Colorado Railcar picks up steam with inaugural sale of diesel unit

FORT LUPTON — A Colorado company is changing the way the country looks at public transportation.
Colorado Railcar Manufacturing LLC of Fort Lupton recently sold its first diesel multiple unit railcar, or DMU, to be used in Florida as part of a two-year federal study.
A DMU is a self-propelled passenger railcar that runs on diesel fuel. It can run on existing rail lines and can pull up to two additional coaches. Single-level, 90-seat DMU railcars sell for $2.9 million and the 188- to 200-seat double-deck DMU railcars cost up to $3.9 million.
?We have the only DMU that meets the Federal Railroad Commission standards for strength and safety,? said Tom Rader, president of Colorado Railcar.
In August 2002, Colorado Railcar finished the prototype and testing of the DMU. Since then, the railcar has been touring North America. It has been to Alaska and British Columbia ? where it hit a 1,200-pound moose ? and 70 locations around the continental U.S. Most recently, interest has been expressed by local governments in Johnstown, Pa., and Snohomish, Wash.
Colorado Railcar?s coming-out occurred in February 2003 when the DMU made a trip from Denver to Fort Collins with stops in Boulder, Longmont, Westminster, Broomfield and Thornton.
?This was an opportunity for people to see what type of transportation we might consider up here,? said Margie Joy, the regional public participation and outreach manager for the North Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization. Joy said the DMU is an attractive transportation option because it can run on existing rail lines.
?You have to pick the mode of transportation that fits the needs of your area,? Joy said. ?In our area, the DMU is more feasible than light rail.?
For DMU service to be feasible for Northern Colorado, the existing rail lines would need to be upgraded for passenger travel. Also, new track would need to be laid, especially if there would be a line between the northern Front Range and Union Station in Denver.
The North Front Range MPO is updating the current transportation plan to project the transportation needs of the next 25 years. The initial draft is available for public review through mid-June. Joy said a DMU system could rank high on the priorities for future transportation demands.
Meanwhile, the South Florida Region Transportation Authority and the federal government have partnered to put Colorado Railcar?s products to the test.
Colorado Railcar sold its first DMU at the start of this year to the South Florida Region Transportation Authority, a cooperative group of Florida city governments and the transportation department.
The Florida Department of Transportation applied for a $3,974,000 grant from the federal government. The grant required matching funding from non-federal sources. The South Florida Region Transportation Authority purchased a single-level DMU, the newly designed double-deck DMU and the new double-deck companion commuter coach. The single-level DMU entered service in February; the other railcars will be delivered in May 2005.
A two-year federal demonstration will be conducted. The DMU will run a route from Miami to Magnolia Park, just north of West Palm Beach, five days per week. During the two years, data will be compiled about the cost, efficiency and safety of the DMU for federal use. After the two years is up, Florida retains ownership of the DMU railcars.
The Florida Department of Transportation already has plans to expand DMU use in the state.
?A second grant is available and FDOT has submitted a Statement of Interest,? said Bradley Barkman, director of operations at the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority.
On April 2, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a $275 billion highway and transit funding bill. If passed through the Senate, this bill could fund public transportation projects, among other things, for the next six years.
The DMU demonstrated its abilities in Pennsylvania on April 15 and finished several demonstrations in New Jersey on April 30. It is scheduled to visit Washington D.C. next for a demonstration for members of Congress before returning to Miami to run its scheduled route.