North America
Some commuter rail agencies in the United States routinely use cab cars in place of regular passenger coaches on trains. However, with commuter agencies such as Metra, these cars make the train less aerodynamic. The Chicago and North Western Railway had 42 control cabs built by Pullman-Standard in 1960, which eliminated the need for its trains or locomotives to be turned around. It was an outgrowth of multiple-unit operation that was already common on diesel locomotives of the time. The Agence métropolitaine de transport uses control cars on all it's trains except its electric multiple units which run as double ended semipermanently coupled three car rakes.
During the mid-1990s, as push-pull operations became more common in the United States, cab-cars came under criticism for providing less protection to engine crews during grade crossing accidents. This has been addressed by providing additional reinforcing in cab cars. This criticism became stronger after the 2005 Glendale train crash, in which a Metrolink train collided with a Jeep Grand Cherokee at a level crossing. The train was traveling with its cab car in the front, and the train jackknifed.
Read more about this topic: Control Car (rail)
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