Rolling Stock
Baltimore's Light Rail vehicles (LRVs) were built by ABB Traction, the U.S. division of Asea Brown Boveri. The initial set was delivered in 1991-1992 as the line was being built; a supplemental order of essentially identical cars was delivered in 1997 when the extensions came into service.
Baltimore LRVs are quite large—much larger than traditional streetcars and bigger even than those used on San Francisco's Muni Metro or Boston's Green Line. Articulated cars are 95 feet (29 m) long and 9.5 feet (2.9 m) wide, and can accommodate 85 seated and 91 standing passengers. These cars operate on standard (4 ft 8½ in or 1435 mm) gauge track. 1-, 2- and 3-car trains are all routinely seen in service. Trains are powered by an overhead pantograph and have a maximum speed of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h).
The MTA currently own 53 individual Light Rail cars. During typical weekday peak-time service, approximately 30 to 35 cars are required; a somewhat higher number of cars are put into service immediately after Orioles and Ravens games. For weekday service, as well as on days of Orioles games or events at the First Mariner Arena or Baltimore Convention Center, trains going from Hunt Valley to Cromwell and BWI Airport are generally run with two cars, while three-car trains are put into service for Ravens games and major downtown events. Usually the Penn Station-Camden Yards shuttle is operated with one-car trains. The MTA also owns a variety of maintenance of way equipment, which can use diesel power in emergencies.
Several industry spurs are accessible through light rail trackage only, so freight is shunted during off hours.
There are plans to perform a mid-life upgrade of the light rail vehicles, possibly incorporating wheel shrouds.
Read more about this topic: Baltimore Light Rail
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