Rail Modernization: It's Not Your Father's Vehicle

This article gives an overview of current technology in advanced rail cars and engines used in light rail successors to the old-fashioned streetcar and trolley. Most routes are on welded rail with signals run from a central dispatching center. Designs emphasize low floors, with about 70 percent of the interior floor surfaces only a few inches above the boarding level surface to simplify station design and speed loading and unloading of passengers. Another key change is the increasing integration of electrical and electronic components. Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) cars, popular in Europe, are now making inroads in the U.S., expanding beyond their core market of intercity rail. The article describes regulations that affect DMU deployment in the U.S. and transit operators where they are in use. The growing transit market in the U.S. has also brought more vendors and suppliers. High-speed rail and other infrastructure issues are also discussed, in addition to fare collection technologies and multi-modal transfers.