Conditions and Performance Chapter Listing

Conditions and Performance Home Page

Introduction

Summary

Road Conditions

Bridge Conditions

Transit System Conditions

Rail Vehicles

Conditions of the Nation's rail vehicle fleet are shown in Exhibit 3-37. While the ratings are based on the same 1 to 5 scale as was used for buses, the decay curves used to estimate conditions are of the logistic form discussed above, rather than the updated form used for buses.

The average condition of the rail vehicle fleet in 1997 was 4.0. While this corresponds to a condition rating of "good," it is significantly lower than the average condition of 4.6 for the fleet in 1987. This corresponds to an increase in the average age of the rail fleet from 15.6 to 20.4 years.

Exhibit 3-37. Rail Transit Vehicle Fleet Count, Age and Condition, 1987-1997

The decrease in condition is due primarily to the aging and declining condition of the heavy rail fleet, the most numerous rail vehicle type, which fell from 4.7 to 3.9, as the average age increased from 15.2 years to 21.0. Powered commuter rail cars also posted significant deterioration in average condition over the period, while other commuter rail vehicles were unchanged. Light rail vehicles improved slightly in condition, and their average age decreased from 17.2 to 14.6. This improvement resulted from the many new light rail systems that have come on line during the past decade. Definitions of rail vehicle condition ratings are found in Exhibit 3-38.

Exhibit 3-38. Definitions of Rail Vehicle Condition