Baltimore Light Rail suspended in Dec 2023 due to mechanical issues (fixed now)

[DetroitMan]

MTA indefinitely suspending light rail services starting Friday

The Maryland Transit Administration is suspending light rail services indefinitely starting Friday.

MTA Administrator Holly Arnold did not provide a timetable for when service would return during a news conference Thursday and said the department will provide free shuttle buses along the light rail route, which typically serves 10,000 riders per day from Hunt Valley through downtown Baltimore, past its sports stadiums, to BWI Marshall Airport.

“We’re going to start immediately with inspections and repairs. I can’t give a timeline,” Arnold said. “As soon as we have a better sense of timeline, we’re going to be sharing that with our riders.”

In an interview at the Maryland Association of Counties winter conference Thursday evening, Maryland Department of Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld said that service would be restored “when it’s safe.” In the meantime, he said, the Department of Transportation will supplement the suspended service with extra buses for commuters.According to Wiedefeld, express buses from larger park and ride lots will be provided for people who plan to attend the Ravens game Sunday.

Arnold added that inter-car connecting cables have caused three smoke events in the past four months causing minor injuries for a rider and a police officer, and that full service would resume when the MTA has 19 railcars repaired and available. Arnold said while the MTA is undergoing a $160 million “overhaul” of its light rail service, some of the repairs might be under warranty.

https://www.baltimoresun.com/2023/12...arting-friday/

[aprice1828]

https://www.trains.com/trn/news-revi...ht-rail-fleet/

Maryland to receive $213 million grant for replacement of Baltimore light rail fleet - Trains .com

(Couldn't find a general Baltimore thread but this thread title is still fitting)

[Busy Bee]

The current vehicles have either reached the end of their useful life or will do so within five years, a time frame required by the Rail Vehicle Replacement program.

It seems that their main objective is a low floor accessibility initiative as these original cars aren't particularly old by international standards as several European cities are still operating 50 year old Düwag and Tatra trams. In my opinion the desire for low floor boarding isn't worth this kind of expense for a system like Baltimore that should be focusing on other expansions and improvements. These ABB cars probably have another 15 years in them with a minor cosmetic and running gear overhaul. Waste of scarce $$$.

[electricron]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

It seems that their main objective is a low floor accessibility initiative as these original cars aren't particularly old by international standards as several European cities are still operating 50 year old Düwag and Tatra trams. In my opinion the desire for low floor boarding isn't worth this kind of expense for a system like Baltimore that should be focusing on other expansions and improvements. These ABB cars probably have another 15 years in them with a minor cosmetic and running gear overhaul. Waste of scarce $$$.

I'll agree, too many transit vehicles in the USA are replaced prematurely. But, all these vehicles when purchased had a specified service life, and the FTA and FRA are eager to help fund the replacements of transit vehicles at the end of their service lives. It is a difficult task to ask transit agencies to deny funding from the FTA and FRA.
So I understand why many transit vehicles are retired before complete obsolescence.

[Nouvellecosse]

I'm not sure we can assume that one set of vehicle will or should have the same service life in years as totally different models of vehicles operating in other cities and countries under different conditions. Factors like the climate and weather can be different as can things like operating speeds, total distance traveled, etc. In Baltimore the average distance between stations is nearly 1.5km while in a European tram system the stops tend to be much closer together with the system typically operating at the speed of road traffic. This means a NA-style LRT will cover much greater distances in the same length of time. So if their service life expectancy is based on mileage rather than age, Baltimore LRVs may have traveled as many or more miles in their shorter operating lives. If vehicles in each place operate for the same amount of time each day but the average operating speed is 1/4 greater in one place than another, you can expect vehicles in the faster system to reach the same retirement mileage 1/4 earlier.

[llamaorama]

I don't know anything about mass transit vehicles, but the longevity of anything mechanical, whether it's a forklift or a copy machine or a refrigerator in general really depends on manufacturer support, spare part availability, and if the design is suited to being overhauled.

Wikipedia says the Baltimore LRT cars were built by a company that doesn't exist anymore.

Since rail transit is uncommon in the US, and since Baltimore's system is not very big, it would be a very expensive problem if their small fleet of trains was all special and unique and custom and every tiny part had to be machined from scratch.

[Busy Bee]

I highly doubt the situation is that extreme. One thing is for sure though and that is American transit agencies have come a long way since the days where it was commonplace to have trolleys totally rebuilt, modernized and in many cases restyled and have all the work be done in-house. All of that institutional knowledge evaporated by 1960s.

[Cirrus]

I'm'a edit this thread title so people know it's no longer the condition. The system reopened later in December.