist
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 8,968
I'm not sure we can assume that one set of vehicle will or should have the same service life in years as totally different models of vehicles operating in other cities and countries under different conditions. Factors like the climate and weather can be different as can things like operating speeds, total distance traveled, etc. In Baltimore the average distance between stations is nearly 1.5km while in a European tram system the stops tend to be much closer together with the system typically operating at the speed of road traffic. This means a NA-style LRT will cover much greater distances in the same length of time. So if their service life expectancy is based on mileage rather than age, Baltimore LRVs may have traveled as many or more miles in their shorter operating lives. If vehicles in each place operate for the same amount of time each day but the average operating speed is 1/4 greater in one place than another, you can expect vehicles in the faster system to reach the same retirement mileage 1/4 earlier.
__________________
"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man." - George Bernard Shaw
Don't ask people not to debate a topic. Just stop making debatable assertions. Problem solved.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #6  
Old Posted Mar 17, 2024, 6:41 PM
llamaorama llamaorama is online now
Unicorn Wizard!
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 4,203
I don't know anything about mass transit vehicles, but the longevity of anything mechanical, whether it's a forklift or a copy machine or a refrigerator in general really depends on manufacturer support, spare part availability, and if the design is suited to being overhauled.

Wikipedia says the Baltimore LRT cars were built by a company that doesn't exist anymore.

Since rail transit is uncommon in the US, and since Baltimore's system is not very big, it would be a very expensive problem if their small fleet of trains was all special and unique and custom and every tiny part had to be machined from scratch.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #7  
Old Posted Mar 17, 2024, 8:08 PM
Busy Bee's Avatar
Busy Bee Busy Bee is online now
Show me the blueprints
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: on the artistic spectrum
Posts: 10,260
I highly doubt the situation is that extreme. One thing is for sure though and that is American transit agencies have come a long way since the days where it was commonplace to have trolleys totally rebuilt, modernized and in many cases restyled and have all the work be done in-house. All of that institutional knowledge evaporated by 1960s.
__________________
Everything new is old again

There is no goodness in him, and his power to convince people otherwise is beyond understanding
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #8  
Old Posted Yesterday, 3:07 PM
Cirrus's Avatar
Cirrus Cirrus is offline
cities|transit|croissants
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 18,324
I'm'a edit this thread title so people know it's no longer the condition. The system reopened later in December.
__________________
writing | twitter | flickr | instagram | ssp photo threads
Reply With Quote
     
     
End
 
 
Reply

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Discussion Forums > Transportation
Forum Jump


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 4:36 AM.

     
SkyscraperPage.com - Archive - Privacy Statement - Top

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.