(Blue Diamond Road) Corridor Study - Regional Transportation ...

3. Overview of Transit Modes RTC SR-160 Corridor Study
Part 238 specifications. The first and only DMU that is fully FRA compliant is the Colorado
Railcar.
DMU systems have become increasingly popular. Over the last ten years, DMU systems
have been built in Trenton, New Jersey (South New Jersey Light Rail Transit), San Diego,
California (North County Transit District’s Sprinter Line) and Ottawa, Canada. Several
others are currently being planned (Denver RTD, Portland, Oregon, Chicago, Illinois, and
Orange County, California).
3.3.2 Vehicle Characteristics
Light rail vehicles (LRVs) and DMUs vary in shape and size, but one-piece cars typically
range from 50 feet to 67 feet in length. Bodies that exceed that length are split into two or
more sections that are hinged so that the articulated vehicle can negotiate tight curves. A
three-car train operated by a single driver can transport more than 400 passengers.
Depending on the number of car sections and the track configuration, LRT / DMU can
accommodate between 2,000 and 20,000 passengers per hour in urban cities with
populations between 500,000 and one million and densely developed corridors.
LRT/DMU trains have modern electric propulsion and braking control systems that enable
vehicles to operate safely in differing neighborhood and street environments. The
maximum speed of an LRV/DMU is 55 miles per hour, and in mixed flow traffic the average
operating speed is typically adjusted to the general traffic safety speeds of the local street.
The DMU vehicle, which can be a single- or double-level vehicle, can pull two or three
additional single level coaches depending on the track‘s elevation and ruling grade. The
DMU gets 2 miles per gallon (mpg) carrying 90 passengers and 1.5 mpg carrying two
additional coaches. The DMU has seating for 92 and a maximum passenger capacity of over
200 including standees. A DMU costs approximately $2.9 million.
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