I’ve lived in or near 3 different cities (DC, Philly, and Trenton) and all of their local metro trains have had flat fronts. Wouldn’t it make more sense for them to be shaped more like cars or Amtrak trains when it comes to aerodynamics? I don’t understand how the flat front design could be efficient.
In: Engineering
You’re right: it’s not an efficient design for high speeds. And while it seems like your local subway or commuter rail might be going fast, there are practical speed limitations that normally prevent these trains from getting up to, or staying at a high speed where aerodynamics would really matter. The main one being, the stations are close enough together that the train barely has time to get up to speed before its starting to brake for the next.
A secondary factor: local trains are frequently electrically powered. Regional trains like Amtrack are not. So the impetuous to be fuel efficient and thus aerodynamic only is a factor for gas-powered trains.
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