[Roy McDowell]

When I went Midtown from the Secaucus train station by train I notice the NJ Transit train that I was on looked similar to Chicago's Southshore line train set also using the overhead electric line. Are these the same kind of DMUs used? the cars looked pretty long

[llamaorama]

I know what your talking about, they do look alike

Checking online, South Shore cars were made by Sumitomo of Japan, NJ Transit's Arrow and Comet cars are bombardier and former Budd products.So they aren't the same.

Anyways, it's EMU by the way, for electric

[Roy McDowell]

ok, "D" for deisel..what was I thinking. It also seems like bombardier also does the subway cars for the MTA.

[ardecila]

Bombardier does pretty much everything. Regulations force transit agencies to buy from American manufacturers, instead of European and Asian manufacturers (who typically have many more years of experience and better products). Exceptions to the rule are hard to get, apparently, under the Bush administration.

Bombardier is one of a very few companies in America that produce transit vehicles. They're a Canadian company, but Canadian products are exempted from the Buy American regulations under the US-Canada free trade agreement, and Bombardier has also relocated some of its manufacturing to the US. In the past, Boeing experimented with trains as a way to convert military factories to peacetime use, but most of their stuff was crappy and they got out of the business.

The Federal Railroad Administration also has some ridiculous weight requirements for any transit cars that share tracks with freight service... Because of this, many foreign companies are reluctant to produce railcars for the US anyway.

[Roy McDowell]

Last June I saw a group of bombardier trains on three flatbeds waiting to be escorted into NY from the NJ side of the GW bridge. They appeared to be new. My guess is that the MTA had ordered newer models. I think as future rail systems pop up in more in cities around the country there will eventually be enough demand for the manafacturers to build more plants here. Indianapolis wants to get one leg of the system up and running in time for when the city hosts the 2012 superbowl. According to what I've learned it seems like they are leaning with the DMUs. The first line phase will link downtown with Fishers. I think using EMUs may be more expensive but you never know what will be the actual final product used.

[Busy Bee]

South Shore Line EMU:
http://michianacentral.com/railnut/20030712-bevshores-PICT2131-c_sm.jpg

NJ Transit EMU:
http://www.thebergennetwork.com/z-monthlyphotos/mprail-200602.jpg