Double-decker railcar passes FRA's compression test

Colorado Railcar's double-deck DMU (diesel multiple unit) met the Federal Railroad Administration's (FRA) compression requirements, the first double-deck railcar to do so. The DMU passed an 80,000-pound structural buff-load test, which involved being compressed by two hydraulic rams and recording the stress levels. The double deck, self-propelled railcar will be the second DMU to pass the FRA's rigorous structural requirements. The South Florida Regional Transportation Authority purchased a variation of the new 188-seat DMU together with a variation of the 200-seat, low-floor commuter coach and the single-level DMU for revenue service. The double-deck DMU will appear at the 2005 American Public Transportation Association Expo in Dallas.