New, More Appropriate Vehicle Technology
��Current service on the line is provided by �push-pull� technology, whereby a diesel locomotive powers an entire train set. �� While well suited to long haul regional rail, this technology does not allow for rapid acceleration or deceleration, as would best serve dense corridors with frequent stations.� A more appropriate vehicle technology for the Indigo Line would utilize "diesel multiple units" or DMU�s.� DMU�s are a new generation of the old Budd cars that used to operate on Boston�s commuter rail network until they were retired in 1989.� DMU�s are widely used in Europe and Japan and are gaining popularity in the United States, where regions such as Dallas-Fort Worth in Texas, Raliegh-Durham in North Carolina, Tampa-St. Petersburg in Florida, Burlington, Vermont, and Santa Cruz, California have recognized their benefit.��Rather than relying on locomotives for propulsion, each DMU car has its own engine.� As a result, DMU train sets have greater acceleration and deceleration; are more fuel efficient; less noisy; and can more flexibly adjust to match demand by allowing for more rapid assembly and disassembly of cars into train sets of appropriate size. New DMU�s look like a hybrid between light rail vehicles and traditional trains and can be low floor, thereby complying with ADA requirements without requiring a more expensive investment in high platform stations.
![[DMU photo - 1 car train]](img/dmu.jpg)
Demonstration DMU running along Union Pacific right-of-way in Santa Cruz, CA
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This page created 9.9.00, last updated 8.1.01.