“The process of changing all 5,984 wheels on 2,992 axles for 748 railcars may take a couple of years”

photograph by Adam Fagen

From WMATA:

“Metro establishing prepare to resolve wheels and return 7000-series fleet to typical services

Metro’s system to improve the way it presses wheels on 7000-collection rail automobiles (7Ks) is beneath advancement, primarily based on technological facts produced now by the Countrywide Transportation Basic safety Board (NTSB).

“We take pleasure in the NTSB generating the technological stories accessible so that we can build our approach to start off repressing wheels on these trains at a larger typical, which includes the fit on to the axles,” said Main Operations Officer Brian Dwyer. “We are planning the specialized documents and coaching plan, though we collaboratively progress the following variation of our return to services plan for approval by the Washington Metrorail Security Commission.”

NTSB’s investigation docket launch nowadays will make it achievable for Metro to transparently perform to addressing the bring about of the wheel motion with a revised Return to Support Approach (edition 4). Although a trigger has not been formally declared by NTSB, among the the documents introduced nowadays was a report from specialists at engineering organization Hatch-LTK which discovered a technical difficulty — microslip due to reduction in call tension. Metro’s internal and external engineering experts agree that an raise to the healthy and press tonnage utilized to mount rail wheels onto axles is necessary for the 7Ks. As a preliminary estimate, it will get up to 36 months at a price tag of roughly $55 million to repress all 7K wheels.

“The system of shifting all 5,984 wheels on 2,992 axles for 748 railcars may well acquire a few of decades to entire,” claimed Dwyer. “We thank our buyers for their endurance and want them to know that the very good information is we will be equipped to resolve about 20 vehicles a month to securely make up far more trains and restore the harmless, repeated and responsible provider the region demands.”

The hottest stage of Metro’s Return to Provider Plan was activated on January 28, 2023. The existing period marks a shift to measuring the wheels each 7 days as an alternative of just about every 4 days, and will stay in influence until eventually Metro gets concurrence from WMSC on the revised system. Metro will continue on its arduous inspections of wheels with measurements for every 7000-sequence rail auto until finally its wheels are reassembled at the new, better conventional.

“Process variations will have to be harmless and deliberate,” explained Chief of Security and Readiness Theresa Impastato. “We will acquire the time essential to get this ideal due to the fact each and every solitary rail car or truck must endure a rigorous system to be all set to provide our shoppers and support our staff members.”