Light Rail Vehicles' Low-Floor Center Section

摘要

The issue addressed is how to increase capacity and update passenger accessibility to keep pace with the "low-floor" trend in the transit industry, without making obsolete an existing fleet. The benefits of adding a new, low-floor center section to an existing light rail vehicle is discussed, and various issues and characteristics that must be considered and resolved before proceeding are identified, including, but not limited to: size of vehicle, aesthetic appearance, performance, propulsion and braking systems, all other onboard systems, structural strength, size and length of station platforms, interface with station platforms, and maintenance shop and other wayside facilities. It is concluded that with good base line conditions, the addition of a low-floor center section to an existing vehicle allows a transit agency to upgrade capacity, facilitate passenger access to the rail vehicles, and transition toward the "low-floor" trend in the transit industry without having to either sell or scrap a relatively new, existing fleet or be faced with operating a mixed fleet of existing high-floor vehicles and new low-floor vehicles.