(The following appeared on the Orlando Sentinel website on February 25, 2011.)
ORLANDO, Fla. — When Tri-Rail, South Florida’s publicly owned commuter rail line, requested bids of up to $100 million for new locomotives last year, some manufacturers and state business and political leaders urged the agency to embrace advanced train-engine technology that experts say deliver big improvements in dependability and operating costs.
Instead, Tri-Rail administrators selected a small vendor with little experience in building commuter train locomotives that uses an old technology in decreasing use across the United States. Critics contend the locomotives Tri Rail selected, though cheaper to buy, will end up costing taxpayers far more to run during their 25-year lifespan than the newer, more-efficient train engines, which now make up the bulk of new sales across the industry.
The full story appears at www.OrlandoSentinel.com.