---
title: "We Want to Rip Through Subway Tunnels in This Wacky Polaris Side-by-Side With Train Wheels"
description: "♬ I've been workin' on the railroad, all the live long day... ♬"
date: "2021-05-27"
modified: "2021-05-27"
authors:
  - name: "James Gilboy"
    job_title: "Contributing Writer"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/james-gilboy"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/40797/we-want-to-rip-through-subway-tunnels-in-this-wacky-polaris-side-by-side-with-train-wheels"
categories:
  - "News"
tags:
  - "Trains"
---

# We Want to Rip Through Subway Tunnels in This Wacky Polaris Side-by-Side With Train Wheels

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2021/05/180957197_10159415737806763_6519190390610357616_n.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Every railroad faces unique operational challenges, and such needs sometimes require unique, specialty vehicles to keep the wheels greased. In New York, there are [locomotives with rail-searing lasers](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/31607/choo-choo-pew-pew-how-a-new-york-railroad-uses-scorching-lasers-to-stay-on-schedule>). California still relies on [frightening, nearly century-old rotary snow plows](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/8488/watch-union-pacifics-massive-rotary-snow-plow-train-blast-through-the-donner-pass>) to carve through mountain drifts. And underneath Los Angeles, in the tight confines of the Metro's subway tunnels, there is a small, capable, flexible vehicle for track maintenance: A Polaris side-by-side with train wheels.

Cameoed in one of Metro's Facebook posts, this Polaris is what's known as a high-rail—a vehicle capable of traveling safely on both roads and train tracks, just like [Germany's strange *Schi-Stra-Bus*](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/36692/the-top-10-coolest-trains-of-all-time>). It does this by lowering two axles with flanged, free-spinning train wheels of the same gauge as the Metro's tracks. Because the LA Metro uses the [globally adopted standard gauge of 1,435 millimeters](<https://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/tcrp/tcrp_rpt_57-a.pdf>), this Polaris can theoretically be operated on many railroads around the world (though don't get any funny ideas).

![message-editor%2F1622044076394-180957197\_10159415737806763\_6519190390610357616\_n-2.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1622044076394-180957197_10159415737806763_6519190390610357616_n-2.jpg>)
*Metro Los Angeles's Polaris Pro XD 4000 hi-rail vehicle., *Ken Karagozian**

Unfortunately, there's not much official information to go off of. It doesn't look like those train wheels are powered, which leads me to believe this Polaris uses its regular, rubber-tired wheels to move. And if I'm correct in identifying this Polaris as a Pro XD 4000, that'd mean it's all-wheel-drive, and powered by either [an 898cc, 24.5-horsepower, three-cylinder diesel](<https://commercial.polaris.com/en-us/pro-xd-4000d-awd-avalanche-gray/specs/>) or a [1.0-liter, 39-HP gas engine](<https://commercial.polaris.com/en-us/pro-xd-4000g-awd-avalanche-gray/specs/>), the latter of which can push it up to 40 mph. Before you ask, no, these are still far from [the smallest combustion engine ever fitted to a railed vehicle](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/33326/show-us-a-more-dangerous-vehicle-than-this-motorized-railroad-chair>).

Though not nearly as powerful as a real locomotive, this Polaris hi-rail is presumably still capable of light maintenance duties—transporting personnel, tools, and maybe even construction materials. It has, after all, seats for four, a maximum payload of 2,075 pounds, and a tow rating of 2,500 pounds. Sounds like just enough to justify adding a trailer, though it might be hard finding [one that matches](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/39103/this-caprice-classic-wagons-matching-trailer-looks-like-seeing-a-glitch-in-real-life>).

*Got a tip or question for the author? You can reach them here: james@thedrive.com*

## Author
James is a former staff writer for The Drive. He has changed the conversation around electrification, debunked misinformation online, and become a prominent hunter of what he calls "automotive cryptids."

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://instagram.com/jamesgilboy>)