Facts about MARTA’s Armour Yard Rail Services Facility

• With the North line under construction, and 100 rail cars ordered from BREDA, the MARTA Board of Directors determined that MARTA needed additional storage and maintenance capacity for its rail car fleet
• A comprehensive study was later conducted to find a suitable location and 11 sites made the short list
• The Armour Circle Business District was chosen due to its location just south of the junction of MARTA’s north and northeast rail lines
• In addition, as an established industrial area, impact to residential areas and green space was minimal
• In 1999, a budget of $289 million was determined for the project that included real estate acquisition and relocation costs
• Real estate acquisition began in May 1998, construction began in April 2001, and the project was completed in May 2005 for $279 million

Facility Features:

• Has storage capacity for 108 rail cars
• Designed to clean both the interior and exterior of rail cars
1. Cleaner platform will allow more efficient and effective interior cleaning of rail cars
2. Wash rack was designed for railcar exterior washing in any outside temperature
• Will allow MARTA to perform heavy repair work in-house that is currently outsourced such as motor overhaul
• Designed to accommodate possible future transportation projects such as light-rail or streetcar

• Sustainable design and construction practices utilized to reduce costs, preserve land, and minimize environmental impact
• During construction, every effort was made to protect Peachtree Creek, which runs parallel to the CSX line on the northern edge of the facility:

1. Monitoring stations were set up both up and downstream to make sure the creek was silting up and that no sedimentation was occurring
2. When it rains, all runoff water is collected in an under drain system and an on site water treatment plant sanitizes the water before it is discharged into Peachtree Creek or the Atlanta Sewer System
3. A temporary bridge was built across an 80 yr-old City of Atlanta sanitation sewer line
4. Upon completion, the banks of the creek were restored
5. Over 500 trees have been planted on site.
• The exterior train wash and the interior cleaning shed and platform have their own wastewater treatment plants

Armour Yard Buildings:

Maintenance and Overhaul Building

• Five (5) acres large (208,000sf)
• Contains six through tracks, three of which perform the following:

• Running Repair Pit Tracks - light maintenance work
• Wheel Truing Track - performs maintenance on the wheels
• Inspection Pit Tracks – preventative maintenance work

• Welding & Machine Shop
• Paint Shop
• Coupler Shop
• Truck Shop
• Traction Motor Shop
• Electro-mechanical shop
• Air Brake Shop
• Clean Room
• Degreasing Room
• Small Motor & Component Repair Shop
• Staging Room with loading dock
• Parts Store Room (29,000sf)
• Offices

Control Tower

• Connected to M&O Building by pedestrian bridge (4,866sf)

• Controls all train movement within the facility
• Dispatches trains into service and communicates with Rail Services Control Center at Avondale
• Contains a room for automatic train control equipment under tower
• Houses all communications equipment for radio, closed circuit television, train control and security gate

Cleaner Building

• First time the Authority will have a dedicated platform for cleaning
• Has 630 ft cleaner platform long enough for eight (8) car train
• Designed for interior cleaning of the rail fleet
• Has its own wastewater treatment plan

Maintenance of Way Shed

• Will allow for interior storage of track maintenance equipment (320 ft long)
• Will save the Authority money on long term rail car maintenance

Sub-Station Building & Gap Breaker Building

• Both provide electrical traction power to run the trains

Exterior Train Wash

• Has dedicated wastewater treatment plan
• Has capability to run rail cars through for cleaning

Petroleum, Oils, and Lubricants Building

• Centralized storage and dispatch facility for petroleum, oil and lubricants for the entire Authority
• Contains any spills with all drain containment base to prevent risk for contaminating ground water

Blow Down Pit

• Cleans the undersides of rail cars and the ends
• Replaces air conditioning filters and vacuums air conditioners

Bypass Track

• Signaled for automatic train control
• Can function as a back-up track in case of an emergency
• Parallel to the main rail line

Other MARTA rail yards:

• Avondale – 148 car storage capacity
• South Yard – 120 car storage capacity
• Doraville – 30 cars storage capacity