Stadler brings a new era to passenger rail transport in Chicago
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- Опубликовано: 20 фев 2024
- With the contract award for new battery-electric trains for Metra and thanks to the latest innovative developments in the USA and the successful sales of rail vehicles with battery or hydrogen drive in Europe, Stadler once again underlines its leading position in alternative drive solutions for rail transport worldwide.
The high technology of the new state-of-the-art battery-electric multiple units trains enables a flawless travel performance, bringing passenger rail transport in Chicago to the next level. 
Наука
One step away from overhead Catenary... 😶...
Seriously - these ought to have the ability to *run on* and charge from standard overhead electrification, so a system to aupport them could be built out over time.
Man... if only Metra had existing electric infrastructure they could build off of and modernize...
@@yankeeclipperyt well at least they made the decision to abandon their original idea of converting an old EMD freight locomotive into a battery train. That's hardly any major improvement but it's a half baby step in the right direction at least. Good on Stadler for being smart enough to put a pantograph on this thing for the ever so slight chance someone with a half a brain cell decides to work for Metra.
@@daniellewis1789 of course they should . . . But by the time Metra or any authority beyond San Francisco got around to trying electrification these will be life expired.
@@yankeeclipperytthey kind of do but only on the Electric District
State of the art trains . Smooth ride , extremely comfortable and nice exterior . In Italy , nation where i live , we know Stadler products since 2005 , and right now they practically run in the whole country covering intercity , regional and local services ( coming soon for freight trains ..... )
Euro9000, Euro6000 and EuroDual!!
In Poland we use the Stadler FLIRTs often, whether be it long distance PKP Intercity with a max speed of 160km/h or the more common Łódzka Kolej Aglomeracyjna. Amazing trains and they sound great
Stadler flirts are starting to appear in the USA
great to see european manufacturers entering the US railway market, ever since the last century train transport has been neglected severely in north america...
Especially when these are Made in America... Utah to be specific!
European manufacturers, including Siemens, Alstom, Talgo, Ansaldo/Breda have been here for multiple decades now. Even Stadler has been here for several years now.
The U.S. had domestic manufacturers at one time not owned by globalist Eurotrash legacy families. Budd and Pullman built long lasting equipment without too much proprietary, delicate sht. Over subsidized and taxed transportation and land use was the death of it all.
European trains are ugly af
ps they great builders, im living the uk where there unit serve, they are great units
Stadler really is FLIRTing with Metra
Ba dum tusch
Excited to see these built here in Utah!
Please up the video quality to 4K :)
Glad to see someone mention this. Thanks
My company just put these in service here in Germany, I am a instructor for train engineers, also teaching train engineers on these trains and can say they are fantastic! So far we had only little problems with them. However in our trains the traction batteries are not placed in a separate middle car, they are located both under the passenger cabin and on the roof of one of the carriages. Range is pretty good, already managed to drive 200 kilometers and still had 23% battery left.
How fast do they charge?
@@2008tourer 0 to 90% in 30 minutes, charging with a constant 220kW up to 90%. It's pretty fast, when you change directions at the terminus and charge for just 10 minutes you already go up from 50 to roughly 80 for example, insane ...
I have the feeling that this going to backfire
@@widget787 oh wow, if such "low" charging speeds is enough then efficiency must be pretty good? How do you measure the energy consumption? kWh/100 km? Or something else?
@@2008tourerI would assume Miles per kWh. I don’t know why you would do kWh/100mi, that would make calculations much harder.
Imagine living in europe and having these trains is a normal daily thing
got these on my daily commute here xD
at least the non battery ones
Here in Italy a lot of rail companies operate this train type
Not with batteries or fuel cells yet. That part is futuristic even from their perspective.
Flirt is a great train. It is used in many European countries and it can finally show Americans what a moder train looks like.
Yeah yeah. Europe is sooooooo sophisticated and should be copied. (not)
@@MilwaukeeF40C Well, we are.
I am glad I live here and am proud of what we have achieved here - world's best quality of life for the average Joe.
@@MilwaukeeF40C Yes it should be. Caltrain is finally becoming a modern system thanks to Stadler‘s EMUs. Y‘all will be forever stuck in the railroad Stone Age without foreign manufacturers.
@@andrejruscak calm down, Andrew.
@@z00h Who are you talking to? That is not my name. You know, we've got our own culture and languages here.
Metra is getting Stadler Flirts before GTA6 drops
Stadler=High Quality
I don't care if "real" electric trains are "greener" than battery trains. The lack of smell and noise from diesel engines alone makes all the difference I need.
@@ncard00 Battery trains are an intermediate step to true electric trains at least. Also, when the train company has build the small overhead wire areas where you charge the train - it's later easy to electrify the gaps between them, because you have already put the needed electric lines in place, you only need to raise the capacity of the transformers.
@@ncard00 Electric trains are also stronger than Diesel.
Though I also love the rumbling of the V100's, Br218's and Class 08's
@@acmenipponairyou realize they want to go full batteries
I love STADLER trains !
Stadler is really conquering the market for passenger trains now with the expansion outside Europe, we have Flirt trainsets for several years now here in the southeast of the Netherlands and they are a pleasure to travel on, fast, smooth and quiet.
The battery option is great for a local non electrified line where I live, where they want to replace the older Stadler GTW diesel with new electric trains after electrification. These battery powered trains are probably a more cost effective solution for this line instead of electrification.
*Siemens wants to know your location
Stadler FLIRTs have been roaming in Europe for quite some time and they're
actually great trains if they are maintained properly
The ones I ride for commuting to work still use the overhead HV lines for power
but the ride quality and capacity are quite nice
Swiss quality
congrats to Stadler
Very popular in North Texas, we have them in town (Denton Texas) DCTA called the A-Train, Ft Worth FWTA has them. Down in Central Texas, Austin CMTA. In the Dallas area DART ordered 8 sets for the Cotton Belt Line. They have a futuristic look very quiet, has a comfortable ride, and huge windows to look out.
But, but, but, but,..... what was Metra thinking? Its not even made by EMD 😮
And where are the bi-level cars with the staircases? 🤮
The even worse part is that the that the cars are too small, too light, and too complicated for Metra.
@@pauljensen5699 You can a. couple more trains together and b. you can also just put two more passenger cars between the cab and the battery car. And yes, Stadler even has bilevel passenger cars for that! FLIRTs are easily adaptable in the depot to the need of the company. So this test trains can be the start of a new era of METRA
@@acmenipponair I doubt Metra has the budget to purchase enough to replace even one 15+ bilevel car train. And nothing with jacobs bogies is "easily adaptable." You shouldn't need a crane to change a consist.
@@acmenipponair Someone doesn't understand railroading very good.
It's not a N scale car you're picking up, it's a 50 to 85 ton car on jacks or a crane.
Haven't seen the Bi-levels yet, but just remember, you gotta pick it up with the even more weight of a second deck.
"Easily adaptable", you have never been inside a car shop or a rip track.
They're a few years away still, but I'm looking forward to riding these when they go into service! I hope they can end up being used on Metra's other lines to improve frequency/service during off-peak times. In particular, it would be great to have a viable alternative to the CTA Blue Line to get between O'Hare and downtown. And maybe (dreaming I know) an orbital line linking some of the outer spoke stations.
Between the Canadian National Railway and the other five major railroads in the USA and Chicago the chance to use the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern, and the Indiana Harbor Belt as a pathway for Metra, the chance to use them as a commuter railroad has long since passed in the early 1990's.
Would have been a good idea, but Metra's president was more interested in scamming everyone for vacation time pay.
Incidentally said president jumped in front of a Metra train to go kill himself.
I know them from a few years ago, absolutely fine ride as passenger.
Glad to see another state using Stadler trains. And that it's battery powered opens so many opportunities for other cities/states to use these without having to spend more money using catenary.
Finally rail technology in the US that is from THIS century
Looking forward to try them out! ❤
For everyone talking about why doesn't METRA just string up catenary:
They don't own the lines that these will run on.
They lease them from the Class 1 railroads and those don't want overhead wires so it's not up to METRA.
Yeah... Nationalize the railroads.
@@donnyyario1726
We tried to do that, twice.
World War One, and again in the 1970's.
Please go read the last chapters of the book "The Wreck of the Penn Central"
There is a terrible reason even BR and JR went private, even in countries that were almost custom made for a railroad network.
@@donnyyario1726 The problem aren't the owners themselves. The freight car companies would love to electrify their tracks. But there are Problems:
a. The distances are huge - and not everywhere in the west of the USA you have a power plant for train power nearby. Which means they would not only have to electrify their freight lines but also have to build the power plants and power lanes to get the electricity to the tracks. And we talk here about thousand of miles of wires!
b. If they would electrify the tracks by the standards modern electric locos have - they couldn't run double decker container cars anymore. The distance between the electric wire and the top of the train need to be around 80cm to 1m (2,5-3feet). Otherwise electric current from the wire can spontanously spread to the cars, make a short circuit. But that would mean either more trains or longer trains needed for transporting the goods the freight operators handle each day, or having more trains on the tracks which would mean more train operators to pay.
c. that means you would have to rebuild parts of the track system - so that on one track areas the trains can pass, because when you either have longer trains or more trains, the number of shunt tracks that exist now and their frequency is too low.
That's why the freight companies haven't electrified their networks yet, and that although one electric loco can have more horse power than 3 EMD diesel locos.
@@pauljensen5699 JR didn't had problems going private with their rails, but that's because the JR companies run nearly exclusively their trains on their tracks, no private companies involved, and the same goes for the other companies, only the Tokyo Metro, Toei Subway and Osaka Subway also have private companies or JR trains on their tracks.
And yes, privatization of the tracks is NOT a good idea most of the time. Especially not when you have rivalling companies having to use the same tracks.
donnyyario1726 No. See Argentina for what happens when the state runs everything.
¡VIVA LA LIBERTAD, CARAJO!
fantastic stuff!
I’m excited to see these in action when they arrive. These would be great to use on the North Central Service line, specifically between Union Station and the O’hare transfer station. It would be much faster and more convenient than riding the blue line especially if Metra increases the frequency of the trains.
It's Metra. They won't. It'll just be a way to run something cheaper and decrease capacity on the sly.
We have KISS and FLIRT trains here in hungary, they are one of the best we have
Congratulations Stadler!
so cool to see that these high quality trains are going intercontinential
Stadler FLIRTS have been in texas for a minute now
Can't wait for my CalTrain cars to make the switch, while it's not a rechargable one like this, they've built overhead lines from San Francisco to San Jose, I've been on the KISS trains and they're very clean looking inside and useful. I just hope that the population of the area keeps them looking so clean and high tech that they currently look.
Kind of reminds me of Camden River Line trainset in NJ, But being FRA compliant these ones for Chicago can run on any line.
Makes sense! The River Line uses Stadler GTW, essentially the predecessor to the FLIRT.
If that’s the future of trains, Germany is already beyond
Hope Stadler Rail can come to Australia soon.
Please bring them to Miami
Umm Metra, you know standard electric trains exist with simpler infrastructure
It'll likely be the start of further electrification if it goes well.
They don't own the lines these will run on
Metra does. On the South side.
And "simpler infrastructure"? Have you ever seen seen all the infrastructure involved in electrification?
Lmao it is funny how this is big leap in the US but every day life in the EU
But come on, that is so american to not do proper electrification (obviously nothing to do with Stadler) 😅
Europe doesn't have high and wide railroad freight cars like the United States.
Ever heard of Westinghouse?
@@pauljensen5699 because Europe's freight trains don't need to drive from 1 side of the continent to the other?
European cargo trains are mostly between 650 and 800m longer so they can fit in between the passenger train services. So we instead transport with a lot of different freight trains, and India even has catenaries high enough to drive doublestacked container trains with an electric locomotive
evo3s75
"because Europe's freight trains don't need to drive from 1 side of the continent to the other?"
Actually that is a severe and studied economic limitation in Europe. There is enough continental and intercontinental (Asia) shipping to justify much more long distance, cross border freight rail utilization. And for those worried about climate change, a bigger impact than passenger transport. Shippers largely blame bureaucracy, labor regulation, and lack of integration between state rail companies. There are good articles if you do the digging.
Hell yeah!
Also die RB 82 war sehr lange eine Strecke die mit einen Cordia LINT gefahren wurde.
Jetzt vor kurzen sind sie endlich auf den elektrischen Akku Zug, von Stadler, umgestiegen.
Geiles Ding echt.
Good looking vehicles! Are they also able to run via canternary or third rail, or are they just battery?
I feel like Stadler is getting a foothold, and slowly, US agencies are buying these state of the art trains. I wish the MBTA would buy these trains, although the floor height would have to be custom built to be compatible with the 48 inch platforms, and optionally have flip out or retractable steps to be usable at stations with 8 inch high platforms as well. Stadler should build a version of this train for use in the northeast, which can be used on the MBTA, MNRR, LIRR, NJT, SEPTA, etc.
That’s if Chicago even has a future.
Oh wait the names actually mean something? I thought Stadler was just trying to tell someone’s life story in train names.
yes, they mean sth, no matter if you look at the FLIRT, or KISS etc
yes, "Fast light innovative regional train" = FLIRT.
Yeah
KISS: Komfortabler Innovativer Spurtstarker S-Bahn-Zug (comfortable, innovative, sprint-capable suburban train)
WINK: Wandelbarer Innovativer Nahverkehrs-Kurzzug ( convertible, innovative short train for local transport)
TINA: Total Integrierter Niederflur-Antrieb (Totally Integrated Low-Floor Drive)
SMILE: Schneller Mehrsystemfähiger Innovativer Leichter Expresszug (speedy multi-system innovative lightweight express train)
The FLIRT name is also German but just happens to have an English translation that also fits the acronym
FLIRTS IN CHIGAGO? FUCK YEAH!
CLEARLY aimed at the USA, becasue we just can't get into gear about electrification here, so instead we will purchase heavier trains w/ battery cars that are more limited.
Edit: oh yea no sh*t, I didn't see the Metra livery, so the idea is Metra can run this on electric mode the NEC Penn line and battery mode on ther other two? Cool but seems silly since there's no half electric / half diesel Metra lines, but whatevs.
Cool cirmcuvention to using non-electric overhead rails whilst being an electric train, but will see that charging time/range...
Chicago will literally do anything other than install catenary wires. Surprised they aren’t trying to keep the old diesel engines alive anymore.
Now do NJ transit and MBTA pls, the trains look ancient
Funny to see something introduced to america as completely new and innovative that has already been around in europe for decades
it is funny how the usa is goin down since they dont have those german scientists anymore. since then everything that is considered normal in the rest of the world is something new for them...
Nobody wanted it in the US. Never was needed. What this is, is a fast and cheap way to say "we are expanding light rail" without really expanding light rail.
guess what: same with American pickup trucks which are introduced in Europe now ... lol
why no overhead lines?
Yes!! My favorite European/US car builder is making Metra trains! (and we're getting them on MARTA in a Metro/MRT type in about a year or so)
Can these also run on overhead catenary when built?
FLIRT Akku is your answer
How is the luggage storage "effortless"? Dont you still have to lift it?
Good train fr
aren't they a little small? just 112 seats per train is much less than the double deck trains of metra
I agree. That'll only fit two Americans if you're lucky!
The scharfenberg couplers on the front and back of the Stadler's probably means its not limited to 4 car trains at most. So they may continue coupling stadler trainsets to each other as they see fit!
They can couple two sets together and I'm sure there may be a KISS set as an option in a few years. TBF the ridership may not support it though, but they should order some anyway.
@@starrwulfe From what I read in en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Island_District (original source lost) "Metra has expressed a desire to electrify and modernize the line if funding became available". Seems like they don't have the means to electrify so they get battery units as the second best option.
I wonder the same thing. I've seen Videos of Metra and they seem to operate trains with at least 5-6 double deck carriages. Maybe there are lines with less demand where they will operate?
If they can charge on overheads, then why not just electrify the line? Will be expensive but you can still run on battery if overheads break.
No point dragging a heavy battery around all the time in case the catenary breaks. Plus, if it does break, the line will have to close until it’s repaired anyway.
Freight carriers own the line and don't want catenary
@@blue9multimediagroup then just buy out the tracks, I find it ridiculous that a commuter network in the USA’s third largest city relies on the mercy of profit seeking freight railroads
@@CreatorPolarYou don't have the money for that.
@@pauljensen5699 well no shit because I’m just a random dude and not a transit agency
Railroads will do literally anything but put up wires 😭😭😭
funny since Chicago already has wires up for one line
@@LinnyUwU Wich as two branches aswell
Except that the lines these will operate on, are owned by freight lines that don't want overhead wires.
@@blue9multimediagroup The sign says LaSalle, which means it's on the Rock Island district, which is 100% owned by Metra
yankeeclipperyt The Surface Transportation Board would object to Metra impeding freight on that line.
I love how Stadler is changing the quality of American railways even though the Metra livery looks mid
I can't blame Stadler for American stupidity, but these trains are too small, too light for American use.
Probably too delicate too.
I was half expecting Stadler pushing the KISS (the ones Caltrain are getting) for the electrified lines in Chicago.
I doubt those are as easy to run on batteries, seeing as they're probably heavier than the FLIRTs
The Highliners are still pretty new, only about 10-20 years old
@@MemeReviewer *Highliner 2s, The OG Highliners are Retired
@@maas1208 Yeahh that’s what I mean, I just call em highliners cause adding the two in there is unnecessary imo
funny how FLIRTs got even so far as to Minsk a whole decade before being introduced to America😬
Would love to see some 10 car stadler FLIRTS with the diesel power packs. It'll be a great stopgap till they put some catenary up
The FLIRT is amazing, having to ride quite a few times. But I wonder why the livery for the train must have the red and white stripes on the front?
It takes away the attractiveness of the design and kinda set it as "THIS IS A DANGEROUS THING GET AWAY!!!", which to be fair it is, but still, no other country uses that unless perhaps a freight train. That would make more sense.
They really hate passenger trains in the US and overhead lines too
This ain’t even enough carriages. ADD MORE
What precisely is the plan for these?
To buy them and to use them
Metra (Chicago) Rock Island line, for use in off-peak hours.
And if Chicago would now even electricy their METRA network, they could even buy electrified FLIRTs, that are the work horses in Europe since 15 years already in the regional and local train services, with speeds up to 160 kph.
Y'all could've asked me to design that train 😬
Ah the flirt 3 is now in the US
Hooray for batteries! Hmm…is it really that clean?
It's clean in the sense it doesn't have emissions. The electricity has to still be sourced from renewable sources, and these trains has to run for a couple of years for the emissions contributed by the production of the battery to offset.
But is it better than the old diesel engines they got? Absolutely
@@nyxwWhere are the "renewable sources"?
Hate to break it to ya kiddo, it's going to be powered by Wyoming coal.
That big wind turbine farm in Indiana off I-65 has already been claimed by Subaru.
@@pauljensen5699ok and? Thats still often more efficient that diesel engines
@@Gfynbcyiokbg8710 Tell me how you are going to charge the batteries.
Outside of uranium, only natural gas beats diesel fuel. And neither, as a locomotive engineer, would I feel all to good about using inside a locomotive.
Yes, Big Nasty Stinky Fart did try natural gas.
Tried.
Wait they gonna bin the F40’s!?!?!?
swiss trains !
Where is this going to use? I think that building for overhead eletricity is just plainly better, but as long a the US is unwilling to invest in that, this might be a good intermediary solution.
Two words: Freight Railroads
Ok but which lines? Cuz the Metra Electric District already has overhead lines. The south shore line? It has trains similar to these. Whats the plan man?
The diesel run lines. Rock Island will get these first.
@@blue9multimediagroup these kinds of trains are great for frequent grade separated services. Rock Island is very much not grade separated.
@@Pallethands They don‘t require grade-separation to run well. Just protect your rights of way properly, so that less people run the gauntlet
@@bahnspotterEUYou don't live in Chicago.
Grade crossings are a sad fact of life.
@@Pallethands Nevertheless, that's the plan - Rock Island line, off-peak hours.
Stadler KISS mini
0:42 Every single man or boy watching this video is thinking the same exact thing.
I love me a FLIRT. I hope that the people in Chicago enjoy them.
They will not, too many problems with them.
There is a reason the older Metra equipment was so large and bulky.
The people of Chicago will destroy it in short order.
@@starventure This Metra not the CTA
Tri Rail and Sun Rail both in Florida should use stadler flirt 4 car trains ,better for the passengers and environment
Hope that 80ies livery isn't the final...
at least the overall shape of the train doesn't come from a bad science fiction movie from the 1960's
US finally getting advanced EU trains, interested to see how the rail infrastructure there will advance
i wish montreal would get these for the exo train lines but exo recently bought some (probably) crappy trains from china so sadly that most likely wont happen :(
Please lobby Met Council to buy these for the Northstar lmao
Why not more than panto-charger , like bruh , i mean i guess for like gen 1 but there really needs to be full electric with high reach pantos on batch 2
Metra doesn't own the tracks, so no overhead wires. This is the best solution for eventually electrifying the whole system.
BRO its nearly the same as the trains in Germany
Them wires will be stringed soon
Let's hope, but I doubt it
Not on the diesel lines.
METRA doesn't own them.
Finally! Someone has ordered the best tech in the business! BEMU's!
Tiny Flirt 3
Holy shit this metra design is extremely ugly, just like this waterfront highway in the beginning of the video :o But the trains are amazing
The NWB, part of Transdev in northern Germany acquired new Stadler Trains last year. I've seen them being tested here, I've been on one that had its very first passenger service on that day. I've seen the very first fails like doors failing or get this, the computer refusing to start! They're a lot better than the Alstom Coradia Continental that were in use on my daily commute, being much more modern, comfortable and spacious. but nothing yet has beaten the Coradia LINT 41. The LINT feels a lot more open with its high ceiling and big windows. Sure, it's a Diesel and maybe on the more noisy side of things but i always wonder why they don't build more LINT style electric trains..
These trains have been operating in southern germany for years without problems.
Well, the LINT 41 might be a proven trainset - but it's a diesel trainset. and yes, the first Flirts had much problems, software problems, hardware problems - but that's seemingly with every train at the beginning.
@breaklux3823: He is talking about this FLIRT Akku version. FLIRT 3 is also running in north Germany without problems now, but the AKKU trains still are in their practise test phase.
Normal trains in austria
Wer hat's erfunden? 🇨🇭
metra got over the criteria for new locomotives
- emd
Tragic 😂
Just because people are in charge of something *(Metra for instance)* that doesn't exactly mean they make good decisions, or know how to maintain something that's existing, operating well, and is expanding. . .
Somehow, everyone forgets this lesson right after telling it about other things
It's like having a cloth pulled over their eyes, and they just go along with shit while believing everything people do is good. . . Lol
@@mamarussellthepie3995 battery electric locomotives still suck, but the new stadler trains in the us are beginning to be a good thing because metra gallery cars and locomotives are beginning to reach the end of their service life and for the. f40s they are 20 years past their service life
Metra had a good business minded board at one time with railroad experience. That's where the extreme fleet standardization came from and contentness with slow change.
Like everything else in Illinois, it has devolved to political cronies and activists who need each other (and their broader voting constituency) for their own agendas.
@MilwaukeeF40C yeah pretty much
Rip logical railroading lol xd
@griffinstrains So what? It's all just metal and welds. . .
There is not actually anything concrete stopping them from putting in the effort to use and refab existing equipment other than political pressure from internet rabbitholes and such to replace functioning equipment. . . Lol
F40s are getting old? They literally just got a big fleet of upgraded F59PHIs and refabed SD70s!
If that's not enough, literally just throw a new PM in there. xD
Traction motors are getting old? Just get new ones! XD
Old Gallery cars need new metal in places or new air lines or etc? Just refab shit. . . Lol.
The only guys really winning are the ones making $ off selling overpriced micro trainsets to metra! 🤣
The lack of creativity in people that just shows in pushes like this time after time is just so horribly cringe and moronic that it makes no actual sense. . . Lol
new train lore
Stop playing around and just electrify already.
They don't own the lines
Too dangerous.
Too broke.
4 cars? Have they ever seen a Metra Rush Hour commuter train? Aren’t they like 8-10 cars long? Wtf?
They're starting with off-peak service. Lots of those runs don't need the capacity they're currently hauling around.
the FLIRT isn't designed for high capacity service at all; That would be the KISS from Stadler, a double decker train
@@C20F why?
I wonder if they can add overhead wires in the future so you don't need to lug a heavy battery.
Good luck digging out the right of way, on an active railroad line.
...and in many cases, because of overhead structures, can't be done.
@@pauljensen5699alot of the rest of the world manages to do it
@@Gfynbcyiokbg8710 First of all, the rest of the world isn't the United States.
Two, the United States uses railroad cars (freight and passenger) that are far higher than the rest of the world.
Three, how big is the USA. Most countries are far smaller than the US.
@@pauljensen5699 we are talking about a commuter rail system, not the entire US.
Also India has an even larger loading guage on some freight lines than the largest in the US and still manages to have overhead electrification.
Yeah the rest of the world isn't the US, because the rest of the world is much poorer but still manages to have much nicer infrastructure
So stop making excuses
@@Gfynbcyiokbg8710 India is a Piss Poor Shitty Country tho
For christ sake... just electrify the lines already
Two words: Freight Railroads
Isn't it more efficient to electrify the railroad. I mean, a contact rail or a wire wouldn't be that expensive and train wouldn't have to stop to charge. I do not even talk about ecology and the problem of battery recycling wich isn't solved yet.
take a look what electrification costs...
First time some 916 gets fried by playing with the overheads, the lines get taken down and you will have some libiot judge screaming at the transit authority about their negligence.
@@peaveyst7 , still cheaper than changing the batteries on all the trains every 15 years + I bet the time to charge the train will at least be around half an hour, which will make the train spend like 2 hours on the charging station every day. Well yeah, I'm pretty sure that electrification would worth it. And aren't the batteries harder to service than simple electrified train? I mean the service cost will also be higher. I may be wrong, but the system looks a bit too complex to be better than a simple electric train on an electrified track
@@starventure, never ran into a single problem with an electric train without a battery. There can be problems with the operator, not with the train. If the unbatteriesed train cannot drive due to any issues, the batterised will not drive too. As I know the climate in Michigan is quite moderate and the train operator is not deutsche bahn, so I'm pretty sure, there would be no problems with an unbatterised train.
@@Dungeonmaster1337 That is not what I was referring to. Please reread the comment.
Oh god no not the battery locos. I thought they were going all in on over head electrification. But better than DMUs I guess.
Finally america gets an European upgrade!
Cute but still doesn't address the fact that Metra is useless for getting anywhere that isn't the loop or whatever stops are along the way. Circle lines are decades overdue.
...and the chance for the circle line was lost in the early 1990's.
I don't know why you would abuse yourself to relying on Metra to get from suburb to suburb. No circlejerkline will ever match the nominal 1 hour drive you can usually do within 6+ counties of the metropolitan core outside of rush hour. Easily 12 counties from a strategic home base.
@@MilwaukeeF40C I don't know why you would abuse yourself sitting in Chicagoland traffic
Just. Electrify. Your. Lines. Battery powered or hydrogen trains are hopefully not the future. We have already solved how to efficiently power our trains, and that ain't it.
You know most lines that Metra operates are owned the private freight railroad companies, and they are likely not going to electrify their lines
@@markdebruyn1212even private freight railroad companies can understand the benefits of electrifying their network
@@EnjoyFirefightingif they did, they would've done it by now.
They understand, their just cheapskates. They would rater swim in a pile of money than invest in themselves.
Interesting most countries have electric freight trains. North America is the exception.
@@blue9multimediagroup
@blue9multimediagroup some companies abroad did so ... LKAB invested and electrified its network more than a century ago. Despite being in the arctic, rural and partly mountainous area they built a power station and electrified their line. With electric locomotives, they were able to pull longer and heavier trains, resulting in more money per train ... in the long run it definitely payed out for them
Lol America still hasn't discovered electrification