|
Posted by
Gold_12TH
on Fri Aug 12 02:04:41 2011
edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d  
One of the first two new commuter cars built at the Kawasaki plant in Lincoln leaves for the Metro-North Railroad in New York and Connecticut. (Courtesy photo: Kawasaki)
Kawasaki's rail car plant in Lincoln shipped the first two of what are expected to be 300 M8 commuter train cars to the Metro-North Railroad, serving travelers between Stamford, Conn., and Grand Central Terminal.
A Union Pacific train pulled the first two cars -- numbers 9138 and 9139 -- away from the Kawasaki plant northwest of Lincoln at 2:30 p.m. Thursday.
The first three dozen cars of the order, worth somethere around $1 billion, were built in Japan, and many already are in service. An additional order by Connecticut's Department of Transporation puts the total at 410, according to Metro-North.
The new cars have higher ceilings, improved passenger seating and armrest designs, and larger bathrooms that comply with Americans with Disabilities Act regulations.
They also come with sensing systems that detect distances from other trains and adjust accordingly, computer ports, 120-volt outlets to charge personal electronic devices, automated door control for safer walkthrough, diagnostic systems for maintenance and improved wheel adhesion to reduce slipping on leaf-covered tracks, said Mike Boyle, Kawasaki's plant manager and vice president in Lincoln.
The cars, powered by electricity, can run on any of three different voltages to match those that were used by the three railroads that became Metro-North.
That makes each car extraordinarily complex electrically, Boyle said.
Not cheap, either. Each one is worth about $3 million, so the cars coming from Lincoln will be worth about $900 million.
After a big celebration last week to open the Kawasaki train-car test track, there was no ceremony as the new cars departed.
They didn't break any bottles.
"There might be a few tonight," Boyle said.
The next shipment will be two cars at the end of August.
Source: http://journalstar.com/business/local/article_cec2a080-c6be-5789-b02b-b1fc08611d02.html#ixzz1Un9LFkkJ
|
