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State Approves Funding for East End 'Scoot' Trains.


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By Brendan J. O'Reilly | March 29, 2012

 

North Fork Patch (North Fork, Long Island, NY) - "East End commuters will be able to ride the rails to work starting in 2014, as a finalized state budget agreement includes $37.2 million for new light diesel trains on the Montauk and Greenport branches, according to Assemblyman Fred Thiele's office.

 

The "scoot" trains, known as "diesel multiple units," will allow the Long Island Rail Road to operate a frequent shuttle service on the Twin Forks at less cost than traditional heavy rail trains. The scoot train cars have a smaller capacity than the double-decker trains the LIRR now operates on the East End, but cars can be added on during times of increased passenger volume. The MTA proposed the idea in 2009, but funding was not provided for until now, Thiele's office states.

Thiele, I-Sag Harbor, reported in February that the MTA amended its five-year capital plan to include the scoot train funding, but it was not until this week that he could say the Legislature signed off on the amendment.

 

"President Helena Williams and MTA Board member Mitch Pally are to be commended for refocusing the plans of the LIRR to include the needs of the under-served East End," Thiele said. "With the approval of the shuttle trains and the partial repeal of the MTA payroll tax, we have taken steps to increase service while at the same time reducing the unfair financial burden of the payroll tax."

 

Thiele said the East End has clamored for increased mass transit service through an intergrated rail and bus shuttle. He pointed to the shuttle service the LIRR provided while County Road 39 was undergoing widening, and said it have proven than shuttle service is viable.

"Finally, this new service will mean jobs for the East End tourist and second home industry," he concluded. "Transportation alternatives that make it easier to get here and easier to move from hamlet to hamlet will foster the growth of our local economy." "

 

Source Link: http://northfork.pat...nd-scoot-trains

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interesting... I definitely see better North Fork service.

 

 

Yeah, same here, hopefully they increase service on the Greenport!

 

FINALLY IT IS ABOUT DAMN TIME!!!!!! they made Lirr service there usable. I will now say that hampton jitney is OFFCIALLY f**kED STARTING 2014 real service at last.

 

 

Whoaaa, easy there!

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Im not sure what difference it makes for east end service if its an RDC type car or its the standard LIRR diesel sets.

 

 

No, what I think is being said is that those are cheaper to run which means more service.

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No, what I think is being said is that those are cheaper to run which means more service.

 

 

theres other issues on the greenport branch which will hamper attempts at more service, for one thing its single tracked for most of it with very few areas with passing sidings if there is any. Secondly its manual block which means theres no signaling at all on that line east of Ronkonkoma. Thirdly the track condition isnt that good and ive heard that the line is limited to 40mph, I believe it, Ive been on the Greenport branch before, its slower than the other diesel lines.

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I hope the addition of this scoot service will help improve the railroad's service on Long Island, and its image, too.

 

I did some research into DMU options for the LIRR a few months ago, and there are a few other places in the US that are looking into or purchasing FRA-compliant DMUs.

 

SMART has loads of information on their web site on the topic of DMUs:

http://www2.sonomamarintrain.org/index.php/technical_information/

http://www2.sonomamarintrain.org/userfiles/file/Passenger%20Vehicle%20PPT%20v9%20092111.pdf

http://www2.sonomamarintrain.org/userfiles/file/SMART-14JAN09_Revised.pdf

 

The proposal they received from Bombardier might look familiar! In the end, they chose the Sumitomo / Nippon Sharyo design. I can't post a screenshot of the slide, but it's in the third link. ("You are not allowed to use that image extension on this community.")

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I rather us bring back the geeps or continue using the D 30's with double track. Let the RR keep its character as one with diesels doing there job in diesel territory. Just the thought of some weird looking fuddy duddy being built bound to spend most of its time in Hillside sounds like a bad idea and looks it with the Bomb specs. DMU's had their place and failed badly. You want to add more service ,bring back the reliable work horses.

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I hope the LIRR goes with the Bombardier design since its the only one with end doors, if they went with the other types you wouldnt be able to walk between the cars anymore.

 

 

I'm curious to know if there'd be any cost savings in going with the Bombardier option if it had any parts in common with the M7s. Perhaps the similarities would be cosmetic, or perpahs the non-propulsion systems would be identical. You'd at lease save on training and maintaining two sets of parts.

 

tasty knowledge ok so what makes em better than DMU scoot trains?

 

 

They're supposed to be less expensive to operate because you can use a much smaller engine to move a full, small DMU that a large, half-empty unpowered car pulled by a locomotive.

 

DMU[/b]_Fairmount.pdf"]

Available DMUs include single and bi-level versions that are available either as individual units

or married pairs1 (see Table 2.1). They are typically powered by two diesel engines with

maintenance requirements similar to bus engines. The available DMUs accelerate in the range of

0.8 to 2.4 mph per second (compared to approximately 0.5 mph per second for conventional

push-pull service) and operate at maximum speeds of 65 to 100 mph.

 

Although there are a number of potential benefits of DMUs depending on the operating

environment (air quality improvements, the ability to run shorter trainsets thereby better

matching capacity to demand) the acceleration characteristics of DMUs have the greatest

potential for improving service on the Fairmount Line. DMU acceleration is important on

commuter rail lines with a large number of stations and/or speed restrictions because trains spend

a significant amount of time accelerating in these environments. On the Fairmount Line, there

are currently five stations, and a commitment to add four more. The ability of DMUs to speed

travel on this corridor is somewhat constrained by the three speed restrictions currently

enforced—at the northern and southern ends of the line as the service enters active yard facilities,

and at the Columbia Road overpass due to bridge conditions.

 

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