What’s a DMU?
April 16, 2015
A DMU is a Diesel Multiple Unit, like the rail car pictured, that uses conventional rail lines and is self-propelled so it needs no locomotive to pull it. DMUs are part of several transportation plans, but they are also a critical component of some land development plans as well. In Boston, the MBTA has issued a Request for Proposals to procure 30 DMU vehicles that will be used initially on the nine mile long Fairmount Line that runs through Roxbury, Dorchester, Mattapan, and Hyde Park.
The Fairmount Corridor has been the focus of a recent major study by the City of Boston as well as many other planning efforts that aim to take advantage of opportunities “to create new links between neighborhoods, revitalize commercial districts, and create a sense of place that identifies and celebrates the local yet transcends neighborhood boundaries” in the words of the summary report of the study. A critical component that will both provide improved access for current residents and support appropriate new development is the transportation infrastructure that includes new rail stations, a new fare structure to encourage ridership, and soon new DMUs that will provide more frequent service at lower operating costs than current conventional commuter rail trains.
DMUs in the Fairmount Corridor will be one of the keys to unlock the potential of these neighborhoods and improve the mobility of its residents. If current plans are carried out, the Fairmount Corridor will not be the only place where DMUs will support mobility and development. A new station at Boston Landing on the Framingham/Worcester Line is now being built as part of the New Balance development in Allston, and MassDOT plans to build West Station as part of rebuilding the I-90 Allston Interchange. Both of these stations will support planned and potential new development and will be best served by DMU vehicles that can make more frequent stops because they are lighter than conventional commuter rail trains and can accelerate and decelerate more quickly. With more closely spaced stations along rail lines, a greater number of sites can be open for development reducing the number of users that need to drive individual cars to the sites.
So a DMU is both a transportation vehicle and an economic development vehicle that also can reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality all in one package. What a concept!
