THE WESTINGHOUSE APPROACH TO THE METROLINER UPDATING PROBLEM

The Metroliners have operated in high speed, intercity service in the Northeast Corridor for several years. During this period of time, they have received public acceptance as a fast, convenient and comfortable mode of transportation. However, a further expansion of service to greater passenger volume has been prevented by the low availability of the fleet. In late 1970, the Department of Transportation instituted a Metroliner Updating Program designed to improve the availability of the fleet. The program is proceeding in three major phases: (1) Program Definition, (2) Engineering Design and Prototype Hardware, and (3) Verification Testing. At this writing four of the present cars have been modified to prototype configuration and are ready for verification testing. This paper describes the approach to the program taken by Westinghouse Electric Corporation which updated two of the cars. An analysis of the causes of low reliability and poor maintainability led to a definition of the updating program. Simplified performance requirements and major modifications to several car systems are expected to increase reliability by a factor of four over that of the present car. Designs which are directed toward ease of maintenance together with monitoring and failure diagnosis equipment are expected to improve the maintainability so that 80% rather than the present 20% of all problems can be diagnosed and repaired within the turn-around time of one hour at the terminal.

• Corporate Authors:

  Westinghouse Electric Corporation

  Transportation Division
  Pittsburgh, PA  United States 
• Authors:
  • Uher, R A
• Publication Date: 1974-2

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 82 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Electric power conditioning; High speed rail
• Identifier Terms: Metroliner (Express train)
• Subject Areas: Energy; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00052069
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Westinghouse Electric Corporation
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 26 1974 12:00AM