The Kinkisharyo light rail vehicles we’ve purchased for Link have a top speed of 65mph. Now, they won’t run over 55mph in actual service, but I bet some operators will edge 60 on the way down the hill from Tukwila…
Proposition 1 should also increase transit use in the region by 65%. I think that’s by 2030. We should build more than that.
Just curious what the rationale is for limiting speeds to 55 mph. Anyone know?
These cars have a “design speed” of 100kph, or 62mph, and yes, they can top out at about 65mph. But there’s no practical need to operate them faster than 55mph. The time savings in getting that last x% of speed out of them would amount to less than a minute in overall trip travel time.
It’s really a trade-off between travel time and wear-and-tear on the equipment. We felt that 55mph was the sweet spot, the optimum point. And as Doug noted, when they reach 58mph, the shut-down process begins — an event that’s noted back in the control center. And it’s not a positive note on the operator’s service record.
Ben,
So sorry to disapoint you, but top speed is 40 MPH both uphill and downhill on the segment betweeen the Southcenter curve and Tukwila Station. (We can go 42 mph, but if we go 43 things start beeping and we need to get back to 40 mph or the train shuts itself down to 0 mph.
The top speed of 55 (or 58, then beeping, ect) is run between the Southcenter curve and the Duwamish River, where the blue neon lights are sitting next to the right-of-way. I have heard that some trains during Kinkisharyo testing did go as fast as 61 before the computers shut the train down.
55 or so is going to be the speed across I-90 as well.
We’ll at least they are faster than Metro’s Breda buses were. They topped out at about 53 before the governor kicked in. A real pain in the HOV lanes! At least there gone, except the trolley conversions.
Oh, okay – thanks for the correction. That doesn’t disappoint me particularly, though. To some extent, the slower the trains are, the more compact the region will stay.
I remember the Bredas on the 194. They went so slow up the hill to SeaTac that it seemed they might start rolling backwards. Does anyone know how are the trolley conversions are working out? Any problems with the tight corners in Seattle? I remember the MAN articulateds had rear-wheel steering.
I sure see plenty of the ol’ Bredas rolling around! I remember when those buses were brand new – kind of nice to see them still running. Although they are a pretty rough ride uphill on the 43.
My favorite new driver talks to their 43 (and the cars, and the stoplights). It’s really funny.