Central Corridor Update - Fall/Winter 2012

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

Siemens S70 LRV Revealing

Another You Tube video of the Siemens S70 LRV Revealing

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

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."

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.

METRO Green Line (Central Corridor light rail)

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

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

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)

Twin Cities to Host Rail conference

Rail~Volution will has selected the Twin Cities to host site for the group's national conference in fall 2014.

The Met Council and co-host Counties Transportation Improvement Board and Minnesota Department of Transportation submitted an application last March to host the event.

The conference "Building Livable Communities" is expected to draw 1,200 transit and land use professionals from across the country.

Interchange Groundbreaking

The groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. July 9 at the old Environmental Services Building, 417 N. Fifth St., Minneapolis.

Metro Council to vote on dropping cost to ride Northstar Line

New Metropolitan Council Logo

On Wednesday, June 13, Council members approved the new Metropolitan Council logo.

Central Corridor Transit Service Study Concept Plan

Central Corridor Transit Service Study Concept Plan presentation to the Metropolitan Council Transportation Committee on Monday, May 14, 2012