ALTERNATIVE CONCEPTS FOR UNDERGROUND RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEMS. VOLUME I: STUDY RESULTS

The objective of the study was to determine if construction costs and operating energy requirements of future high-performance underground rapid rail systems can be decreased while maintaining or improving service. The alternative design approaches studied were limited to well-established design concepts that differ from those used in BART (San Francisco), WMATA (Washington D.C.), and MARTA (Atlanta). The alternative design concepts investigated in this study are: gravity assist; over/under tunnels; vertically-oriented stations; subway train propulsion; and operational control policies. Comparisons were made of several system designs for a specific route and patronage structure. These comparisons indicate that it is practical to significantly reduce construction costs and operational energy requirements of modern underground systems while improving service by incorporating alternative concepts. Without any attempt at optimization, savings in capital costs in excess of 24 percent and savings in energy as high as 70 percent in traction effort, and 88 percent in braking are shown to be achievable.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • See also Executive summary, PB-270102, RRIS 23 166482; Bulletin 7801.
• Corporate Authors:

  Jet Propulsion Laboratory

  California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive
  Pasadena, CA  United States  91103

  Urban Mass Transportation Administration

  400 7th Street, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  Office of the Secretary of Transportation

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Dayman, B J
  • Heft, R C
  • KURTZ, D W
  • Macie, T W
  • Stallkamp, J A
• Publication Date: 1977-3

Media Info

• Pagination: 107 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Construction; Cost control; Cost engineering; Costs; Design; Energy conservation; Financial capital; Gravity; Operating costs; Propulsion; Rapid transit; Savings; Structural design; Subway stations; Subways; Technological innovations; Technology assessment; Tunnels; Vehicle power plants
• Uncontrolled Terms: Construction costs; Design criteria; Propulsion systems; Tunnel design
• Old TRIS Terms: Gravity augmentation; Rapid transit railways; Subway construction
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Construction; Design; Energy; Environment; Finance; Operations and Traffic Management; Passenger Transportation; Public Transportation; Railroads; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00337147
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: P-51-520-77-2-VOL-1 Final Rpt., UMTA-CA-06-0144-77-2
• Contract Numbers: DOT-AS-60019
• Files: NTIS, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jul 9 1982 12:00AM