Zombie Fight

Brawl on LRT: plenty of zombies, no police

KSTP.com report:

FOX 9 News
Minneapolis News and Weather KMSP FOX 9

Wrestler Saves the Day

It was reported a few weeks ago that a professional wrestler, Shawn Daivari put a choke hold on a unruly passenger.

Minneapolis News and Weather KMSP FOX 9

Delivery of the Type II Siemens S70

Delivery of the Type II Siemens S70, LRV # 201, occurred on Sept 10, 2012. The Brandt towed it to the O&M early Tuesday morning, Sept 11, 2012. Below are pictures and video.



This is the first of 59 LRVs that was purchased by Metro Transit. 47 LRVs are for the new Green Line (Central Corridor) and 12 are for Blue Line (Hiawatha Line). I talked with a Siemens rep. He told me that the first two LRVs has to have 4000 miles of testing and the LRVs after only need 1000 miles of testing before going into service.

You maybe wondering what "Do Not Hump" means.
" It refers to a common method used to sort freight cars known as "humping," which involves the use of a man-made hill, or hump. A track heads up the hill and branches into numerous parallel tracks on its way down the other side. To make up new trains, a switch engine pushes a string of cars to the top of the hump, where the cars are uncoupled one at a time. Having determined the car's destination, a worker in a nearby tower pushes buttons or throws levers or whatever to get the track switches (you know, those things where one track divides into two) lined up properly. The car is then given a nudge, causing it to roll down the hump and onto the right track."

Brandt

Named after the company that built it. This On Track Equipment (OTE) can almost do anything

Blue Line Time Lapse

B-Roll: Light Rail Train - Time Lapse - Mall of America to Target Field - Minneapolis from Meet Minneapolis on Vimeo.

Blue Line O&M Expansion Update

Informational presentation to Transportation Committee  Blue Line Operations & Maintenance Expansion Update

Blue Line Airport Tunnel

I found this You Tube video that has pictures of the constrution to the tunnel under the airport.

Police Working To Make Lake Street Station Safer

All eyes on Lake St. station crime a StarTribune Story

O & M Expansion

West Runner

South Yard Tearing up the drive

South Yard

South end of storage bays

Interior of the addition facing south

Interior of the addition facing north

South Yard

New Switches in the South Yard

South Yard Rail and switch

South Yard

Hiawatha LRT (Blue Line) 8th Anniversary

Hiawatha LRT (Blue Line) celabrates its 8th Anniversary. Since opening day the Blue Line has had nearly 75 million rides.

Light-rail safety is a shared responsibility

Light-rail safety is a shared responsibility. How many time I see people walking in front of moving train or horse playing on the platform. It is the great work of operators that more people are not injured on the Blue Line (Hiawatha Line). Just last month  a Man Injured at American Blvd Station. If the train was at a different station where the speed limit was not 15 MPH. This man would have had more serious injuries than a gash on his leg. BE SAFE AROUND TRANSIT

 Bloomington Today does a story on LRT safety

 Watch this video from Operation Lifesaver:

 Metro Transit Safety Video:

Buses to substitute for LRT in downtown May 4-7

Route 55 buses will substitute for light-rail trains between Target Field Station and Franklin Avenue Station from about 6:30 p.m. on Friday, May 4, through 3:30 a.m. on Monday, May 7.
The work is part of planned maintenance projects on the Hiawatha Line on select weekends this summer. Learn more.
Buses will operate more frequently than trains, but bus trips will take longer than train rides. Please plan accordingly.
These light-rail stations will close during the service interruption: Target Field, Warehouse District/Hennepin Avenue, Nicollet Mall, Government Plaza, Downtown East/Metrodome and Cedar-Riverside.
Rider Alerts will be posted at stations with details and maps to direct customers to Route 55 bus service (for maps). Metro Transit staff will be on hand at key train stations to direct customers to buses.
Customers can learn of any last-minute changes to the weekend plan by calling the Rail Maintenance Hotline at 612-373-3333, option 6.

Light Rail Type I Overhaul Update

Light Rail Type I Overhaul Update to Transportation Committee on Monday, April 23, 2012

How Do They Wrap Ads On LRT Cars?

From WCCO:

I noticed today that American Family Insurance has lot of LRVs wrapped. I counted at least 3.

Minneapolis Transportation Interchange Concept Design

This what the new Interchange at Target Field may look like. The Interchange Project still need to find more funding. Construction suppose to start this Spring.

Minneapolis Transportation Interchange Concept Design from Luke Porter on Vimeo.

Returned to LRT

I had to go back to the bus side for a month until a opening in LRT. On Jan 2 I returned to LRT for some training and was turned out on Friday Jan 6.

This is the first time that I pulled into the Mall of America as Metro Transit LRT operator on my own.

Car Hit By Light Rail Train

And no that was not me.

LRT Training

I finished my first week of training for LRT (Light Rail Train) operator for Metro Transit today. On Monday, my first day, I felt overwhelmed and wondered what I got myself into to. Now today, Friday, I am feeling "I can do this!"

I operated the LRV this week, VERY COOL. Toured the Maintenance Dept. They do an incredible job. A lot goes into maintaining the LRVs.

This week we had 2 quizzes. I scored 100% correct on both. Still have lots to learn.

Passanger Complain

Riders Complain Metro Transit Line Is A Tight Ride
Metro Transit Light Rail rides during Twins games at Target Field is so popular, it has riders complaining about the lack of room.

Metro transit spokesman Bob Gibbons says Light Rail ridership to the games is up more than 6% compared to last year at the Metrodome.

Gibbons says all of Hiwatha's 27 rail cars run every ten minutes after games and that conditions can get tight inside the cars.

Metro Transit Board approved adding more cars to the Hiawatha

Not as bad as it is in Japan

Pickup Flips onto LRT tracks

Pickup Flips onto LRT tracks, Twins Fans Delayed
Light rail is up and running again Friday night