Prototype rail cars ply CTA Orange Line
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-ChiefBeginning today, Chicago Transit Authority began testing its 5000-series prototype railcars on the Orange Line in regularly scheduled service. The rail cars are currently running on the Blue Line and had previously been tested on the Green and Red lines, where testing began last spring.
CTA said the 10 prototype cars, built by Bombardier Transportation, are being tested to determine how they perform when operating in the conditions that CTA’s rail fleet is subjected to throughout the year. The prototypes must successfully complete testing on all eight rail lines before CTA will authorize the delivery of the remaining 396 rail cars.
Each car has seven networked security cameras, an event recorder system similar to a black box on an airplane, and sensitive door sensors that promises to detect obstructions better than CTA’s current rail fleet.
Otheramenities include: an LED station indicator map with lights that move in conjunction with the train’s location and electronic destination signs—widened to increase the size of the text that improves readability—both inside and outside of the rail car; regenerative braking to help power other trains and on-board electrical systems; and alternating current propulsion system that converts the direct current energy from the third rail to AC for the traction motors.
