Honestly for a "tram" this is pretty impressive. Good capacity and decent speeds. But it also came at a hefty cost. Wonder why not just build some kind of elevated light metro at this point.
Yup exactly. American cities are obsessed with light rail for its flexibility but they don’t realize that just for a little bit more they can get something truly transformative
Is this a tram or light-rail? Those are not the same thing, especially in the USA. Are these high floor or low floor? Low floors are trams, and high floors are light-rail. Also, light-rails run on dedicated ROWs.
PLEASE extend this all the way around to make a "rail beltway!" At the very least, add a Bethesda - Tysons segment to relieve the crazy cross-jurisdictional congestion between MD & VA. Shouldn't be that hard for MARC and VRE to partner up.
That could be in the future and I would love to see it but Maryland taxpayers aren't exactly clamoring for an extension project right now. Just getting it done ASAP is the goal.
I think because this project is not a part of wamata and is instead fully mdot, they don’t have the jurisdiction to go into Virginia unless some big acquisition by wamata or maybe a separate partnership between mdot and vdot happens, which I honestly can’t imagine that will get through all the bureaucracy
@@CoachHoffmanOL I'm not really familiar with NOVA but part of the reason for the purple line was to connect the three metro lines that cross into MD (including the forked red line that would require you to go through DC just to end up somewhere a few miles away from where you started) and the MARC commuter rail system. Purple line fills a big gap obvious in how Marylanders use the metro. I'm not sure if that's the case for NOVA (do you guys ever think "damn I wish I could take a train from the Blue end to the Orange without going through DC"
@@CrimeMinister1tyson’s is silver tho, and i’d find a purple line connection pretty useful for meeting up with my friends in nova. bethesda to tyson’s would effectively mimic 495
Need more of these lines around the DC area and within DC to support Metrorail. Philly is a good example of great light rail supporting heavy rail. Everyone wants more heavy rail around DC but the advantage of light rail is having the agility to go more places without taking up excessive space or making too much noise. It is also cheaper and faster to build.
True, but light rail tends to have capacity problems and it will be unreliable due to it having street running segments. With the demand this line is likely to have unless they’re good with the frequency it’s bound to be overwhelmed sooner rather than later.
so first of all metro has nothing to do with this this is mdot mta second the LRVS hold twice as many people as a 2 car metro trainset and about half as many as a full 8 car consist
@@TheRailwayDroneMight I correct you on the fact that the capacity of three 7000 series train cars is around 400. Put the illusion of standing room gives it more capacity.
@@maiki5962 If metro replaces all of the transverse seating on the 7000s with longitudinal the capacity will be even higher (though not sure how popular that will be with riders, I think the upcoming 8000 series will have fewer seats) So currently a full 8 car trainset can carry ~1440 passengers since each car carries ~180 passengers The news reporter probably did a quick Wikipedia search without looking too carefully since the Wikipedia article the capacity of a single car rather than a full 6 or 8 car train If WMATA made all the seats longitudinal they could probably cram 250+ passengers per car (though this would be crush load) leading to a total capacity of 2000 people on an 8 car trainset This LRV is roughly the same length as 2 metro cars but has a much more constrained interior meaning less space, so the rolling stock manufacturer probably used the crush load capacity while WMATA uses a different metric. Also this LRV appears to the 70% low floor so there's transverse seating only by the cabs, transverse seating on the intermediate segments so the segments by the doors will get pretty crowded. At least they're smart enough to make that area standing only.
All electric rail projects are wanted and needed in the world. It's crap BRT projects that need to be scrubbed since the ride and comfort and efficiencies will never EVER be able to match those of steel on steel transit... Kudos, Maryland! Keep it coming! I want to see that Baltimore Metro map from yore built out already... It's been too long!
CAF has some truly amazing trams and while I'm sure mechanically its very modern, the interior is honestly less sophisticated looking than Torontos Flexity streetcars which were first built in 2009. The lighting, screens seat materials and design, even the random mechanical cabinets all over the place and window layout and design on these Purple line trains just doesn't feel as clean and well thought out. And Dot matrix LED screens instead of LCDs? Pain.
Yeah the digital display in the video is straight out of 1995, embarrassing really. I agree MUNI is the only system in the US which actually looks contemporary with its modern displays and interior - Siemens is easily the best option for light rail, I’m not sure why the Purple Line opted for CAF.
@@ScoobyDooIsDead Yea in north america Siemens is probably the best option since Bombardier went under. CAF has some really lovely European models I'm not sure why they couldn't bring something nice over. At least its not Alstom though so it shouldn't have mechanical problems. Alstoms Citadis trains are also awful inside. They remind me of early 2000s Orion bus interiors lol
People tend to forget that this is a Maryland MDOT MTA project. The chances of this extending in the future, let alone into VA are slim to none. Not even the Baltimore's light rail and subway extensions are talked about anymore.
One form of transit doesn’t fit all needs - for example regional rail in a lot of cases is far more useful than Metro but providing quicker and higher capacity routes. On the other hand buses or trams can be more effective at serving shorter trips.
Metro as well tram solutions are important. And they should be interconnected witch each other and with other modes of transportation, like buses, personal cars, bicycles. Each mode is good for something else. Metro can transfer a lot of people, but is very expensive. Tram can stop more often, and it is cheaper to maintain.
I know it has been stated, but METRO did not unveil the Purple Line rail cars. One day, hopefully people will realize this is not a Metro project or Metro operated rail line....then again, maybe people will become more confused after it opens. Technically, the Purple Line should not show up on the DC Metro System Map, but for the convenience of tourists and others, it would be great to show the Purple Line connections with Metro. I'm sure the Purple Line system map will most likely show the Metro station connections. That being said, I think it would be great to have a true, effective, coordinated regional transportation administration.
It sounds good. But, I am concerned about the crime wave from Prince George's County spills-over into Montgomery County. Transportation wise, yes, it makes sense. But, how to balance the ease of transportation and crime prevention is a tricky act.
For such a new vehicle I gotta say the design is rather dated and bleh. Like sure its clean its bright whatever but why are we still using Dot matrix LED screens in 2024. Even by north American standards the interior design is less modern and sophisticated than some Canadian LRVs like the Calgary C train, Toronto streetcar and other Flexity family vehicles. Why is there just a random utility box in the seating area blocking 2 seats? Why are the windows in such an odd style and layout? I'm glad that more people are going to be getting on transit and more transit is always a good thing but we really need to rethink our very utilitarian approach to transit vehicles. If you want to pull people out of their cars a nice train goes a long way in making a good first impression.
It's great that they are expanding their transit network, but this train looks to be from 20 years ago. Those electronic information signs are terrible. Not even a sign, more like a strip. Hopefully, they can retrofit them with LCD screens. In this case, vintage is not a good thing.
Honestly for a "tram" this is pretty impressive. Good capacity and decent speeds. But it also came at a hefty cost. Wonder why not just build some kind of elevated light metro at this point.
Yup exactly. American cities are obsessed with light rail for its flexibility but they don’t realize that just for a little bit more they can get something truly transformative
Yeah I agree. Having a REM-like system in Montreal would’ve been much better 😭
Is this a tram or light-rail? Those are not the same thing, especially in the USA. Are these high floor or low floor? Low floors are trams, and high floors are light-rail. Also, light-rails run on dedicated ROWs.
@@mrxman581 low floors can be light rail too.
@@mrxman581 also this is light rail as they have dedicated right of way and almost no street running
I can't wait to go to ride a Purple Line Train
same
PLEASE extend this all the way around to make a "rail beltway!" At the very least, add a Bethesda - Tysons segment to relieve the crazy cross-jurisdictional congestion between MD & VA. Shouldn't be that hard for MARC and VRE to partner up.
That could be in the future and I would love to see it but Maryland taxpayers aren't exactly clamoring for an extension project right now. Just getting it done ASAP is the goal.
I think because this project is not a part of wamata and is instead fully mdot, they don’t have the jurisdiction to go into Virginia unless some big acquisition by wamata or maybe a separate partnership between mdot and vdot happens, which I honestly can’t imagine that will get through all the bureaucracy
quite a river to cross to make that happen
@@CoachHoffmanOL I'm not really familiar with NOVA but part of the reason for the purple line was to connect the three metro lines that cross into MD (including the forked red line that would require you to go through DC just to end up somewhere a few miles away from where you started) and the MARC commuter rail system.
Purple line fills a big gap obvious in how Marylanders use the metro. I'm not sure if that's the case for NOVA (do you guys ever think "damn I wish I could take a train from the Blue end to the Orange without going through DC"
@@CrimeMinister1tyson’s is silver tho, and i’d find a purple line connection pretty useful for meeting up with my friends in nova. bethesda to tyson’s would effectively mimic 495
Love public transport. USA struggle to innovate rail infrastructure. Wish USA 🇺🇸 had fast trains nationwide like Japan and Europe.
not only Europe and Japan, there are other countries too, like Morocco in North Africa, like Saudi Arabia, Egypt soon too in a few years
Need more of these lines around the DC area and within DC to support Metrorail. Philly is a good example of great light rail supporting heavy rail. Everyone wants more heavy rail around DC but the advantage of light rail is having the agility to go more places without taking up excessive space or making too much noise. It is also cheaper and faster to build.
True, but light rail tends to have capacity problems and it will be unreliable due to it having street running segments.
With the demand this line is likely to have unless they’re good with the frequency it’s bound to be overwhelmed sooner rather than later.
San Francisco and Toronto have a system like this.
"faster to build" purple line is 4 years behind schedule
so first of all metro has nothing to do with this this is mdot mta second the LRVS hold twice as many people as a 2 car metro trainset and about half as many as a full 8 car consist
Glad you pointed that out. It seemed ridiculous to suggest an LRV can hold more people than an 8-car metro train (even a 6-car version).
@@TheRailwayDroneMight I correct you on the fact that the capacity of three 7000 series train cars is around 400. Put the illusion of standing room gives it more capacity.
if need be, the LRVs can be connected to form a single longer train
That’s what I said. There’s literally no way in hell light rail holds more passengers than heavy rail.
@@maiki5962 If metro replaces all of the transverse seating on the 7000s with longitudinal the capacity will be even higher (though not sure how popular that will be with riders, I think the upcoming 8000 series will have fewer seats)
So currently a full 8 car trainset can carry ~1440 passengers since each car carries ~180 passengers
The news reporter probably did a quick Wikipedia search without looking too carefully since the Wikipedia article the capacity of a single car rather than a full 6 or 8 car train
If WMATA made all the seats longitudinal they could probably cram 250+ passengers per car (though this would be crush load) leading to a total capacity of 2000 people on an 8 car trainset
This LRV is roughly the same length as 2 metro cars but has a much more constrained interior meaning less space, so the rolling stock manufacturer probably used the crush load capacity while WMATA uses a different metric. Also this LRV appears to the 70% low floor so there's transverse seating only by the cabs, transverse seating on the intermediate segments so the segments by the doors will get pretty crowded. At least they're smart enough to make that area standing only.
All electric rail projects are wanted and needed in the world. It's crap BRT projects that need to be scrubbed since the ride and comfort and efficiencies will never EVER be able to match those of steel on steel transit... Kudos, Maryland! Keep it coming! I want to see that Baltimore Metro map from yore built out already... It's been too long!
why do light rail trains in the us (save for muni) always look so outdated? Spending billions on light rail but cheaping out on design just feels odd
Kinda felt the same. I was underwhelmed by the train’s design
CAF has some truly amazing trams and while I'm sure mechanically its very modern, the interior is honestly less sophisticated looking than Torontos Flexity streetcars which were first built in 2009. The lighting, screens seat materials and design, even the random mechanical cabinets all over the place and window layout and design on these Purple line trains just doesn't feel as clean and well thought out. And Dot matrix LED screens instead of LCDs? Pain.
Yeah the digital display in the video is straight out of 1995, embarrassing really.
I agree MUNI is the only system in the US which actually looks contemporary with its modern displays and interior - Siemens is easily the best option for light rail, I’m not sure why the Purple Line opted for CAF.
@@ScoobyDooIsDead Yea in north america Siemens is probably the best option since Bombardier went under. CAF has some really lovely European models I'm not sure why they couldn't bring something nice over. At least its not Alstom though so it shouldn't have mechanical problems. Alstoms Citadis trains are also awful inside. They remind me of early 2000s Orion bus interiors lol
It’s just a different style, they’re not really outdated
This train is essentially just the Houston METRORAIL H3 train but in a different font
People tend to forget that this is a Maryland MDOT MTA project. The chances of this extending in the future, let alone into VA are slim to none. Not even the Baltimore's light rail and subway extensions are talked about anymore.
¡Excelente!
Great. I would have loved to see more of the reporter!!!
Was it really unveiled by Metro, or was it by MDOT?
MDOT. Metro does not operate the Purple Line.
It is great, but building light rail shouldn't take focus away from the actual metro system's expansion
One form of transit doesn’t fit all needs - for example regional rail in a lot of cases is far more useful than Metro but providing quicker and higher capacity routes. On the other hand buses or trams can be more effective at serving shorter trips.
Metro as well tram solutions are important. And they should be interconnected witch each other and with other modes of transportation, like buses, personal cars, bicycles.
Each mode is good for something else.
Metro can transfer a lot of people, but is very expensive. Tram can stop more often, and it is cheaper to maintain.
Brilliant and good
I know it has been stated, but METRO did not unveil the Purple Line rail cars. One day, hopefully people will realize this is not a Metro project or Metro operated rail line....then again, maybe people will become more confused after it opens. Technically, the Purple Line should not show up on the DC Metro System Map, but for the convenience of tourists and others, it would be great to show the Purple Line connections with Metro. I'm sure the Purple Line system map will most likely show the Metro station connections. That being said, I think it would be great to have a true, effective, coordinated regional transportation administration.
Can it make express stops or is it a two track local only service running at street level?
two track, local only
It sounds good. But, I am concerned about the crime wave from Prince George's County spills-over into Montgomery County. Transportation wise, yes, it makes sense. But, how to balance the ease of transportation and crime prevention is a tricky act.
CAF also built the 5000 series
Kinda looks like the Houston metro rail but different colors
It’s not Metro
At what point does a light rail system become heavy rail?
stopping distance is one of the key distinguishing factors
Now build one in Nashville plz 🙏🏻
Wow Beautiful But Is Longest Light Rail Vehicles Purple Lines In Maryland Transit Administration
Nice big train
When you wrote the headline, you misspelled "future." In this case it is spelled "past."
The future of transportation twenty years ago.
For such a new vehicle I gotta say the design is rather dated and bleh. Like sure its clean its bright whatever but why are we still using Dot matrix LED screens in 2024. Even by north American standards the interior design is less modern and sophisticated than some Canadian LRVs like the Calgary C train, Toronto streetcar and other Flexity family vehicles. Why is there just a random utility box in the seating area blocking 2 seats? Why are the windows in such an odd style and layout? I'm glad that more people are going to be getting on transit and more transit is always a good thing but we really need to rethink our very utilitarian approach to transit vehicles. If you want to pull people out of their cars a nice train goes a long way in making a good first impression.
She has horchata cannons
bro....I was looking at comments to see if anyone else noticed...I am not disappointed.
Insert Prince meme here
_MMMMMMmmmmmmmhhhh!!!!_
@@afrophoenix3111 I love that UA-cam adds "Translate to English" to your reply.
@@ianweniger6620 Well, it said _MMMMMMmmmmmmmhhhh!!!!_ but I didn't know that was really saying MMMMMMMMMMMMHHHH!!!!
@@InternetKilledTV21 oh for the purple vanity, I hope someone brings paisley fabric before opening so we can go crazy. Anyways.
It's great that they are expanding their transit network, but this train looks to be from 20 years ago. Those electronic information signs are terrible. Not even a sign, more like a strip. Hopefully, they can retrofit them with LCD screens. In this case, vintage is not a good thing.
Wait what state is this in?
Maryland, near D.C.
thx
2027?!
This is ridiculous. They show a tram with an at least decade old outdated design and call it the future.
The USA never learns good transit i guess.
the train could use better exterior design. it's ugly
It's not
@@TheMaxik so sorry. tell me you are an american without telling me you're an american.
@@aestheticmetro4042 I am not from USA
@@aestheticmetro4042Certainly looks better than whatever Ottawa is doing.
I thought it was about getting from point a to point b not what color is here and what color is there
Made in China