Siemens Caltrans/IDOT Venture design, engineering, testing and delivery (2012-1Q 2024)

[Cal]

Carolinian does use Amtrak Regional equipment from the NEC pool.

But at least veryr ecently you used to get a few extras beyond the normal Amtrak fare - which is mostly nothing other than soft drink and coffee in BC. And there used to be a car attendant in the BC. I am sure at least for the duration of COVID that is all on hold.

Whoops, got mixed up with the Piedmont

 

[Eric S]

Amtrak operates MARC (Penn Line only), Metrolink, and Shore Line East, right? Any other commuter services (not Amtrak-branded/operated intercity services, like Downeaster, Piedmont, etc.)?

 

[PerRock]

Amtrak operates MARC (Penn Line only), Metrolink, and Shore Line East, right? Any other commuter services (not Amtrak-branded/operated intercity services, like Downeaster, Piedmont, etc.)?

That looks to be it at this time. They used to operate a lot more, but it would seem the Herzog has taken over as the primary operator in the US (followed by Bombardier, then BNSF & Amtrak being close to tied [didn't count the number BNSF had]).

peter

 

[jis]

In Florida we have:

TriRail (Miami) Herzog
SunRail (Orlando) Bombardier/Alstom

And of course Brightline is Brightline, when they start running trains again later this year.

 

[nullptr]

I don't know exactly when amtraks service line plan was published (Its old enough not to include metrolink that was awarded in December?) but they also list sound transit (I'm assuming for the sounder), and sunrail (edit to pointout they are maintenance contracts, not operations)


Aavailable here https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/...lanning/Amtrak-Service-Line-Plans-FY21-25.pdf

 

[jis]

SunRail has Amtrak Sanford do heavy maintenance and FRA mandated checks on their equipment. The trains are actually dispatched and operated by Bombardier. Three Amtrak trains are also dispatched over the CFRC territory (Deland - Poinciana) by Bombardier.

 

[PerRock]

Sound Transit, they maintain the equipment, while BNSF operates it.

 

[Trogdor]

I don't know exactly when amtraks service line plan was published (Its old enough not to include metrolink that was awarded in December?)

Amtrak has operated Metrolink since 2009 (and before that, until 2005), when Connex was dumped following the Chatsworth collision.

 

[nullptr]

Amtrak has operated Metrolink since 2009 (and before that, until 2005), when Connex was dumped following the Chatsworth collision.

Ah yep, I missed the fine print a few pages before, they didn't include it because it was still up for renewal and not guaranteed at the time of the service plan

Plan do not assume bidding on or winning any new opportunities, and assume Amtrak does not continue the Metrolink Train & Engine crew contract after its expiration on December 31, 2020.

 

[jiml]

Lots of shiny new Amtrak cars headed east at 21:01 and 25:20 in this video:

 

[Cal]

Lots of shiny new Amtrak cars headed east at 21:01 and 25:20 in this video:

They look very nice, so much better than the horizons. Still annoyed the Charger paint doesn't match up though

 

[jis]

There is a bit of the Pennsylvanian with a PV on its tail going around the Horseshoe Curve in the middle there.

 

[jiml]

There is a bit of the Pennsylvanian with a PV on its tail going around the Horseshoe Curve in the middle there.

Saw that. Any idea which one? As a frequent viewer I can say it's not one of the "regulars" that show up every few weeks.

 

[PerRock]

Have they gotten any cafe cars yet? All the delivery train videos & the test run I witnessed were lacking a cafe.

peter

 

[John Bredin]

Have they gotten any cafe cars yet? All the delivery train videos & the test run I witnessed were lacking a cafe.

As I recall, the plan is to deliver the new train cars without cafes, which will be forthcoming in 2022. The plan was (again, as I recall) silent on what would be done for cafe service in the meantime as some trainsets are to enter service in 2021, but as the Midwest trains except the Hiawatha have cafes I presume they'd run an Amfleet or Horizon Cafe in the trainsets in the interim.

 

[PVD]

I'm pretty sure that is it, and Amfleet or Horizon cars are being used in the interim...

 

[Eric S]

I'm pretty sure that is it, and Amfleet or Horizon cars are being used in the interim...

Yeah, pretty sure I read that somewhere as well. I want to say it was an Amtrak or IDOT Twitter account, perhaps in response to an inquiry.

 

[jis]

Saw that. Any idea which one? As a frequent viewer I can say it's not one of the "regulars" that show up every few weeks.

High likelihood that it was Babbling Brook, but it could also be the other NYC obs lounge that makes the rounds, the name of which I forget.

 

[Steve4031]

Yes. A fleet or horizon cars until food service and business class cars arrive. I’ll be riding coach to try out the new cars.

 

[rickycourtney]

As I recall, the plan is to deliver the new train cars without cafes, which will be forthcoming in 2022. The plan was (again, as I recall) silent on what would be done for cafe service in the meantime as some trainsets are to enter service in 2021, but as the Midwest trains except the Hiawatha have cafes I presume they'd run an Amfleet or Horizon Cafe in the trainsets in the interim.

You are correct. The midwestern states will use the new Siemens coaches paired with Horizon/Amfleet cafe cars in the interim. They may also need to use Horizon/Amfleet business class or cafe/business class cars depending on the delivery schedules.

It appears Siemens is pumping out the coach cars as fast as possible right now (presumably they are easiest to produce).

That means that the San Joaquins won't be getting cab cars anytime soon either -- so expect to see new Venture cars paired with NPCUs ("cabbages") in the interim.

According to the NGEC meeting minutes -- behind the scenes -- work is underway to get final signoffs on the cafe car and cab car prototypes. Once that happens, production can begin.

 

[jrud]

One item that I found interesting in the NGEC annual meeting minutes from February is that the VIA test trains being constructed include cab cars.

http://www.highspeed-rail.org/Docum...ew Fleet Update Feb 2021_Final.pdf

 

[jrud]

Pages 10-14 cover the deployment schedule for the different kinds of cars at the time this was published. Vending deliveries starting before cab cars.

https://sjjpa.com/wp-content/uploads/SJJPA-Board-Meeting-May-31-2019-Presentation-3.pdf

 

[jiml]

One item that I found interesting in the NGEC annual meeting minutes from February is that the VIA test trains being constructed include cab cars.

I'm not sure that's still the plan until they get their own (proposed) ROW. There had been concerns about cab cars on a route with so many level crossings traversed at high speed. My guess would be a locomotive on either end - at least initially. Ontario's GO Transit has gone to considerable expense to migrate to second-floor cabs over track-level ones and they share a lot of the same tracks (and crossing concerns). VIA doesn't have that option with a single-level fleet.

 

[jrud]

I'm not sure that's still the plan until they get their own (proposed) ROW. There had been concerns about cab cars on a route with so many level crossings traversed at high speed. My guess would be a locomotive on either end - at least initially. Ontario's GO Transit has gone to considerable expense to migrate to second-floor cabs over track-level ones and they share a lot of the same tracks (and crossing concerns). VIA doesn't have that option with a single-level fleet.

It’s been a while since I read this information, but I thought the Siemens Venture cab cars were supposed to be strengthened specifically to address this general concern.

 

[jiml]

It’s been a while since I read this information, but I thought the Siemens Venture cab cars were supposed to be strengthened specifically to address this general concern.

I agree that was certainly the original plan.