Quote:
Originally Posted by atxsnail
"when I say light rail I mean incredibly advanced light rail because we gotta get this thing done. we would have the newest system certainly in North America. So we're really thinking about having maybe no-catenary kind of system, maybe automated train, all communications-based train control. 3 lines like that, downtown tunnel alignment which has 3 to maybe 4 underground stations. all platform screen door technology so we can have air conditioned stations, all coupled and built with big plaza underground, food court/art/entertainment locations..."
I think there's some new information in there. I didn't know that there could be up to 4 underground stations, nor do I remember hearing much about the electrification. I wonder if the "no catenary" thing just means 3rd rail or does he mean some sections would go without electrifications and the trains would have batteries?
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Honolulu's HART is building an "elevated" 20 mile light, third rail metro just like that you have described, with automatic controls and platform screen stations. The original cost estimation was $5 Billion, the latest cost estimation has skyrocketed to over $10 Billion. We're talking $500 Million per mile capital costs, and that's before including operations and maintenance costs. Imagine the costs overruns if they had been tunneling?
Austin's new proposed trains lines will be approximately 33 miles in length; Orange 21 miles and Blue (?) miles. The planners are having a difficult time deciding where the northern terminus of this line should be. But it will be at least 12 miles long between downtown Austin and ABIA. So we're talking about a 33 miles of double track rail being built. Costs could easily skyrocket to $15 Billion for such an automatic system.
Driver operator light rail lines average around $60-70 Million per mile, at least 7 times less expensive, and that's assuming they keep costs down to $500 Million per mile.
Good luck!
Oh, by the way, Ottawa just opened their 8 mile long Confederation light rail line with a tunnel under downtown. Final costs for the initial line segment #1 was $2.1 Billion (Canadian). That's around $260 Million per mile including the tunnel. The US/Canada conversion rate is 1.368 C to 1.00 US today. So the costs would be around a third cheaper using US dollars.