They operate at the front of trains when they reverse direction at the end of a line.
Adding to the delays, officials said, were unwarranted activations of positive train control, mechanical problems, operational issues and the use of slow freight locomotives to replace all 57 of Metrolink's cab cars at the front of trains.
On Thursday, railroad officials announced that they will restrict the use of 57 of the new passenger cars that have control cabs for engineers and operate at the front of trains when they are being pushed from behind by locomotives.
3 45 p.m.: This article has been updated to clarify that the Rotem cab cars are being removed from service at the front of trains, but will be used in other positions to carry passengers. .
Afterward, Art Leahy, the railroad's chief executive, announced plans to temporarily replace the railroad's 57 Hyundai Rotem cab cars with locomotives leased from the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Co. Cab cars, which are passenger coaches with an engineer's station, are placed at the front of trains that are pushed from behind by locomotives.
The trains feature headlights at the front of each train as well as advertisement stickers that are found on NASCAR cars.
The car at the front of the train is constructed exactly like the one at the rear; at the end of each is an oval, glass-windowed observation compartment & above this is the "command cabin", where the engineer & assistant engineer are seated.
You should be at the front of the train, but your job is to shorten the distance between you and the back of the train so that we can all see what you see at the front".
Normally, I prefer to sit at the front of the train but, with all seats taken, I ended up standing in a crowded vestibule near the train's middle.
