Merry Christmas

Central Corridor Update - Fall/Winter 2012

Thermite Welding on METRO Green Line (Central Corridor) 100th Upload

New Ramsey Station is Open

Man Speaks Out Claims to be Abused

Siemens S70 LRV Revealing

Another You Tube video of the Siemens S70 LRV Revealing

Metro Transit Police Tasered Man

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

Baby Born on SEPTA Train

Baby Born On SEPTA’s Broad Street Line

Work on the Blue Line

Metro Transit shutdown the south end of the rail line last weekend. They replaced rail ties on the curve between 28th Ave Station and MOA. A traction power substation was installed at MOA.

On Hiawatha Avenue, City of Minneapolis is installing new sensors and control units should better sync traffic signal cycles with light-rail trains causing detours on Hiawatha Avenue

Metro Transit is also installing  GO- TO card readers at the end of the platforms on Ceder-Riverside, Franklin Station, 38th Ave Station.

LRV 202

I got off work this morning and found LRV 202 sitting outside the maintenance bays

Testing of the New LRV

From  Central Corridor You Tube site:

Siemens S70 LRV #201

UPDATE: Here is  Facts about Central Corridor LRVs (pdf) and  Photos from the LRV unveiling from Metropolitan Council website.

Here some pictures I took with my cell phone camera:

LRV 201 waiting between Warehouse Station and Target Field Station

LRV 104 and LRV 201

Repainted LRV 104

Bike rack next to the handicap space

operating cab

Shake, Rattle and Rolling

Found this on You Tube

Camera Takes a Dump

I went to the revealing of the new Siemens S70 at Target Field. I was ready to take videos and pictures when my camera did not work :(

So I went to the revealing watching other people taking pictures and I only had my cheap cell phone.It maybe a while before I get a new one. If anyone can suggest a camera for about  $200 I would love to hear your suggestions

Siemens S70 LRV Revealed

Siemens S70 will be revealed to the public on Wednesday Oct. 10, 2012 at Target Field Station. The new Siemens S70 LRV # 201 and the repainted Bombardier Flexity Swift LRV # 104 will pull in to the station at 1:30 pm. The LRVs will be painted in the new METRO brand.

Metropolitan Council Chair Susan Haigh will be on hand with U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, St Paul and Minneapolis mayors, and commissioner from Ramsey and Hennepin counties.

Green Line

And the Winner Is

The winning video from the Pick the Winner of The Metro Transit Video Contest is Everywhere. Andrew Beckman of Brooklyn Park received the most votes cast by the public in the 2012 Metro Transit Video Contest.

Here it is:

Metro Transit New Flyer Xcelsior Advance Hybrid Bus 7291

Metro Transit New Flyer Xcelsior Advance Hybrid Bus 7291

Southwest Light Rail Transit line Comes up Short

Southwest Corriodor has come up short on the money needed to continue.

St. Paul gets $25 million grant for Saints ballpark

ST. PAUL, Minn. (KMSP) -

The St. Paul Saints were the big winners of Thursday's capital grants announced by Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton. The city of St. Paul was awarded $25 million of the $27 million it requested for a new Saints ballpark.

Nearly 100 applications were submitted, but only 11 were awarded a piece of the $47.5 million bonding money pool. Gov. Dayton had the final say in which projects would receive the legislature-approved funding.

MINNESOTA BONDING MONEY BREAKDOWN

• $2 million is better than nothing for the Southwest Light Rail Transit line. The Metropolitan Council applied for $14 million.
• Duluth was awarded $8.5 million for downtown development.
• A wellness center in Wadena received $4.2 million.
• Rochester, St. Cloud and Mankato were all shut out of the grant sweepstakes, but Dayton said projects in those cities will be at the top of his bonding proposal for 2013.
• Major repairs and reconstruction of Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis also failed to receive any funding.

Getting ahead of anticipated criticism, Dayton said there was definitely no deal to set aside grant money for a Saints stadium in exchange for St. Paul lawmakers' votes on a new Vikings stadium.

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

Burnsville Fire Muster - Fire Truck Parade

Burnsville Fire Muster - Fire Truck Parade on Sept. 8, 2012 in Burnsville, MN

Siemens S70 LRV Update

Delivery of the Type II Siemens S70 is expect the first week of September. Here is a link to presentation: Update of LRV/Central Corridor. There are lots of photos of the LRV.

Informational presentation to Transportation Committee Light Rail Vehicle Type 2 Procurement


UPDATE: The new Type II Siemens S70 has arrived .  Pictures and video will be post in a few days.

Free Rides On The New Hybrid

As part of the introduction of the New Flyer Xcelsior hybrid, free rides will be offered on bus 7291 September 10-16. 2012. This bus will be assigned to route 10 to take best advantage of the hybrid technology while giving it high visibility down Nicollet Mall. Free rides are only on bus 7291 during the promotional period, no other buses on route 10 will be free.           

Green Line Connected to the Blue Line

(credit: Metropolitan Council)

Central Corridor Joined To Hiawatha LRT Line

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) —Crews working on the Central Corridor light rail line that will connect downtown Minneapolis with downtown St. Paul reached a milestone on Wednesday.

The line was officially joined with the existing Hiawatha LRT line in Minneapolis.

“This weld is our own version of the golden spike for the transcontinental railroad as it connects the Twin Cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis,” said Mark Fuhrmann, local program director for New Starts rail projects.

Service on the Central Corridor line is scheduled to begin in 2014.
Crews working on the Central Corridor light rail line that will connect downtown Minneapolis with downtown St. Paul reached a milestone on Wednesday.
The line was officially joined with the existing Hiawatha LRT line in Minneapolis.

“This weld is our own version of the golden spike for the transcontinental railroad as it connects the Twin Cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis,” said Mark Fuhrmann, local program director for New Starts rail projects.

Service on the Central Corridor line is scheduled to begin in 2014.

Blue Line Time Lapse

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

Green Line 10th Street Station Time Lapse

I found this on You Tube

METRO Green Line (Central Corridor light rail)

METRO Green Line (Central Corridor light rail) between Snelling Ave Station to Union Station Aug. 13,2012

New Flyer Xcelsior Demo Bus

 

 



Advanced Technology Hybrid Buses

Informational presentation to Transportation Committee Advanced Technology Hybrid Buses

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

New Bump Post

Bump post was added to the Target Field Station

Pick the Winner of The Metro Transit Video Contest

Cast your vote by Aug. 19. The winner gets free rides for a whole year! Video #1 My Secret Life Video #2 Window Odyssey Video #3 Everywhere Video #4 Go Metro! Video #5 I Love Metro Transit

Green Connect to Blue Line This Weekend

London Underground

I found these on You Tube. Its about the London Underground. The Tube 2012

Copper Theft Causes Damage to Light Rail Construction Sites

Copper Theft Causes $20K in Damage to Light Rail Construction Sites A thief stole $2,000 worth of copper wire from two St. Paul light rail construction sites and caused about $20,000 in damage.
Central Corridor Light Rail Transit Spokeswoman Laura Baennan confirmed the theft Monday, July 16.

The wire was taken Thursday night or Friday morning at construction sites near University and Western Avenues as well as Cedar and Tenth Streets.

The damage will cost the contractor about $20,000 to repair.

METRO Green Line (Central Corridor light rail)

METRO Green Line (Central Corridor light rail) between Blue Line (Hwy 35W) to Snelling Ave Station July 9, 2012.

Transportation Committee

I noticed that when the Transportation Committee moved their meeting to Metro Transit Heywood Chambers, in Minneapolis that they are not video taping them and putting the meeting on there website. If you want to see the meetings, email Steve Elkins steve.elkins@metc.state.mn.us the Chair of Transportation Committee.

METRO Green Line -Central Corridor Update: Summer 2012 (400 Post)

Excavator working on the Central Corridor Light Rail Project

Caterpillar 330B L Excavator working on the Central Corridor light rail project at Huron Blvd and University Ave

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