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Historial Success Stories:
Turbotrain
Back to the Future: Turbotrain
Set Standard for North American Design 30 Years Ago
A North American train that came very close to "ideal"
was the United Aircraft Turbotrain. This lightweight, low cost,
very comfortable train operated on the Northeast Corridor in the
1960s and early 1970s.
A Canadian version (pictured above) operated between Toronto and
Montreal from 1968 until 1982. When the Turbotrains were replaced,
VIA Rail (the Canadian passenger railway operator) was forced to
add 30 minutes to the schedule to account for the longer running
times of conventional equipment.
The UA Turbotrain had a stellar safety record. It never derailed,
even in grade crossing accidents with heavy trucks.
The U.S. version operated between New York and Boston from 1968
until 1972. The Penn Central RR was able to reduce the schedule
between those two cities by more than 20 minutes when the train
was introduced. In 1968 a test train made the trip in 2 hours 55
minutes - three decades before the track and electrification investments
made for Amtrak's Acela Express.
This design has been updated to meet current Federal Railroad Administration
standards. It can be manufactured from readily-available, domestically-produced
components. The design focuses on low operating and maintenance
costs, while providing a very high level of passenger comfort. It
can be powered by turbines or overhead electric catenary. It would
even meet very high performance standards with standard diesel engines
produced for semi trucks.
It is estimated that a train based on the updated UA Turboliner
design capable of carrying 310 passengers would weigh about half
as much as a comparable train comprised of the standard diesel locomotive
and "Horizon" cars that Amtrak now uses on the Chicago-Detroit
corridor.
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