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Re: Joe's Good Question Orangeline BRT basic infromation
Author: Max Wyss
Date: 04-03-2019 - 05:31
Thanks a lot for the info, BOB2.
Well, one point which can help is considering 25m double articulated vehicles. However, for this size, BEBs with overnight charging are not there yet. Even 18 m single articulateds have problems, considering all the "comfort consumers", which may be about the same as used for traction. So, they would do better if they provided Opportunity Charging, but considering the length of the line, that would mean some 10 minutes charging at each end of the line, and that would translate in 3 extra buses in operation.
If some money should be spent, then IMHO, one should consider Battery Trolleybuses with In Motion Charging. A rule of thumb at current state of the arts, is that about 50% of the line would have to be electrified. 25m BTBs are already on the market, made by Hess, vanHool, and Solaris; maybe others too). Such vehicles are long, yes, but the cities which use them have not seen any significant problems, because the rear axle is steered, and follows quite well in the tracks of the third axle (that means the double articulated behaves similarly to a single articulated).
It depends a bit on the weighting of criterion, but in several places the BTB comes out as the (long term) most economical solution, particularly with higher capacity vehicles. Because the ability to run on batteries allows to avoid places with complex switchwork, the overhead wiring can come quite cheap. A Swiss city where the voters approved a network extension calculates the equivalent of $2 million per mile "double track" overhead installation (including substations).
An advantage of such an approach is that when even double articulated trolleybuses are no longer providing sufficient capacity, some of the investment for going "light rail" have already been done (namely the electrification).
FWIW, a few weeks ago, I stumbled over a video of the Beijing BRT line 1, which uses BTB trolleybuses with In Motion Charging, and it appears to work quite well.
Well, one point which can help is considering 25m double articulated vehicles. However, for this size, BEBs with overnight charging are not there yet. Even 18 m single articulateds have problems, considering all the "comfort consumers", which may be about the same as used for traction. So, they would do better if they provided Opportunity Charging, but considering the length of the line, that would mean some 10 minutes charging at each end of the line, and that would translate in 3 extra buses in operation.
If some money should be spent, then IMHO, one should consider Battery Trolleybuses with In Motion Charging. A rule of thumb at current state of the arts, is that about 50% of the line would have to be electrified. 25m BTBs are already on the market, made by Hess, vanHool, and Solaris; maybe others too). Such vehicles are long, yes, but the cities which use them have not seen any significant problems, because the rear axle is steered, and follows quite well in the tracks of the third axle (that means the double articulated behaves similarly to a single articulated).
It depends a bit on the weighting of criterion, but in several places the BTB comes out as the (long term) most economical solution, particularly with higher capacity vehicles. Because the ability to run on batteries allows to avoid places with complex switchwork, the overhead wiring can come quite cheap. A Swiss city where the voters approved a network extension calculates the equivalent of $2 million per mile "double track" overhead installation (including substations).
An advantage of such an approach is that when even double articulated trolleybuses are no longer providing sufficient capacity, some of the investment for going "light rail" have already been done (namely the electrification).
FWIW, a few weeks ago, I stumbled over a video of the Beijing BRT line 1, which uses BTB trolleybuses with In Motion Charging, and it appears to work quite well.
