Surprise! Metropolis Transit Buys 8 Ex-Chicago El Cars

Metropolis, BR. May 28th 2014

Metropolis Transit Buys Eight Old Chicago L Cars Due to Ridership Spike (Chicago-L.Org)

The 47 & 65 elevateds are currently at capacity during rush hour. Both lines serve very populated neighborhoods and both can only runs 6-car-trains during rush hour at 7.5 Minute intervals. There was a proposal to extend the hour of service and the number of cars the 65 has. Then just a few days ago, it was announced bidding has began for new elevated cars. So what do we do in the meantime? Buy eight Chicago Transit Authority retired L cars from out of the blue to help run more trains. It was announced by president & GM Nicholette Casey that the eight cars were purchased and on their way. They will however be "belly cars" though, meaning existing Metropolis Transit will pull them in the middle of trains. 

Chicago Cars & Metropolis Cars are almost Identical.  (www.chicago-L.org)

These Chicago L cars were built by Boeing-Vertol in 1977 and were one of the only two Boeing built trains, the company known for airplanes has ever made. They will be rebuilt and rewired for A/C traction so that can run with current elevated cars that are currently running. This might be a short-term fix for a long term problem but it will help Metropolis Transit move people more smoothly! The new cars will be in service by the end of this year. 

Bus Rapid Transit? Try Trolley Rapid Transit for Metropolis Connector

Metropolis, BR. June 27th 204

Metropolis Connector will be the US's first ever Trolley Rapid Transit Line (TRT)

The 61's haphazard path around Metropolis Island has always seem to be a faster way to tour the city then taking normal trolley lines or even just the 65 elevated who just about covers most of the island but at the same time it needs improvement. Metropolis Transit and DashTransit Service as well as The State of Bridgerissa are coming together this summer to bring faster and more reliable service to the 61 Line in the form of Metropolis Connector.

It has been outline headways will increase as well service hours and branch to House Park. That's only the surface. Among bringing 15 Min service to off-peak hours, and increasing rush hour service to every 6 minutes, there are also more changes to come.

Rebuilt as of 2010-2011, PCC Trolley will run on the Metropolis Connector.

• Renaming both directions of the 61 to recognizable colors. 61 Blue Loop runs Counter-Clockwise, 61 Light Blue Loop will run Clockwise. 61 Red Loop will run to House Park via Ballerman Blvd.
• 61 Red Loop will run only Fridays,Saturdays,Sundays & Major Holidays Only. 15 minute headways all times. 
• New Automatic Announcements that will call out sights instead of street corners. Transfers will still be announced. 
• All new equipment. Either a brand new Siemens S70 Trolley or a 2011 Rebuilt PCC Trolley. 
• Cleaner environment that will be maintained by DashTransit Service

Metropolis Transit proudly calls it a Trolley Rapid Transit Line. Why? It stops farther apart the normal trolleys and will only stop near landmarks. It will bring people off the crowded 65 elevated which is running full trains almost at all times. It will run like water during rush hour. It will move and attract more tourist to ditch cabs and ride the trolley. Furthermore, it will connect all of the attractions Metropolis has to offer in one convenient ride.

Metropolis Transit To Put Out Bid For New Elevated Cars

Metropolis, BR. May 25th 2014.

Metropolis Oldest Railcars Are Passed Their Prime And Need To Go

Metropolis Transit today spoke to 6 potential rail builders of their future order of 80 New Elevated subway cars. These cars will replace the older and worn out "PCC" subway cars as well as add fleet expansion for the 47 & 65 Line who need extra cars. "The key to their success will be the ability to link up to current cars in service and make sure they are as reliable as the PCC El Cars are," said General Manager Nicholette Casey. The new cars will most likely either resemble the current newer el car in service, or will have a completely new radical design.

The builders who were contacted to put in their lowest bids and designs are being withheld. Two will be chosen at the end of June, one to build the cars, the other to do the Air-conditioning work. Hopefully this expansion of elevated cars will help headway reduce on certain lines. Something alot of riders will be happy about.

Route 61 To Be Renamed, The Metropolis Connector.

Route 61 Trolley at Sandbar Street

Metropolis, BR. May 19th 2014.

DashTransit Service and Metropolis Transit has announced the official name of the upgraded Route 61 to "The Metropolis Connector" which will bring 15 minute headways to all trolleys. Also in a curve ball move, Metropolis Transit announced there will be a branch line that will go to House Park using the former 47 tracks on Ballerman Blvd. This will bring back trolley service to Ballerman Bl during Fridays, Saturdays & Sunday to serve the Berkey Kola Museum, Museum of Metropolis Art, and Stallion Park.

The service will be split into 3. Inner Loop 61 trolleys will be renamed Blue Loop, Outer 61s the Light Blue Loop and the reactivated 47 trolley line the Red Loop. The Blue & Light Blue Loops will run 7 days a week stating 6 AM to 11:30 PM at 15 Minute intervals all day while the Red Loop will run only Friday, Saturday & Sunday 9 AM to 6:30 PM also at 15 minute intervals. During rush hour and peak-Saturday hours, some Blue Loop trolleys can short-turn and become Light Blue Loop Trolleys at Waves-Bl of Bays if bunching occurs.

More Details To Come...

The New Old Gardens Curve Is Now Open

Metropolis, BR March 13th 2014

A 56 Trolley enters Old Garden Stn at 20 MPH, double the speed of the old curve. 

After two crippling weekend closures of the Trees Avenue Elevated, the new Old Gardens Curve is finally open to trolleys. The 7, 16 & 56 have been impacted greatly by the amount of construction and reroutes trolley had to face the past few weekends but it's not over yet! More construction is set this weekend to add a solid support and remove the remains of the old curve. This construction will once again divert Route 56 over Central Avenue and the 7 trolley to Waves Loop but the kicker this time is Route 16 service will run to Waves - Bl of Bays instead of Parkside Loop. The past two weekends, conflicts has arisen abot the 16 & 5 sharing the underground loop. The station can only hold one trolley at a time due to how small the platform and signal block before it is.

The new curve as seen from the parking lot of Central Stn.

 The new curve is larger, nicer, easier to maintain and now letting trolley pass a double the speed then before. The old curve was built in a S formation due to Eastwick Avenue's dramatic change in width before Trees Avenue. This meant all trolley has to slow down to 10 MPH to clear the curve with almost no space for trolleys to swing without dangling dangerously over the intersection. The new curve is a much more opened J formation allowing a wider base to turn at faster speeds. Trolley can now swing around at 20 MPH and quickly jump to 27 MPH between the Old Gardens Curve and the Central Ave Curve & Interlocking. While time impact is only reduced 1 minute it still play a vital part in making the trolleys in Metropolis run better and faster.

Faster trolleys mean less of a wait. 

Siemens To Build 20 More S70 Trolley Cars For Metropolis Transit

Metropolis, BR. May 8th 2014.

Metropolis Transit 20 More Siemens S70 LRVs

After recently having the motors and wheels upgraded, Metropolis Transit's brand new S70 Trolley cars resumed delivery with unit 8911 being delivered just last Sunday. The three-section-trolley cars intended to replace the 100 Articulated Duwag U2 cars will soon be joined with 20 extra friends. The delivery was already a huge order for Siemens, with a whopping 100 cars ordered to match the U2 fleet. There was an option to order 40 more cars in total but Metropolis Transit only exercised 20 extra. The surplus cars are due to fleet expansion with the upcoming 67 extension's to the airport and upgrades to the 61 trolley.

Currently the 67 is only line the runs the new cars daily.

Since the new cars were delivered they have been a hit with the city. Clear automatic announcements that are gps & signal based, gravity type trolley pole, and the ability to be driven backwards! A first in Metropolis Transit since the system is all loops. Even the Airport extension of the 67 is set to have two loops.  There were however problems with the automatic passenger enable doors. Metropolis Transit tried to add passenger operated doors in order to eliminate the amount of doors that are opened during a trolley and it dramatically failed especially during Rush Hour. They are now disable and unit 8913 and up will not have them. Unit 8911 and up will have white LED sign instead of Orange since it easier on the colorblind and nearsighted. The last S70 is due to leave the California will be 2016.

Say Hello To Your New Bus

Metropolis, BR. May 2nd 2014. 

Metropolis Transit's 2014 New Flyer Industries Xcelsior Bus

Back in December, Metropolis Transit announced New Flyer Industries would be builder of the next 150 buses for the agency, then on Fashion Week last March, the first bus was unveiled. Painted more like trolley then a bus, the new vehicle had a flash red face over silver and dark grey. Probably the most noticeable change was was the addition of "Local Bus Lines" underneath the logo mimicking the similar "Trolley Lines" writing on trolleys. The bus went back to New Flyer to be improved even more, now it's back! The bus is currently sitting in the Ran Mourie Depot prepping for it's big debut. It will most likely debut in time for the Jack Russell Vs. Yankees game on May 10th. Metropolis Transit current has no statement to give on the bus other than "just wait and see". This is an exciting moment for the city because these new buses will soon be a familiar face.

Metropolis Transit currently has the option to by 100 more trackless trolley buses of the same make and model if the buses are successful. The 100 Tracklesses will replace the current 90s vintage trackless trolleys from the Ikarus/North American Bus Industries company. There's another option of 100 more split down the middle as 50 single buses & 50 articulated buses. If exorcized to the fullest, there will be 350 buses ordered in total.

Metropolis Transit & DTS Talk Changes To 61 Trolley

Metropolis, BR. May 1st 2014.

One of Metropolis Transit's newest trolley cars on the 61 City Circle Line

Joint contracts with Metropolis Transit never seem to work out in their favor. Since the joint Boga IBOA contract in the 70s to the DeMott Tower Shuttle (since been discontinued) of the late 90s, most joint contract operations came to abrupt and disappointing ends but it is stopping the company to try again. Last year the 61 trolley returned to service after being shut down for a year during the repaving and rebuilding of Sandbar & Central Aves that the 61 trolley runs on. Metropolis Transit currently runs the 61 line with 30 minute headways outside of rush hour which are frankly ticking off the tourist who rely on the trolley to sight-see since the Deck Bus Company and Purple Lines went out of business in 2009. Today Metropolis Transit announced upgrades to both the 61 schedule and branding which will include splicing ownership of the line with DashTransit Service (DTS).

Siemens trolley passing FOSAL Park. 

Preliminary named "The Downtowner" the 61 trolley could either lose it's 61 name completely or be known as two separate loops that will operate just as the 61 does today but running on it's own fare system, rules, and appearance. The 61 trolley's headways will be improved as the service will no longer be operated by TWU 269 but instead will use contracted operators from DTS who will be thoroughly trained on the trolleys. Metropolis Transit said, it will be painted differently then a normal trolley, possibly using a combination of Metropolis's and DTS's schemes or an all-together new one. Fare will begin at a dollar, with transfer to other lines being charged a full $2 with the $1 fare. Service is set to begin Memorial Day. The Downtower name is subject to change.