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Metrolink Hyundai-Rotem cab car design flaw


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#1 KevinKorell

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Posted 04 September 2015 - 11:15 AM

Progressive Railroading, 9/4/15:


Metrolink adds locomotives to Hyundai-Rotem cab cars

 

Metrolink plans to add a BNSF Railway Co. locomotive in front of each its Hyundai-Rotem cab cars as part of a safety initiative.

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Not sure if I am missing anything here, but why does the agency even need to have cab control cars if there will be an engine in front of them?



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#2 KevinKorell

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Posted 04 September 2015 - 11:54 AM

LOS ANGELES — Metrolink is evaluating the safety of its crash-resistant Hyundai Rotem railcars by removing them from the front of trains in the wake of a deadly Southern California derailment, AP reported.

The railcars have features designed to reduce deaths and injuries, such as energy-absorbing crush zones. Metrolink had said those features reduced the carnage in February when one of its trains struck a pickup truck that mistakenly drove onto the tracks near Oxnard. The crash killed the engineer and injured 27 passengers. However, the railroad's review of the accident turned up a possible issue with the cab car. For the full story, click here.

Keywords

crash-resistant railcars   Hyundai Rotem   Metrolink   safety concerns   

 

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#3 CNJRoss

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Posted 14 September 2015 - 09:06 PM

Los Angeles Times, 9/10:

 

Private Metrolink discussion on rail car safety may have violated transparency law


 

A private conference call that the leaders of Metrolink used to discuss safety concerns surrounding dozens of new passenger cars is drawing criticism from Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich and the president of a state rail association.

 

A lawyer for the Los Angeles Times also has written officials of the public commuter rail line, contending that the session violated California's open meetings law.

 

SNIP

 

After a Feb. 24 crash between a Metrolink train and a heavy-duty pickup truck and trailer in Oxnard, however, investigators began to suspect that a plow-like deflector or cow-catcher at the front of that train's Hyundai Rotem car may have failed, allowing wreckage to get under its wheels and triggering a derailment.

 

More here.



#4 KevinKorell

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Posted 10 October 2015 - 07:42 AM

Los Angeles, CA Times,  10/9/15:

 


Deadly Oxnard crash prompts Metrolink to put locomotives at both ends of trains

 

As a safety precaution stemming from February's Oxnard crash, the Metrolink board on Friday approved an agreement that will allow the commuter railroad to place locomotives at both ends of its trains.

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#5 Springfield Pete

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Posted 12 October 2015 - 11:31 AM

I was in LA last week and rode a Ventura County Line train -- the cab cars were still in use, as cab cars, with locomotive at the other end of the train.  So I guess the addition of the second locomotive will take some time.  The train was almost full, it appears the service is popular.  That would answer Kevin's question, about why a cab car would still be needed if coupled to a locomotive -- Metrolink needs the seating capacity of the cab car.

 

 

  



#6 CNJRoss

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Posted 17 December 2015 - 07:54 PM

Ventura County Star, Camarillo, CA 12/16:
 

Metrolink likely to start adding second safety locomotives this week or next

 

Second locomotives will likely start being added to all Metrolink commuter trains this week or next as a safety precaution in the wake of February's deadly crash in Oxnard, Metrolink officials said Wednesday.

 

The rail agency's board in October approved a $23.9 million agreement to lease 40 locomotives for one year from Texas-based Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Co.

 

Before they could be put into service in Ventura and five other Southern California counties, the locomotives had to be made compatible with Metrolink's positive train control system, which uses global positioning technology to override manual control of the trains to prevent collisions with other trains.

 

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#7 CNJRoss

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Posted 17 December 2015 - 07:57 PM

Cross posted from "Metrolink: Grade crossing collision and derailment (2/24)"

 

Los Angeles, CA Times, 12/16/15:
 

Metrolink train cars that derailed in Oxnard had flawed parts, confidential report finds


The new Metrolink passenger cars that derailed in a crash near Oxnard this year were equipped with flawed parts that were supposed to help keep trains on the track in an accident, according to a confidential report by the commuter railroad.

Update

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#8 CNJRoss

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Posted 03 March 2016 - 06:32 PM

MetrolinkTrains.com:

BNSF Locomotives BNSF Locomotives a part of Metrolink service

Metrolink has made the proactive decision to add a second locomotive to each train set beginning this month. In a collaborative effort using BNSF Railway locomotives, Metrolink will soon have a locomotive on either end of each train to complement the passenger rail's existing fleet.

 

"We are taking this additional step as a redundancy to keep our riders safe, while a second locomotive will address some of our recent mechanical delays," Metrolink Chief Executive Officer Art Leahy said. "I want to reassure all Metrolink riders we continue to be dedicated to be the safest railroad in the nation."


bnsf1.jpg


When will the locomotives be added to the Metrolink System? How long will they remain on the system?

Metrolink started deploying these BNSF locomotives across its system on Dec. 18, 2015 and will continue adding them until all 40 are in service. The initial lease is a year. The BNSF locomotives will likely be replaced when the new Tier 4 clean locomotives are ready to be put into service.


Will cab cars be removed?

No, we will continue to operate the cab cars in order to maintain the capacity for passengers on our train sets.


Will there be delays associated with these locomotives?

These locomotives are a little longer than Metrolink locomotives and cab cars. There may be some minor delays at first while the operating crews determine where to stop these locomotives to enable passengers to exit the train at certain locations on the platform. We apologize for this inconvenience.

However, we hope that these locomotives will reduce delays overall. Because they are newer, we anticipate fewer delays due to mechanical issues.


Why is Metrolink doing this?

The Metrolink Board of Directors took this temporary, proactive safety action out of abundance of caution while the National Transportation and Safety Board completes its investigation into the February 2015 Oxnard incident. Due to the ongoing investigation, we cannot provide further information.

However, please know that safety is our first priority and we are taking actions to ensure we are operating the safest system possible in the interim.


Where is the quiet car?

With the addition of BNSF locomotives as part Metrolink passenger service operations, please be aware the quiet car will remain to be the second passenger car from the Metrolink locomotive on all trains.


How much is the BNSF charging for these locomotives?

The contract is less than $6 million to lease the locomotives, while the cost for retrofitting the engines to be compatible with the Metrolink system and trains will cost the approximately $20 million which will be paid by our member agencies.

We appreciate BNSF’s willingness to work with us to provide these locomotives that will allow us to operate the safest and most reliable system for our passengers and the communities we serve.


Will PTC be delayed due to these locomotives?

We do not anticipate major delays to PTC due to the BNSF locomotives. They will be equipped with PTC hardware and software, which will be tested and synced with Metrolink’s current PTC system.


Are these locomotives louder than Metrolink locomotives?

No. These locomotives are not louder than Metrolink’s current locomotives.

However, there is a different type of horn – called a five chime – that will produce a different noise than people are accustomed to with Metrolink trains. It may sound louder because it is a different horn configuration than Metrolink trains have. We are doing some decibel testing to confirm the locomotives horns operate at 96 decibels, just like the current Metrolink locomotives.


Will these locomotives result in additional emissions?

System-wide, we expect a net decrease in emissions because these locomotives are newer and burn cleaner than the majority of our current locomotives. They also do not have a HEP engine. However, there will be an increase in emissions at our maintenance yards due to the increase in locomotives that must be serviced and maintained on a daily basis. We will continue to work with these communities to ensure the impact is as minimal as possible.


Will these BNSF locomotives be deployed system-wide?

Yes.


For additional information regarding the BNSF locomotives, click here.

 

 



#9 CNJRoss

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Posted 09 July 2016 - 08:36 PM

Los Angeles Times, 7/8:
 

Metrolink approves $1.5 million to repair defective cab cars

 

The board of the Metrolink commuter railroad on Friday unanimously approved $1.5 million to repair dozens of passenger cars with defective parts that were discovered in the wake of last year’s fatal Oxnard crash.

 

Rail officials plan to reinforce the front end plows on all 57 Hyundai Rotem cab cars--passenger coaches with an engineer’s station.

 

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#10 CNJRoss

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Posted 09 July 2016 - 08:45 PM

Metrolink news release:

 

Letter from Metrolink CEO regarding Hyundai Rotem cab cars

 
Friday July 8, 2016

 

Dear Community Members,

 

Today, the Metrolink Board of Directors took action that will allow the removal of the leased BNSF freight locomotives from the system while preserving safety.

 

The agency will begin making repairs to the plow assembly of the Hyundai Rotem cab cars. The plow is a piece of equipment on the front of the cab cars. As repairs are made, the cab cars will be redeployed onto the system, eliminating the need for leased freight locomotives.

 

While the timeline is still being finalized, Metrolink will start removing the freight locomotives from the system as soon as possible, beginning with the San Bernardino Line. The complete removal of the freight locomotives will take several months.

 

We realize the temporary safety action to lease these locomotives has had a profound impact on your quality of life. We are sorry for the inconveniences this caused.

 

Additionally, we will begin deploying our new Tier 4 locomotives this Fall. They will reduce emissions by up to 85 percent, are lighter which may reduce vibration and they have fewer horns than our current locomotives. We hope you notice a major improvement as we replace the freight locomotives with cleaner, lighter and quieter cab cars and the Tier 4 locomotives.

 

We will provide updates when the timeline is finalized. Thank you for your patience while we worked to keep safety first in Southern California.

 

Sincerely,

Arthur T. Leahy

Chief Executive Officer






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