Elkmn Posted April 7 Report Share Posted April 7 How hard would it be to 3rd rail electrify the BNSF metra route? Given that the BNSF route is already super popular, and that the stop spacing is comical, it seems that electrification has been a long time coming. I suggest 3rd rail because BNSF uses double stack trains and they could use that as an excuse for no overhead wires, and in some fantasy world, it would be semi-feasble to run trains into the 'l' loop. The only real problem is that the line is almost entirely at grade and someone who might be visually impaired or mentally ill could wander on the tracks and electrify themselves, but this doesn't seem to be a big problem on the 'l'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam92 Posted April 7 Report Share Posted April 7 3 minutes ago, Elkmn said: How hard would it be to 3rd rail electrify the BNSF metra route? Given that the BNSF route is already super popular, and that the stop spacing is comical, it seems that electrification has been a long time coming. I suggest 3rd rail because BNSF uses double stack trains and they could use that as an excuse for no overhead wires, and in some fantasy world, it would be semi-feasble to run trains into the 'l' loop. The only real problem is that the line is almost entirely at grade and someone who might be visually impaired or mentally ill could wander on the tracks and electrify themselves, but this doesn't seem to be a big problem on the 'l'. Never gonna happen. Also ME uses overhead and double deck trains with no issue. The most electrification that would happen is the battery electric trains that are being looked at but never would they waste time putting 3rd rails nor wires up for a line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elkmn Posted April 7 Author Report Share Posted April 7 This always happens when I think about crazy infra projects on metra and get excited. I gotta realize that freight railroads are genuinely awful and neatly that any metra electrification would require massive changes to freight railroads that metra couldn't afford. *Sigh* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted April 7 Report Share Posted April 7 4 hours ago, Elkmn said: This always happens when I think about crazy infra projects on metra and get excited. I gotta realize that freight railroads are genuinely awful and neatly that any metra electrification would require massive changes to freight railroads that metra couldn't afford. *Sigh* Other than whether Metra can afford it, it doesn't own the tracks--BNSF (i.e. Warren Buffet) does. While some federal money has gone into private railroads on which Metra has trackage rights, Metra doesn't even control the operation on the BNSF. When the New Yawk juvenile posted the same point, he ignored a report to which he linked *saying that freight railroads won't electrify. (Note that that report said that BNSF and Wabtec were working on a battery electric locomotive.) As @Sam92 pointed out, it won't be third rail, for additional reasons that the line is the main Burlington freight route with several working yards, and it runs at grade through various high-population suburbs. It's bad enough there are various grade crossing accidents; wait until some child gets fried on the tracks. In fact, after the Lee case, I don't see how CTA gets away with at-grade third rail, or removing the cyclone fence gates at Maple and Isabella on the Purple Line (pitting rubber pyramids between the tracks, instead). ------------- *Te link went dead but this contains the substance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smolensk Posted April 8 Report Share Posted April 8 Whenever there is a major snow storm or extended polar vortex, the Metra Electric and South Shore Lines shut down. Sure, the diesel lines have delays of various kinds, but they keep running. I think reliability of transit counts for something, no matter how wonderful electric trains are. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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