Customer Service, Operations and Safety Committee

Department of OperationsJuly 21, 2005

Rail Car Deployment Strategies

Rail Car Deployment Strategies

2

Table of ContentsPurposeMetro Matters Power Upgrade ScheduleCurrent ServicePossible Reliability Improvements

Fewer Trains / Longer TrainsPower Upgrades & Car Deployment Approach

Twenty Percent 8-Car Service / Base Order 62 cars -December 2006

Thirty-three Percent 8-Car Service / Option 122 cars -December 2007

Fifty Percent 8-Car Service / Rehab Float 36 cars -December 2008

SummarySchedule for Board

34

5 - 7

8 - 12

13 - 15

16 - 18

19 - 21

22 - 23

24

3

Purpose

• Outline timeline for Board policy discussion and decision makingregarding service options related to the delivery and deployment of rail cars

• Discussion on APTA Rail Peer Review recommendations of implementing fewer / longer trains

• Additional deployment of 8-car trains may be possible if APTA Peer Review recommendation is implemented in conjunction with the deployment of rail cars currently used as float vehicles for the rail car rehabilitation contract

– Up to 33% 8-car train service under the Metro Matters Program– Up to 50% as described in this presentation

4

Metro MattersPower Upgrade Schedule

• Phase I: Allow up to 20% of all trains to be 8-car consists December 2006

• Phase II: Allow up to 33% of all trains to be 8-car consists December 2007

• Phase III: Allow up to 50% of all trains to be 8-car consists December 2008

• 8-car train distribution restrictions must not be exceeded in common corridors.

5

Current Peak Train ThroughputsPeak Hour Service Levels

5

Note:

4 trains turn around at D&G Junction (Orange Line trippers)

6

Current Peak Train ThroughputsPeak Hour Service Levels, Cont.

• Metro has capacity choke points on all lines (the areas where the most frequents service is operated). Optimal capacity through portals is 26 trips per hour

• Red Line between Grosvenor and Silver Spring is near capacity• Peak period service is scheduled to provide 24 trips per hour on a 2.5 minute

headway

• Green and Yellow Lines are near capacity between L’Enfant and Mt. Vernon • For one peak hour service is scheduled to provide 23 trips per hour (13 on the

Green Line and 10 on the Yellow Line)

• Orange and Blue Lines currently exceed throughput capacity betweenRosslyn and Stadium-Armory

• For one peak hour service is scheduled to provide 29 trips per hour; 19 on the Orange Line and 10 on the Blue Line

7

Present ServiceService Patterns/Car Requirements/ Peak Hour Through-put

8

Possible Reliability ImprovementsFewer Trains / Longer Trains

9

• Suggested by APTA Rail Per Review– “Most lines are operating at maximum train traffic capacity. Consideration

should be given to the service benefits that may be realized through increasing the train consist length and reducing the number of trains on one line at a time”

– “Review possible benefits to service efficiency through increasing train consist length and reduction in number of trains”

• The goal of this proposal is to improve reliability by reducing the number of peak trains while providing the same capacity by operating longer 8-car trains

Possible Reliability ImprovementsFewer Trains / Longer Trains

10

• Can be accomplished prior to the December 2006 initial incremental completion of Metro Matters investments in power and train control if:

• Limited and careful scheduling of 8-car trains are used• Power modeling of proposed schedules are accomplished

• Possible to reduce the number of trains required by 5 and convert fifteen 8-car trains in operation on Red, Orange and Green Lines making 17% of peak one hour trains (12 trains) 8-cars long

• Red Line: reduce peak requirement by 2 trains; convert 6 trains to 8-car trains• Orange Line: reduce peak requirement by 2 tripper trains; convert 6 trains to 8-car

trains• Green Line: reduce peak requirement by 1 tripper train; convert 3 trains to 8-car trains

• Red Line power modeling complete; can implement on Red Line anytime• Orange and Green Line modeling underway; can implement fewer/longer based on

modeling

• Continue to add 8-car trains as power upgrades are completed to relieve over crowding and to support ridership growth

Fewer Trains / Longer Trains, Cont.

11

• Benefits of Operating Fewer but Longer Trains

• Operating fewer trains, while maintaining capacity, will improve reliability:Red Line reliability expected to increase from 95% to 98%Orange/Blue Line reliability expected to increase from 96% to 98%Green/Yellow Line reliability expected to increase from 97% to 98%

• On average, only able to get 28 trains through the Rosslyn portal (96.5% on-time)• Can be consistent with customers’ desire to have 8-car train operation• Can accomplish 8-car train operations prior to power upgrades identified in Metro

Matters because only using a limited number of 8 car trains

• Board Review and Approval Timeframe

• Can be accomplished quickly if determined to be feasible by the Board

Fewer Trains / Longer Trains, Cont.

12

Fewer Trains / Longer Trains, Cont.

Note*: Red line reduction is minus one train in each direction(peak and non-peak).

13

Power Upgrades and Car Deployment Approach20% 8-Car Train Service / Base Order 62 Cars – December 2006

14

• Board Review and Approval Timeframe• Winter 2005 / Spring 2006

• Deployment Approach• Phase I Power Upgrades provide for approximately 20% eight car-train

operation• Apply 62 base order cars, to heaviest lines first• Equalize passengers per car across all lines• Convert 17 trains to 8-car lengths making 22% of peak period trains (17 trains)

8-car long; and eight 4-car trains to 6-car trains• Deployment by line: Red Line/12 cars, Orange Line/14 cars, Blue Line/6 cars,

Green Line/10 cars, Yellow Line/4 cars, Gaps/10 cars, and spares/6 cars• Partial restoration of gap trains to better recover from delays• Final deployment should be reviewed and approved based on most recent

ridership trends

Power Upgrades and Car Deployment Approach20% 8-Car Train Service / Base Order 62 Cars – December 2006

15

Power Upgrades and Car Deployment Approach20% 8-Car Train Service / Base Order 62 Cars – December 2006

Red Line during peak 1 hour has three 8-car trains in each direction

* With fewer / longer trains provided power modeling resushow sufficient capacity

16

Power Upgrades and Car Deployment Approach33% 8-Car Train Service / Option 122 Cars – December 2007

17

Power Upgrades and Car Deployment Approach33% 8-Car Train Service / Option 122 Cars – December 2007

• Board Review and Approval Timeframe

• Fall 2006 / Spring 2007

• Deployment Approach

• Phase II Power Upgrades provide for approximately 33% eight car-train operation

• Apply 122 option cars, to heaviest lines first

• Equalize passengers per car across all lines, get PPC’s of all lines to 90 or less

• Convert 48 trains to 8-car lengths making 33% of all peak period trains (26 trains) 8-cars long.

• Convert six 4-car trains to 6-car trains, thus eliminating 4-car trains during the peak

• Deployment by line: Red Line/20 cars, Orange Line/30 cars, Blue Line/16 cars, Green Line/14 cars, Yellow Line/6 cars, Gaps/12 cars, and spares/24 cars

• Partial restoration of gap trains to better recover from delays

• Final deployment should be reviewed and approved based on most recent ridershiptrends

18

Power Upgrades and Car Deployment Approach33% 8-Car Train Service / Option 122 Cars – December 2007

Not all 8-car trains operate in the peak hour in the peak direction

* With fewer / longer trains provided power modeling resultsshow sufficient capacity

19

Power Upgrades and Car Deployment Approach50% 8-Car Train Service / Rehab Float 36 Cars – December 2008

20

• Board Review and Approval Timeframe• Spring 2008

• Deployment Approach• Phase III Power Upgrades provide for up to 50% eight car-train operation

• Apply 36 rehab cars, to heaviest lines first after review of current loadings

• Equalize passengers per car across all lines

• Final deployment should be reviewed and approved based on most recent ridershiptrends

• Convert 66 trains to 8-car lengths making 50% of peak-period trains (38 trains) 8-cars long by December 2008

Power Upgrades and Car Deployment Approach50% 8-Car Train Service / Rehab Float 36 Cars – December 2008

21

Power Upgrades and Car Deployment Approach50% 8-Car Train Service / Rehab Float 36 Cars – December 2008

Not all 8-car trains operate in the peak hour in the peak direction

* With fewer / longer trains provided power modeling resushow sufficient capacity

22

Summary

• Strategy covers car deployments through FY 2008 and reflects full implementation of Metro Matters program.

• Strategy includes ability to increase 8-car trains from previous definition of 33% to a higher level of 50%

• Includes Power Upgrade implementation through December 2008.

• Possible to begin 8-car operation with the implementation of fewer / longer strategy, one line at a time, as recommended by APTA Rail Peer Review

• Build up to 20% eight-car train operation by December 2006 congruent with completion of Phase I power upgrades and the delivery of 62 car base order procurement

23

Summary, continued• Build up to 33% eight-car train operation by December 2007

congruent with completion of Phase II power upgrades and the delivery of 122 option cars

• Build up to 50% eight-car train operation by December 2008 congruent with completion of Phase III power upgrades and the return of the 36 rehab float

• Board will have policy decisions throughout the deployment process

• All car allocations would need to be updated at the appropriate decision making point based on most updated ridership levels by line

24

Schedule for Board• Summer / Fall 2005 - Discussion on fewer / longer trains

• Winter 2005 / Spring 2006 - Discussion on Phase I Power Upgrades and Deployment of 62 base order

• Fall 2006 / Spring 2007 - Discussion on Phase II Power Upgrades and Deployment of 122 option cars

• Spring 2008 - Discussion on Phase III Power Upgrades and Deployment of 36 rehab float cars