Metrofying Link Light Rail Let's face it, Link Light Rail…
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Metrofying Link Light Rail
Let's face it, Link Light Rail is basically a metro rail system stuck in a light rail format. For a light rail system in America (which seems to be the default mode for new American rail transit), Seattle sure seems to be punching well above its weight. Like now it's pivoting to 4 light rail train consists (380 ft length) because it's getting so crowded. This is making me think how Seattle should start uplifting Link Light Rail from a light rail to an actual metro rail system.
Really the reason it's lowfloor is because that downtown transit tunnel was designed to also be used by buses, and no longer does it use buses since the mid-late-10s. So what was a necessary compromise is now gonna become a handicap.
What can be done first is starting with the segment from SODO to Federal Way Downtown. This is because Line 1 is planned to be rerouted to the north of SODO to serve Ballard in a new underground line. The Ballard line can be built to 1500 V DC and identical clearances to the existing system but instead of using low-floor trams it's using high floor metro trains. While the Ballard line is being built, Line 1 starts to be rebuilt, including full grade separation and rebuilding the stations to have high floor platforms. Stadium would be closed during this period to be rebuilt into high floor configuration (and to accomodate the Line 3 branch to Alaska Junction) During this rebuilding, Line 1 would be truncated to SODO. Along this rebuild, Line 2 would be also be rebuilt to high floors, starting with to south+east of Chinatown and to the north of Northgate, forming a two-pincer rebuild that closes in onto the existing underground segment of Link Light Rail.
For rolling stock, the most appropriate to use would be what is similar to the Buenos Aires Underground 300 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buenos_Aires_Underground_300_Series . This is because both have very similar width (2.65 m) and height (nearly 12 ft) and use 1500 V DC overhead wires. The Buenos Aires 300 is 55 ft long, and with current light light rail trains 4 trams long, Link Metro Rail can go for a 7-car set. One major difference between the Link Metro Rail traincar and its Buenos Aires Underground counterpart is that instead of 4 doors it's 3 doors. This will allow for more room to put in transverse seating. As these trains will be full open gangway, even more capacity. With all this rebuilding, the stations can incorporate full-sized platform screen doors.
Should Seattle convert Link Light Rail to an actual metro rail (call it Link Metro Rail), it would be the first (and so far only) metro rail system in the US (though not in North America because Mexico City Metro Line 12, Metrorrey and REM predate) that uses 1500 V DC overhead wires.
#local
Let's face it, Link Light Rail is basically a metro rail system stuck in a light rail format. For a light rail system in America (which seems to be the default mode for new American rail transit), Seattle sure seems to be punching well above its weight. Like now it's pivoting to 4 light rail train consists (380 ft length) because it's getting so crowded. This is making me think how Seattle should start uplifting Link Light Rail from a light rail to an actual metro rail system.
Really the reason it's lowfloor is because that downtown transit tunnel was designed to also be used by buses, and no longer does it use buses since the mid-late-10s. So what was a necessary compromise is now gonna become a handicap.
What can be done first is starting with the segment from SODO to Federal Way Downtown. This is because Line 1 is planned to be rerouted to the north of SODO to serve Ballard in a new underground line. The Ballard line can be built to 1500 V DC and identical clearances to the existing system but instead of using low-floor trams it's using high floor metro trains. While the Ballard line is being built, Line 1 starts to be rebuilt, including full grade separation and rebuilding the stations to have high floor platforms. Stadium would be closed during this period to be rebuilt into high floor configuration (and to accomodate the Line 3 branch to Alaska Junction) During this rebuilding, Line 1 would be truncated to SODO. Along this rebuild, Line 2 would be also be rebuilt to high floors, starting with to south+east of Chinatown and to the north of Northgate, forming a two-pincer rebuild that closes in onto the existing underground segment of Link Light Rail.
For rolling stock, the most appropriate to use would be what is similar to the Buenos Aires Underground 300 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buenos_Aires_Underground_300_Series . This is because both have very similar width (2.65 m) and height (nearly 12 ft) and use 1500 V DC overhead wires. The Buenos Aires 300 is 55 ft long, and with current light light rail trains 4 trams long, Link Metro Rail can go for a 7-car set. One major difference between the Link Metro Rail traincar and its Buenos Aires Underground counterpart is that instead of 4 doors it's 3 doors. This will allow for more room to put in transverse seating. As these trains will be full open gangway, even more capacity. With all this rebuilding, the stations can incorporate full-sized platform screen doors.
Should Seattle convert Link Light Rail to an actual metro rail (call it Link Metro Rail), it would be the first (and so far only) metro rail system in the US (though not in North America because Mexico City Metro Line 12, Metrorrey and REM predate) that uses 1500 V DC overhead wires.
#local
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