| Music City Star | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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  All three EMD F40PH locomotives in use on the Music City Star lined up within the Lebanon, Tennessee yards. |
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| Info | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Owner | Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Locale | Nashville Metropolitan Area | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Transit type | Commuter rail | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number of lines | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number of stations | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Daily ridership | 900 (Q3 2008) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Headquarters | Nashville, Tennessee | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operation | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Began operation | September 18, 2006 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operator(s) | Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Reporting marks | NRTX | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number of vehicles | 3 Locomotives 7 Coaches |
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| Train length | 2 Multi-level cars | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Technical | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| System length | 32 miles (51.5 km) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 81⁄2 in) (standard gauge) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Music City Star (reporting mark NRTX) is a commuter rail service running between Nashville and Lebanon, Tennessee. The service uses the existing trackage of the Nashville and Eastern Railroad. The line currently has six stops: Riverfront Station (western terminus), Donelson, Hermitage, Mt. Juliet, Martha (Tennessee State Route 109 and U.S. Highway 70), and Lebanon (eastern terminus). The operation covers 32 miles (52 km) of rail line. Service began on September 18, 2006.
Contents |
Overview
The Star is considered a "starter" project to demonstrate the effectiveness of commuter rail service to the metro Nashville area. Expansion plans include as many as six more lines, terminating in Gallatin, Columbia, Murfreesboro, Dickson, Springfield, and Ashland City. All are planned to use existing CSX Transportation railroad lines. The planned seven lines meet in central Nashville in a star formation, hence the name of the system, which also alludes to the city's many country music stars.
The Star's locomotives are EMD F40 locomotives that were previously used by Amtrak. The passenger cars were acquired through federal transfer of interest from Chicago's Metra commuter rail system, originally built in the 1960s and rebuilt between 1999 and 2000. The color scheme is identical to Metra's.
The Star is the first passenger train service of any kind for Nashville since the discontinuation of Amtrak's Floridian in 1979. The Nashville and Eastern line, part of the former Tennessee Central Railway, had not seen passenger service for many decades prior to the Star, with the exception of excursion trains operated by the Tennessee Central Railway Museum.
Rolling stock
The Music City Star commuter rail service is currently served by three rebuilt Amtrak EMD F40PH locomotives and seven former Chicago Metra coaches, all of which are standard gauge. The coaches are bi-level gallery cars with seating on both levels. Each seat can be easily reversed to face either direction and can also be configured for groups. The Music City Star also uses controlling cab cars which have a cab for allowing push-pull operation without the use of another locomotive.
 Typical multi-level passenger car as used by the Music City Star. |
 The interior view inside a Music City Star passenger coach. |
 The operating cab car end of a Music City Star train at Riverfront Station. |
Lines
Currently there is only one line with 6 more planned to other satellite cities around Nashville.
The current line is 32 miles long with 6 stations. The line is mostly one track, so this limits arrivals and departures to how long each train has to wait for the other to pass. The first "starter line" cost $41 million, or just under $1.3 million per mile, which made it the most cost efficient commuter rail start-up in the nation.[1] By comparison: San Diego Coaster, $91 million for 41 miles; Seattle Sounder, $860 million for 33 miles; Salt Lake City FrontRunner, $360 million for 43 miles; and New Mexico Rail Runner Express, $125 million for 29 miles.
East Corridor line
Ridership
As of September, 2008, the average ridership for the single line of the Music City Star is 900 passengers per day, with a record 1,012 passengers on September 24, 2008. Ridership on the Music City Star rose 39% between 2007 and 2008.[2] The train has a seating capacity of 750 passengers.[3]
See also
References
- ^ Latham, Garl B. (2008). Rail Transit: An Oklahoma Economic Opportunity. OnTrac.
- ^ "Music City Star Ridership Sets Record". NewsChannel5.com. September 24, 2008. http://www.newschannel5.com/global/story.asp?s=9069303. Retrieved 2008-11-23.
- ^ Brooks, Jennifer (July 5, 2008). "Packed 'Fireworks Express' leaves hundreds behind". The Tennessean.
External links
 External images |
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RailPictures.Net – Music City Star photographs at RailPictures.Net. |
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Music City Star |
- Music City Star – Official Website
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Coordinates: 36°09′43″N 86°46′25″W / 36.16195°N 86.77369°W
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
