Extra A Resource for Transportation Professionals
Plugging into the benefits of electrification
Transit’s historic opportunity to invest in clean technologies and the push to electrify commuter rail Clean energy offers transit systems the opportunity to improve mobility, increase system performance and reduce carbon footprints. Further, with the $105.2 billion now available for transit and rail, through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, owners may have the funding necessary to realize those benefits. However, there are many questions owners will need to address before they can make a confident go or no-go decision. Below are some of them: n Which technology offers the best return on investment? n How would power be supplied to the system? n What immediate steps can we take to give our agency a competitive advantage? Which technology offers the best ROI? Electricity is available, cost-effective and a proven way to power a fleet, which is why other countries have been using it for decades. The U.S. didn’t have a need for electricity because we leaped from train travel to gas-powered automobiles. But times have changed. The transit industry’s desire to meet no- to low-emissions requirements and reduce its carbon footprint has created a real and growing demand for cleaner, sustainable power sources. Commuter rail systems, in particular, are seeing a surge in electrification: • The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is planning to upgrade its entire 400-mile commuter rail system and considering utilizing discontinuous electrification to limit the amount of catenary required by leveraging hybrid battery/electric or other multi-mode technology to bridge costly or time-consuming sections. • The Denver Regional Transportation District’s FasTracks program recently added three electrified commuter rail lines and plans to expand one of them.
• Caltrain is electrifying a 50-mile diesel corridor. • Go Transit is electrifying 163 miles of diesel corridor in Toronto. Numerous benefits make the substantial upfront costs of electrification worth the investment: • • • • • • • • •
Greater propulsion Faster speeds Trip time savings Increased throughput Environmental benefits such as reduced greenhouse gases Quieter systems, more comfortable rides Lower operating costs through carbon credits and stable pricing Increased capacity Improved regional mobility and economic competitiveness
How would power be supplied to the system? Transit systems get electricity from the utility grid and distribute it through an overhead catenary system, a third electrified rail embedded in the track or, in some cases, both. Third rail should be restricted to tunnels or elevated track where public access is prohibited for safety reasons. Overhead catenary systems are suitable in most situations and can be minimized where infrastructure may interfere with aesthetics. They provide the greatest sustained power and are the only proven solution for high-speed rail. What immediate steps can we take? The following activities, performed with in-house staff or with the help of the right consultant, can help transit agencies seize the moment, save time and reduce costs. • Begin preparing now. An overhead catenary system and associated infrastructure need to be built to follow the alignment. It’s best to implement proposed changes to track layout or
Mike Rassias Group Director, Electric Traction Department Manager HNTB Corporation Contact him at mrassias@hntb.com or LinkedIn
Pranaya Shrestha, PE Senior Program Manager HNTB Corporation Contact him at prshrestha@hntb.com or LinkedIn
elevation before electrification including grade separations. Other proactive tasks might include widening bridges scheduled to be built in the corridor’s alignment, constructing them out of steel instead of concrete and using the new minimum standard of 24-foot clearances and accounting for roadway approach grades are examples of how owners are preparing their infrastructure now for an electrified future. Some owners are constructing reservation caissons for future infrastructure and incorporating necessary modifications, such as platform grounding, into station renovations. • Identify alignments and secure right of way. The Federal Railroad Administration’s highspeed-rail-designated corridors make excellent candidates for electrification. When evaluating corridors outside of those parameters, owners may want to look for: - Corridors where cities are within 300 miles, which can surpass airline efficiency - Straight, direct alignments with infrequent stops - Dedicated lines, eliminating or with limited grade crossings - Commuter rail lines that are integrated with high-speed corridors - Cost-benefit analysis - Ridership analysis After a proposed alignment has been identified, an experienced consultant can help the owner identify efficiencies to increase safety, performance and speeds. • Develop operational models. Modeling helps determine if electrification will provide a travel time savings — and how many more riders, and revenue, the time savings could attract. Operational models developed for the MBTA revealed electrification could shorten a one-hour-long commute by 8 minutes. A model
using a multiple-unit train consisting of selfpropelled carriages using electricity or EMUs shaved off 15 minutes, a 25% improvement of travel times. • Identify a funding strategy. For example, Caltrain is funding its conversion project by partnering with federal, state and local agencies. Denver’s Regional Transportation District tied its FasTracks project to a voter-approved sales tax increase. In short, owners should not let electrification’s costs deter exploration. There are avenues for reducing the financial burden. A qualified consultant can help the agency identify and evaluate all potential opportunities. • Be proactive. Coordinate early with utilities, local, state and federal government agencies, political leaders and the community. • Invest in robust design criteria and include all system modifications. Legacy signal systems and communications systems, stations, track and other infrastructure may need to be upgraded or replaced as a result of electrification. • Lock in an experienced consultant. Electrifying a commuter rail line or system requires expertise in multiple disciplines. Selecting a consultant with robust experience and bringing the team onboard now will save the project from becoming a victim of a talent shortage as more transit agencies become interested in electrification. A cleaner system is within reach For transit agencies considering emissions-friendly or zero-emissions vehicles, electrification is the answer to clean energy for transit and the time to explore it is now. Initial steps, done in-house or with the assistance of an experienced consultant, can help the agency determine if electrification is right for its system and, if so, how to deploy it efficiently and effectively. n
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