A Train With a 2-Track Mind

Even by California standards, this was a strange sight.

A train speeding by without a locomotive, then the six passenger cars breaking into two separate trains while moving. And it had Hebrew lettering and a horn that sounded like a braying donkey.

Billed as a train of the future, the Flexliner arrived this week from Israel, where it was previously in service, as part of its Danish maker’s North American sales tour.

“Much quieter, much smoother,” said Michael Dickerson, a member of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s citizens advisory council, as he compared the Flexliner to other trains on a test run.

MTA officials see the locomotive-less train as a way to expand the county’s rail system faster and at less cost than by building electric trolley lines. A three-car Flexliner sells for $5 million in Europe but could cost more because of tougher U.S. safety standards for the car bodies.

Because its cars can be separated, while moving, into two or more trains, a train leaving downtown for the San Fernando Valley could send some cars to Burbank airport and others to the Santa Clarita Valley. The diesel-powered cars can be driven from either end.

If there are only enough passengers to fill a few cars, then--presto!--you have a three-car train.

MTA Board Chairman Larry Zarian, who attended the Flexliner’s arrival in Los Angeles, has been the prime mover behind studies on running self-propelled rail cars between downtown Los Angeles, Burbank and Glendale.

While Metrolink trains currently operate along that corridor, they run only during rush hours. Trains like the Flexliner could run throughout the day--perhaps every 10 minutes--and make more stops, promoters say, because they can slow down and speed up faster than heavier, locomotive-pulled trains. A three-car aluminum Flexliner weighs less than a single 130-ton locomotive.

But bigger Metrolink trains would still be needed during peak periods. A three-car Flexliner seats 150 passengers--the same number as one Metrolink double-decker car.

Transit officials also have talked about using the trains in areas that otherwise would wait years for a rail line because the bulk of funds are committed for projects like the subway and the downtown-to-Pasadena trolley line.

The Flexliner brought to Southern California had first- and second-class seating. Even in coach, features include soft reclining seats, larger windows than most other trains, pay phones and outlets for laptop computers. In Europe, children’s play areas have been added as well.

The chairs face each other--unlike the new Metrolink trains. “People don’t like facing each other,” said a Metrolink spokesman. (So we don’t like to look at each other. New Yorkers don’t like to touch. The Long Island Rail Road eliminated armrests on trains because riders said they didn’t want to get involved in “territorial disputes.”)

During a ride aboard the train, travelers were served lunch at their seats. If the train were put in service, an attendant could walk down the aisle selling drinks and sandwiches.

The first-class car had more leg room, more food and more service--all, of course, costing more money.

The ride at times seemed bumpy, but no worse than driving on pockmarked Los Angeles city streets. A representative of the manufacturer blamed the track. But a Metrolink official aboard shook his head no.

The Flexliner can reach 112 mph, but trains are restricted to 79 mph in urban regions and 90 mph in outlying areas.

The manufacturer also was promoting the Flexliner as a kind of money train, which could feature gambling and reduce the train trip between Las Vegas and Los Angeles from six hours to four.

Locomotive-less trains are not entirely new to the United States. They were used years ago until they proved unreliable and costly to maintain. The manufacturers of the modern versions say the technology has greatly improved.

While Metrolink officials do not believe the Burbank-Glendale-Los Angeles corridor is the best place for the trains, they say they are worth studying for lower-density routes, such as San Bernardino to Redlands.

In San Diego County, transit officials are looking at using the trains between Oceanside and Escondido. And in Ventura County, officials are studying opening a factory to convert the diesel-powered trains to cleaner-burning fuels.

Indeed, one potential problem is that environmentalists might object to the use of diesel engines, which pollute more than electric trolleys. But Zarian said the trains would reduce smog by taking commuters out of cars.

A bigger obstacle will be finding the millions of dollars to not only acquire the trains but also build stations and upgrade crossings.

If you want to give it a try, Amtrak plans to operate the Flexliner on some runs between Los Angeles and San Diego through the rest of the month.