SunRail gets set to buy trains

[thelakelander]

Seven locomotives similar to this one, operating outside Salt Lake City, are about to be ordered for the SunRail commuter train planned for Central Florida.

Short of actually driving the first spike into a new piece of steel track, builders of the SunRail train are poised to make their most high-profile move in creating the commuter system: Buying the locomotives and coaches.

The Florida Department of Transportation, which is charged with getting SunRail up and running, is negotiating the final details of an agreement to buy seven diesel-powered locomotives for $18 million from Motive Power, a manufacturer based in Boise, Idaho.

FDOT also is closing in on a pact with the Canadian company Bombardier to buy four double-decker coaches and nine cab cars for $30 million. A cab car features a control panel that remotely operates a locomotive, allowing the trains to go either direction without turning around on the track.

"This is a big commitment, a positive step forward," said Roger Neiswender, who oversees Orlando's SunRail efforts and runs a panel of government officials monitoring the train's development.

A representative for Motive Power did not return calls, and a Bombardier spokeswoman declined comment.

The orders could be placed as early as July, and building the trains can take a year or more. Trains are needed for testing the line, the first phase of which is supposed to be operating by 2013, said Todd Hammerle, FDOT's SunRail project manager.

full article: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/os-locomotives-sunrail-train-20100510,0,1778821.story

[Lunican]

Here is more info on the locomotive:

http://www.motivepower-wabtec.com/locomotives/commuter/mpxpress.php

[Keith-N-Jax]

Great more news for another city.

[Ocklawaha]

This is going to be a spitting image of the new SUNRAIL equipment

They are going to come up short on Coaches, and OD on Cab-Cars... The Locomotive order looks good and I couldn't think of a better looking or more popular service tested passenger engine. MPI makes a handsome piece of motive power and the performance is light years ahead of the older tech power. Most noticeable is the extremely high RPM sound pitch roaring from the engine which sounds much like a 737 JET! The most noticeable performance change for old hats is the amazing acceleration and deceleration to or from track speed and a standing stop. The locomotive isn't a Ferrari but it's damn close.

The demand on SUNRAIL should be light days and evenings and VERY HEAVY in the morning and evening rush.


This is not only "like" what I suspect Jacksonville will have, rather this is part of THE VERY EQUIPMENT I expect us to have... How do I know? Ha! Ha! New's travels fast by rail!


Jacksonville, I believe will have a more constant and somewhat lighter demand as we have a MUCH better transit and highway system then Deland-Sanford-Winter Park-Orlando-Kissimmee.  Orlando will be dispatching Sunrail HEAVY AM - very light midday - HEAVY PM - very light night, while Jacksonville's should settle into a more MODERATE AM - slightly less moderate midday - MODERATE PM - slightly less moderate night pattern. We don't suffer the near grid-lock conditions of Central Florida. We also have a highly dispersed work force, residential and attraction base, while Orlando's is concentrated on a single long corridor. Bay Meadows, St. Augustine, Yulee, Baldwin, Orange Park, Green Cove Springs, Palatka, NAS, Mayport, Talleyrand, Blount Island, Beaches, Cecil, Town Center, Sawgrass... hell we're all over the map. Local politicos have long pointed at this as our "unique density problem."

BULL SHIT!

While Orlando develops one massive corridor with long locomotive hauled trains, Jacksonville will be developing what could someday be 5 railroad mainlines, in 5 directions, plus at least 2 Light Rail lines (Blanding - Beaches), plus BRT, Monorail and Streetcar to tie it all together. True Orlando's train might arrive with a locomotive and 5 cars, while ours is a single car RDC (self propelled - Rail Diesel Car) or 2 car set. Orlando's main station will have 2 - 4 tracks and to marshal all of our routes and still accommodate Amtrak, we should have 8-9. Both Cities have a splendid opportunity to chase regional rail as well, in the form of limited Amtrak-State-Local funded services. Orlando-Tampa via CSX, Orlando-Winter Haven, Orlando - Tavares, would build out their system. Meanwhile in Jacksonville we could see Jacksonville-Tallahassee, Jacksonville-Gainesville, Jacksonville-Valdosta, Jacksonville-New Smyrna Beach.  Orlando has almost no chance to hub long distance trains due to it's awkward location on the railroad map. Jacksonville can easily become host to Amtrak trains to Norfolk, New York, Charlotte, Atlanta, Chicago, Nashville, Chattanooga, Knoxville, Cincinnati, Memphis, Louisville, Indianapolis, Detroit, Cleveland, Buffalo, Birmingham, Montgomery, New Orleans, Tampa, Miami, Ft. Myers... and every one of these on DIRECT routes radiating from our city!


San Marco? Let's just call this Intermodal done right, the only thing missing is our Skyway Connection.

Indeed seeing Florida write the check for this equipment may be the dawn of a new era... I certainly hope so.


OCKLAWAHA
True Purple as "The Champion"
If you have to ask, you don't understand!