# UNITED STATES | Regional Rail



## GVNY

*A Tour Up Stevens Pass  * 

*This grand tour will take us from Seattle to Ephrata by rail.*



Our historic journey up the legendary Stevens Pass begins in King Street Station, downtown Seattle. (Image 1, Image 2, Image 3, Image 4, Image 5) Completed in 1906 by the Great Northern and Northern Pacific railroads, her 75 foot tall campanile is rivaled by many tall buildings surrounding it, but it must have risen like a beacon when it glowed on dark nights a hundred years ago. It would be another ten years before Smith Tower was built a few blocks to the north. 

Before the Great Northern, Seattle had lost a battle with her arch rival Tacoma to become terminus for the Northern Pacific railway. It was an ego destroyer for arrogant, young Seattle. A branchline was created to the city where the Northern Pacific used extortionate prices to gauge their customers. The Great Northern's entrance into Seattle cost the GN nearly nothing in property expenses, as property owners gave it away for the promising new company, who they believed had come to save them from the wrath of the NP. Seattle finally had her title as terminus, and her growth was explosive. 

Due north, the tracks head into a mile long tunnel located under the skyscrapers of the impregnable Seattle skyline. (Image 6) and exit at North Portal. (Image 7) The tracks then follow Alaskan and Elliot Avenues until a slight curve brings the steel rails into the Interbay classification yard. Interbay yard has an important locomotive servicing facility. (Image 8, Image 9, Image 10) 

The tracks continue north and parallel with Commodore Way. Soon, the tracks rise over the road and onto Bridge 6.3, a bascule bridge built by the Great Northern railroad to carry traffic over the Salmon Bay. (Image 11, Image 12, Image 13) 

After crossing into Ballard, the double tracked mainline soon parallels the Puget Sound and and follows her sinuous curves north into Edmonds, Mukilteo and Everett. (Image 14, Image 15, Image 16)

Passing Rucker Hill in Everett, the rails reach the old Everett Station. (Image 17) From there the main line makes a 180 degree turn through a partially covered cut  through downtown Everett to the new Everett station. (Image 18) From the new station, the main line heads south, then southeast along the Snohomish river through the cities of Snohomish  (Image 19) and Monroe. (Image 20)

Monroe, the last habitation that can claim the description "city" along our route was once the site of the Great Northern Railway's botanical gardens. Here, fresh flowers for their passenger trains were once grown. Each day these flowers would be loaded aboard the Western Star for distribution throughout the system so that each dining car passenger might have fresh flowers with their meal. 

From Monroe, the line borders the friendly, tiny community of Sultan. (Image 21, Image 22)

A little more east, rests the community of Startup (Image 23)


The community of Goldbar is also near. From Goldbar, the fun begins, as well as the climb. (Image 24) 

Just outside the small town, the line crosses over the Skykomish River (Image 25), wraps around a hill and finally crosses the river once more. The tracks reach the town of Index. Several bridges are located in this remote, isolated area, including the famed Sunset falls, images 30 and 32.(Image 26, Image 27, Image 28, Image 29, Image 30, Image 31,Image 32) 

Outside of Index, the tracks reach the railroad siding of Baring. If you are stuck at Baring, chances are that you will witness a train. (Image 33, Image 34, Image 35, Image 36)

Also, just around the corner, is nearby Grotto. In this area, spectacular views are bountiful. (Image 37, Image 38, Image 39, Image 40)

From the siding at Grotto, the the steel ribbons finally reach the most famous small town on the Stevens Pass line. Skykomish. 

Skykomish's tiny downtown, strung along Railroad Avenue beside the tracks, looks much the same as it did more than half a century ago.
Even the Whistling Post Tavern is still there, in what once was a saloon opened by Patrick McEvoy, the engineer on the first scheduled train to go through Skykomish in 1893. The first white settler, in 1889, was John Maloney, a guide for railroad surveyor John Stevens, who was plotting a new route across the Cascades for the Great Northern line from Seattle to Chicago. The town initially was known as Maloney's Siding but later was named after the Indian word for "inland people." (Image 41, Image 42, Image 43, Image 44)

Quaint, and sort of touristy as it may be, there is no mistaking it for anything but a railroad town. Skykomish became the point where trains switched from steam engines to electric engines for the trip over Stevens Pass. They switched engines again on the return trip. Great Northern also had a big roundhouse and fueling facility in the town.

Unfortunately, technology caught up with this booming train city. Railroading changed forever in Skykomish in 1956 when the Great Northern installed a ventilation system in the Cascade Tunnel, permitting diesel engines to replace the electrics. Tom Cleveland, the former mayor, was the fireman on the last electric engine to pull out of town on July 31, 1956. Skykomish had lost her importance. After mushrooming to a population of nearly 8,000 in the 1920s, Skykomish shrank. It had a population of 273 in 1990. Today the official population is 271.(Image 45, Image 46, Image 47, Image 48, Image 49)

Today, "Sky" , as she is affectionately known, serves as a maintenance base, and occasionally helpers are still stationed here, though with the advent of Distributed Power technology this has become less common. For the railfan, Skykomish has most of the things necessary for a successful day. It's the last town until Leavenworth on the east side of the mountain, and offers food and some great places to watch trains.

Outside of Skykomish, the stiff 2.2% climb to Stevens pass begins. Rounding a few curves, the rails reach the spectacular Foss river bridge, a great feat for its time. (Image 50, Image 51, Image 52, Image 53)

In this area, as well as the whole BNSF Scenic Subdivision, as this line is officially called, beautiful scenery surrounds the tracks. (Image 54, Image 55, Image 56, Image 57)

The tracks pass near Deception Creek. (Image 58, Image 59, Image 60)

And finally, 17 miles beyond Skykomish, at the rail siding of Scenic, is the west portal of the great Cascade Tunnel. Soon, the tracks will reach the summit of Stevens Pass. (Image 61, Image 62, Image 63, Image 64, Image 65, Image 66, Image 67, Image 68, Image 69, Image 70)

*The History of Stevens Pass and the Cascade Tunnel*

James J. Hill, President of the Great Northern Railroad Company, decided in 1890 to extend the railroad to the Pacific coast, and hired John F. Stevens  with the task of locating the rail line through the Rocky and Cascade mountains to Puget Sound. Though Hill and his engineers -- including John F. Stevens -- for whom Stevens Pass was named, were a brilliant and visionary crew, they found a fierce opponent in the Cascade range. Stevens built the line up the Wenatchee River and Nason Creek towards the 4,059 foot summit of Stevens Pass. Miraculous engineering feats went into the railroad line, including the construction of several monumental 4% switchbacks to get over the hill. These would soon be replaced by the first Cascade tunnel. 

The first 2.63 mile long Cascade Tunnel was completed in 1900 at a cost of 4 million dollars. (Image 71) The 1.7 percent grade through the tunnel didn't crest until it reached the east tunnel portal at Cascade Tunnel Station. Old Cascade tunnel took eight years to build, and after two men on an eastbound freight were asphyxiated from smoke build-up, was later electrified. (Image 72) But danger still loomed, mainly in the form of avalanches that were constantly cascading down the logged hillsides. 

Photos and maps of the old line: (Image 73, Image 74, Image 75, Image 76)

Inside old Cascade Tunnel: Here

Map of switchbacks, old and new Cascade tunnels, and the Chumstick line revisions: Here

As said before, danger was looming. The worst was to come. On February 23, 1910, after a snow delay at the east Cascade Mountains town of Leavenworth, two Great Northern trains, the Spokane Local passenger train No. 25 and Fast Mail train No. 27, proceeded westbound towards Puget Sound. There were five or six steam and electric engines, 15 boxcars, passenger cars, and sleepers. 

The trains had passed through the Cascade Tunnel from the east to the west side of the mountains, when snow and avalanches forced them to stop near Wellington, in King County. Wellington was a small town populated almost entirely with Great Northern railway employees. 

The train stopped under the peak of Windy Mountain, above Tye Creek. Heavy snowfall and avalanches made it impossible for train crews to clear the tracks. For six days, the trains waited in blizzard and avalanche conditions. On February 26, the telegraph lines went down and communication with the outside was lost. On the last day of February, the weather turned to rain with thunder and lightening. Thunder shook the snow-laden Cascade Mountains alive with avalanches. Then it happened. 

*White Death * 

On March 1, some time after midnight, Charles Andrews, a Great Northern employee, was walking towards the warmth of one of the Wellington’s bunkhouses when he heard a rumble. He turned toward the sound. In 1960, he described what he witnessed: 


"White Death moving down the mountainside above the trains. Relentlessly it advanced, exploding, roaring, rumbling, grinding, snapping -- a crescendo of sound that might have been the crashing of ten thousand freight trains. It descended to the ledge where the side tracks lay, picked up cars and equipment as though they were so many snow-draped toys, and swallowing them up, disappeared like a white, broad monster into the ravine below" (Roe, 88). 
One of the 23 survivors interviewed three days after the Wellington train disaster stated: 

"There was an electric storm raging at the time of the avalanche. Lighting flashes were vivid and a tearing wind was howling down the canyon. Suddenly there was a dull roar, and the sleeping men and women felt the passenger coaches lifted and borne along. When the coaches reached the steep declivity they were rolled nearly 1,000 feet and buried under 40 feet of snow" (Roe, 87). 


A surviving train conductor sleeping in one of the mail train cars was thrown from the roof to the floor of the car several times as the train rolled down the slope before it disintegrated when the train slammed against a large tree. 
Charles Andrews would not make it to the bunkhouse warmth for many hours. Along with other Wellington residents, Andrews rushed to the crushed trains that lay 150 feet below the railroad tracks. During the next few hours they dug out 23 survivors, many with injuries. 

In the days that followed, news of the tragedy that reached the rest of the country was inaccurate. On March 1 there were reports of "30 feared dead." On March 2 there were "15 bodies ... recovered ... [and] 69 persons missing. One hundred and fifty men, mostly volunteers, are working to uncover the dead." On March 3 a headline stated, "VICTIMS NOW REACH 118." 

The injured were sent to Wenatchee. The bodies of the dead were transported on toboggans down the west side of the Cascades to trains that carried them to Everett and Seattle. Ninety-six people died in the avalanche, including 35 passengers, 58 railroad employees sleeping on the trains, and three railroad employees sleeping in cabins enveloped by the avalanche. 
(Image 77, Shot 78, Image 79, Shot 80, Image 81, Shot 82, Image 83)

*Cause: Rain, Thunder, Fire, Clear Cutting * 

The immediate cause of the avalanche was the rain and thunder. But, conditions had been set by the clear cutting of timber and by forest fires caused by steam locomotive sparks, which opened up the slopes above the tracks and created an ideal environment for slides to occur. 

It took the Great Northern three weeks to repair the tracks before trains started running again over Stevens Pass. Because the name Wellington became associated with the disaster, the little town was renamed Tye. By 1913, to protect the trains from snow slides, the Great Northern had constructed snow-sheds over the nine miles of tracks between Scenic and Tye. 

In 1929, a new tunnel was built, making the old grade obsolete. This 1929 tunnel is still today (2003) used by the Burlington Northern Sante Fe Railroad. 

The old grade is now the Iron Goat Trail, a hiking trail through the forest and past various examples of railroad archeology. The name Iron Goat was taken from the Great Northern Railway corporate symbol -- a mountain goat standing on a rock. "Iron goat" was applied to Great Northern locomotives climbing mountainous rail line in the Rockies or Cascade mountains. 

More information on the Wellington avalanche of 1910: Here

More Information on the Iron Goat Trail: Here

*A New Tunnel, A New Stevens Pass*

After the avalanche shook the Great Northern railroad to its core, it brought a shocking realization to the company and the world; the old line must be abandoned. So the railroad serveryed the area around Scenic and Berne, Washington for a suitable tunnel. Once the path was agreed upon, construction ensued in 1925. The second Cascade Tunnel, 7.79 miles long and having an extraordinary price tag of 26 million dollars, opened on On January 12, 1929 as the longest tunnel in the western hemisphere. The westbound Oriental Limited became the first train to operate through the brand new tunnel. 

The fabled railroads Great Northern and Northern Pacific merged together along with several other lines to form the Burlington Northern railroad in 1970, to the dismay of many. The Burlington Northern would last an even shorter amount of time as a railroad. In 1996, BN merged with the Santa Fe Railroad to form the mega railroad we see today, Burlington Northern Santa Fe, or BNSF. Now we will get back to the Stevens Pass line:

After cresting Stevens Pass, the tracks emerge from the east portal of the Cascade Tunnel at Berne. This is where the tunnel's ventilation systems are located. It takes 30 minutes for a train to clear the tunnel on a good day, and 30 more to clear it of dangerous toxins, thus only 1 train per hour. So, as of now, only a maximum of 24-30 trains a day use Stevens Pass. Berne is easily reached as highway 2 hovers just above the portal of the tunnel. (Image 84, Image 85, Image 86, Image 87, Image 88, Image 89) 

The tracks outside of Cascade tunnel immediately pass over Nason creek on a small bridge, and continue down towards leavenworth. After the siding at Berne ends the single track curves into Gaynor Tunnel and following the tunnel, is the majestic Gaynor trestle. (Image 90, Image 91, Image 92, Image 93)

Farther down the Wenatchee Valley, the rails reach Merritt, a railroad siding with pleasant scenery and sometimes, overpowering winter weather.(Image 94, Image 95, Image 96)

And a ways further we reach Winton. At Winton, the rails turn and head into Winton tunnel which then leads into the Chumstick Canyon. (Image 97, Image 98, Image 99, Image 100)


But this wasn't always like this. Before the line went through the Chumstick Canyon, the rails went through the much prettier but much more sinuous and dangerous Tumwater Canyon. While building the new Cascade Tunnel, this line was abandoned for the Chumstick line which is less steep and less curvy. 

Passing through two more tunnels and down the Chumstick Canyon, the railroad passes by a former important location, Leavenworth. At one time, the tracks went down the middle of the city, where Highway 2 is today. Leavenworth was a major division yard and locomotive maintanance facility for the Great Northern's Cascade Division, and the short stretch of track between Leavenworth and Skykomish was the toughest section of track in all of the Great Northern's 10,000 some odd miles of trackage. This all changed with the line relocation. (Image 101) 

Now passed Leavenworth, the climate and topography of the area changes drastically. No longer a mountainous moist, tree lush area, but a steppe semi-arid plateau, we enter "Apple Country". Indeed we are. Now quite a few miles away from Leavenworth, we enter our first apple city, Peshastin. A tiny community, the economy is fueled by agriculture. (Image 102, Image 103)

The tracks then cross over the Wenatchee river and into Dryden, another apple town. (Image 104)

The steel ribbons, now parallel with the Wenatchee river, enter the 3rd apple town, and the geographic center of Washington State, Cashmere.  (Image 105, Image 106, Image 107, Image 108)

Our rails now enter the 4th apple raising town, Monitor. Monitor is a tiny, one siding whistle stop. (Image 109, Image 110 )

And finally, our steel ribbons reach Wenatchee, the true apple capital of the world! This city was just a tiny isolated town before the Great Northern transformed her into a great agricultural center. She has blossomed into a city of 30,000 people. 

Wenatchee (Appleyard) was the ending point of the electrification system that stretched to Skykomish. The diesels put that system out of business in 1956. Appleyard was once a major yard on the GN's Cascade Division, with a large classification yard, engine services crew transfers, but her importance has, since then, been limited. (Image 111, Image 112) 

Well, on we go past the Appleyard and we soon come into the siding of Malaga. (Image 113, Image 114)

The riverside because a little rough near this area, and the railroad tracks curve towards the marvelous Columbia River Bridge, built to, go figure, cross the Columbia river. This structure is unique, as it is two bridges, one built over the other. To allow heavier loads the original through truss bridge built in 1892 was strengthened in 1925 by adding another through truss around the original structure. Thus, what we see today. (Image 115, Image 116, Image 117)

After crossing the Columbia river into Rock Island, the tracks lead us into Voltage and the Rock Island Dam. 

After passing the dam, the train reaches the siding of Columbia River where the scenery begins to overpower the surroundings. (Image 118)

After Columbia River, the rails begin to climb parallel to the mighty Columbia river. The scenery in the area is nothing short of incredible and mind blowing. It has to be seen to be able to fully appreciated. The mainline hugs to cliffs and rolling hills, the scenery truly dominates. (Image 119, Image 120)

Just east of the S-curves photographed above, is another one of those engineering marvels that grace the Scenic Subdivision, giving credit to the builders, the Great Northern Railway. They sure did an amazing job constructing this line, proof of which is that it is still in use today! 

When a railroad line has to gain a large amount of elevation in a short distance, the best option is to build a loop. Almost all railroads have done this: Western Pacific with Williams loop; The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe with Tehachapi loop, and the Great Northern with Trinidad loop. 









This is an artist's rendering of the Trinidad Loop grade out of the Columbia River gorge east of Wenatchee Washington, one of the most unknown and yet interesting railroad grades in America. The BNSF mainline grade follows the river for several miles, bridges it, then after a few more miles it winds away from the water's edge to the brim of Lynch Coulee. There the tracks turn north for a few miles, loop around the spectacular, tight horse shoe curve and return south down the coulee. At the edge of a second coulee the main plunges eastward through tunnel 11.1 and emerges into an ancient volcanic cavity where once a great waterfall plunged from the Columbia plateau. The tracks cut through the basalt cliffs and top out the grade at Quincy a few miles later. (Image 121, Image 122, Image 123, Image 124)

The tracks after rising above the loop enter tunnel 1621.4. (Image 125)

The tracks finally level off towards Quincy, a small town of about 5,400 people. Agriculture is all that fuels the economy. (Image 126)

Leaving Quincy, the tracks which are straight and level, continue straight for some miles until a slight curve brings us to the end of our journey at Ephrata. (Image 127)

And the steel ribbons stretch onto Spokane, Sandpoint, Whitefish, Minot, and evetually to Chicago. 


I hope you enjoyed my little tour of my favourite rail line. This is why I took this job here.


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## EdZed

Very intresting read.
Thanks


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## GVNY

No problem at all! Thanks for reading!


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## greg_christine

Thank you very much for the tour!

I am intrigued by the doors at the east portal of the Cascade Tunnel:










I assume that the doors are only closed while the ventilation fans are running so that the air is driven toward the west portal where there are no doors. How quickly do the doors operate and how far in advance of the arrival of a train must they be opened?


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## GVNY

When my eastbound train is coming through the tunnel, the doors close and the fans push air over the tops of the eastbound train, giving my locomotives desperately needed air. If there is no air, my engine overheats and stalls. Helpers would be require to push me over the hill. 

Westbound is easier, as the train takes air downhill with it, along with the aid of the fans. 

The East Portal door is triggered to open 5-10 minutes before exiting the tunnel. The door opens to the right into a small building. 

Originally, the door opened upward and had red and white reflective stripes, but this portal door was replaced. 

In '96, the portal door was destroyed when a passing freight rammed into it. The replacement was in by one and a half days.

It takes a few minutes for the door to open completely.


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## greg_christine

Thank you very much for the explanation. It hadn't occurred to me that the tunnel door would be closed and the fans would operate while a train is in the tunnel.

Burlington Northern Santa Fe has behind it two of the most distinctive progenitor logos of any US railroads. The current locomotive paint scheme seems to me an awkward attempt at merging those two brand names. I think all BNSF locomotives in the northwest should be dressed in Great Northern "Empire Builder" colors and all BNSF locomotives in the southwest should be dressed in Santa Fe "Warbonnet" colors:


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## GVNY

Those two symbols are the most recognizable railroad emblems, save for Pennsylvania's Keystone and for the New York Central. Milwaukee Road could also be thrown into the top 5 along with the Northern Pacific as well. Nevermind, their are just too many very famous emblems to name, so I will not try.

As for the logo, I like BNSF's pumpkin logo. I believe it to be a good mix. But seeing the Empire Builder's colours in the Northwest and the Warbonnet's in the SW would be quite extraordinary.


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## GVNY

By the way, the Empire Builder was the most beautiful passenger train ever to streak the rails, save for Milwaukee's Hiawatha.


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## greg_christine

Here are some pictures of the other streamliners that served Seattle. In addition to the Great Northern's Empire Builder, the Milwaukee Road's Olympian Hiawatha and the Northern Pacific's North Coast Limited also offered service from Chicago to Seattle:


































My favorite remains Santa Fe's Super Chief, which went nowhere near Seattle.

I know that the Milwaukee Road's route has been abandoned and the tracks have been removed. I presume that BNSF still operates over the Northern Pacific's route. Is the traffic on that route comparable to the traffic on the Great Northern's Stevens Pass route? There was also another crossing of the Cascades in Washington State along the northern shore of the Columbia River. That was the route of the Seattle, Portland, and Spokane. Is that route still used by BNSF?


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## GVNY

BNSF now operates over Stampede after the pass was partially reopened in '97, but it doesn't even come close to the amount of traffic on Stevens. And SP&S's Gorge route is owned by BNSF.

All your questions on these lines can hopefully be answered here:

Severe Rail Bottleneck

And I must say, I love that Olympian Hiawatha. I wish I was able to see her in person.


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## greg_christine

Thank you for the answers! I can't let this thread go without commenting on the electric traction of the past:


















By avoiding the need to clear the tunnel of diesel exhaust between trains, electric traction allowed more trains to use the tunnel each day; however, there probably would have been clearance problems between the wires and today's double-stack container trains, especially in the tunnel.

It still is amazing to me that the rail capacity over the Cascades was greater 50 years ago than it is today. This is especially true when it is considered that the Milwaukee Road's line over the Cascades was also electrified.


















It is interesting that there were only two electrified mainline railways west of the Mississippi and both ran over the Cascades.


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## GVNY

Cascades are tough grades, and effecient electric use actually made, and still make better sense than diesels, but don't tell that to the railroad companies. 

There would be problems with an electrified Cascade tunnel and double stack cars as even now, the stack cars barely fit. If you look close at the west portal of the Cascade tunnel, you can see the notches that had to be chipped out to provide enought access for the tall cars. 

Stampede Tunnel is much worse. They still have to raise her ceilings.

Now the Milwaukee Road, that is a whole other story. Before intermodal mania really took off, Milwaukee Road was the only railroad equipped with tunnel access for tall railway cars. They had predicted intermodal frenzy would be big business, and heightened the ceiling of all their tunnels to accomodate intermodal's bright future. Sadly, bad business ventures closed down the profitable Pacific Coast Extension PCE so they could focus on money losing lines (bad move), and the railroad merged with Soo. If the railroad had stayed in business for 4 more years, when intermodal mania really took off, she would still be here today, being the biggest, most profitable railroad in the northwest, due to her better mainline profile, easier grades and faster long haul running. An advantage no other railroads could match. Only 4 years.


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## hkskyline

*House Spares Amtrak's New York Lines*

*House bill would spare New York's Amtrak lines *
DEVLIN BARRETT
14 June 2005

WASHINGTON (AP) - A House panel will offer $550 million to keep Amtrak up and running next year, and New York lines will not be among those singled out by lawmakers to receive no federal money, sources said Tuesday.

The funding amount was set to be announced Wednesday at a House Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on the budget for fiscal year 2006.

The White House has proposed ending Amtrak's operating subsidy, which this year was $1.2 billion.

The response from House Republicans will be an offer of $550 million, with specific directions to Amtrak that the funds not be used to support certain lines. Those lines barred from funding do not include those in New York, according to a committee source who didn't want to pre-empt Wednesday's hearing and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Asked about Amtrak spending, Rep. John Sweeney, a member of the subcommittee, said he thought the bill "is going to be wholly inadequate to getting us where we want to be, but it is a step in the process getting us there."

Sweeney, R-Clifton Park, said the House is trying to protect "the most vital of lines" like those in New York while still pushing for reform of the entire passenger rail system.

Amtrak's supporters charge the Bush administration's plan of deep cuts would effectively kill national service, and said since the government already pays billions for highway and air transportation, it should pay something for rail transit, which eases congestion on roads.

Amtrak has requested $1.82 billion in funding for the year. To cut costs, the company recently announced it will end food service on trains that run only between Albany and New York City, saying there was little demand for snacks on those relatively short runs.

In May, Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta urged Amtrak to immediately cut costs.


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## hkskyline

*Amtrak Gets Train to NYC, 28 Hours Late*

*Amtrak Gets Train to NYC, 28 Hours Late *
VERENA DOBNIK
Associated Press Writer 
Sat Dec 31, 9:33 PM ET

NEW YORK - Amtrak's Silver Meteor train arrived in New York from Florida more than 28 hours late on New Year's Eve, releasing more than 100 exhausted, hungry and angry passengers. 

Their train had been stuck in Jacksonville, Fla., for half a day because of a derailed CSX freight train, then stopped again in rural Georgia as they waited for the tracks to reopen. A litany of complaints echoed through New York's Penn Station as about 100 passengers finally stepped off the escalator from the tracks below.

"I'm tired. I just want to sleep," said Jonathan Papik, 11, who was headed home to Long Island with his mother, Teresa Papik, after the marathon trip from Orlando, Fla.

The long wait "was a nightmare. It was claustrophobic — and I'm not a claustrophobic," said Karen Chiel, who boarded the train in West Palm Beach, Fla., with her two young children. The conductors "didn't let us know what was happening."

Amtrak said it was unfortunate the derailment occurred along the main corridor between the Northeast and the Southeast regions.

"We were unable to take an alternate route," Amtrak spokeswoman Tracy Connell said. "We deeply regret the inconvenience to our passengers and the delay."

Some train cars ran out of toilet paper. People ran out of money to buy food. Young children were cranky and scared, and some adults were concerned about running out of medications, passengers said.

Teresa Papik said the only free meal Amtrak offered during the delay was a sandwich, a can of soda and chips. No water. "I'm starving," she said.

Many passengers said they wanted refunds. It costs from $100 to $200 per person to travel from Orlando to New York, depending on the seating class. The Amtrak spokeswoman had no comment on the issue.


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## cjfjapan

The last time the trains here in Japan were late heaviest snow here in sixty years, it made the national news. The trains were 10 minutes late. 

This is why I have never ridden Amtrak.


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## invincible

If there's such a large delay, can't Amtrak hire coaches to ferry away the passengers? I'm pretty sure that's what happens here if rail lines are shut (most recently for a project to increase line speeds which meant that a few rail lines were operated by coaches for a few months).


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## mr_storms

my grandparents take Amtrak from Santa Barbara to San Jose (4-5 hr drive). It was supposed to arrive at 8:30pm, it arrived 5:30 am. Just pathetic


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## TexasBoi

Same situation with me. thats why people dont take amtrak. they have toooo many delays. I arrived in Washington, DC 5 hours after the time it was suppose to get there from Chicago.


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## DonQui

I wonder people don't take Amtrak

:crazy:


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## Rail Claimore

cjfjapan said:


> The last time the trains here in Japan were late heaviest snow here in sixty years,* it made the national news.* The trains were 10 minutes late.
> 
> This is why I have never ridden Amtrak.


:laugh:

One of the things I cannot shut up and help but love about love Japan. They will profusely apologize if a train is even 1 minute late. Blizzards and earthquakes are the ONLY excuses for late trains.


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## Frank J. Sprague

Rail Claimore said:


> :laugh:
> 
> One of the things I cannot shut up and help but love about love Japan. They will profusely apologize if a train is even 1 minute late. Blizzards and earthquakes are the ONLY excuses for late trains.


I understand that if you are late because of the train the railway will give you a note for your employer. Otherwise it is not believable, kind of like "the dog ate my homework."


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## cjfjapan

The rail companies will pass out fliers when trains are late apologizing for being late and explaining to employers, just like Frank said. 

There are times when the trains are quite late. I noticed it a lot when there were heavy rainstorms. Drunk Japanese businessmen would yell and yell at the conductors, poor things. There were times when the trains were two or three hours late...frustrating, but extremely rare. 

Great question about alternative transport--why didnt Amtrak hire some buses and get people back to NY??


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## blink55184

The last time I took AMTRAK was a Boston->Albany direct route-
I only took it because the bus(3 1/2 hours @ 65 dollars) was more expensive than the train(4 1/2 hours @ 22 dollars)

It was no 4 1/2 hours! Shortly after departing Boston, we sat still just outside of Worcester Mass for 1 full hour, waiting for a CSX freight that had the right of way to come rolling thru.
Then near Pittsfield Mass, Track work had the rail down to 1 lane, and we again had to wait for a freighter to come thru.
My Uncle waited at Albany/Rensealler station for 2 1/2 hours for me. I felt terrible.

The return trip on the same route a few days later, proved no delays once we got rolling....Oh yah, but we started rolling 2 HOURS LATE BEACUSE THE TRAIN WASNT THERE.


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## mopc

At least US has passenger trains throughout the country, in Brazil there are no passenger trains anymore, it´s disgusting.


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## mad_nick

blink55184 said:


> The last time I took AMTRAK was a Boston->Albany direct route-
> I only took it because the bus(3 1/2 hours @ 65 dollars) was more expensive than the train(4 1/2 hours @ 22 dollars)
> 
> It was no 4 1/2 hours! Shortly after departing Boston, we sat still just outside of Worcester Mass for 1 full hour, waiting for a CSX freight that had the right of way to come rolling thru.
> Then near Pittsfield Mass, Track work had the rail down to 1 lane, and we again had to wait for a freighter to come thru.
> My Uncle waited at Albany/Rensealler station for 2 1/2 hours for me. I felt terrible.
> 
> The return trip on the same route a few days later, proved no delays once we got rolling....Oh yah, but we started rolling 2 HOURS LATE BEACUSE THE TRAIN WASNT THERE.


That's the most serious problem Amtrak has, they don't own any track outside of the Northeast Corridor, they rely on freight tracks where the freight companies that own them have priority, even though the freight trains don't move anywhere near as fast as a passenger train, and the freight companies usually don't maintain their tracks very well because their trains never have to run very fast anyways. The northeast corridor is the only somewhat reliable Amtrak route in the country because Amtrak owns all the track except for the track between New Rochelle and New Haven, which has four tracks and the owner (Metro North) operates commuter trains on it, not freight trains.


----------



## LtBk

mopc said:


> At least US has passenger trains throughout the country, in Brazil there are no passenger trains anymore, it´s disgusting.


But for a developed nation, ours is piece of shit.


----------



## nazrey

Amtrak Acela Express
by Tim Powaleny


----------



## nazrey

Amtrak's Silver Meteor
by Nick Suydam


----------



## DonQui

The Acela is a piece of shit. It barely averages more than 90 km/h

uke:


----------



## TRZ

cjfjapan said:


> The rail companies will pass out fliers when trains are late apologizing for being late and explaining to employers, just like Frank said.
> 
> There are times when the trains are quite late. I noticed it a lot when there were heavy rainstorms. Drunk Japanese businessmen would yell and yell at the conductors, poor things. There were times when the trains were two or three hours late...frustrating, but extremely rare.


There is a lot of good to be said about Japanese Railways but also a lot of not-so-visible bad. An example would be one operator affecting the service of a partner operator (due to through services), so even if there's an accident on a line you are not using, your train could be late.
There's also the nuance/nuissance of local/express operations on 2-track corridors (they need to be 4-track (some of the smarter operators are doing good work on fixing that)). It works, sorta, but I'd still say it is bad management.
Trains also can't satisfy demand in Japan, as is well known. What isn't as well-known is that this applies off-peak as well, but the stupid management doesn't run more trains even during high-use off-peak periods that are well-known for being packed (most notably last-trains, but there are others too).
The biggest plus though, is that all (*I think all, there might be rare exceptions) passenger operators in Japan own their track, *it's the freight companies that rent from the passenger lines here*. North America is extremely slow to catch onto this. Freight trains mean dick, goods don't get impatient as inaminate objects, but people do.


----------



## Frank J. Sprague

TRZ said:


> There is a lot of good to be said about Japanese Railways but also a lot of not-so-visible bad. An example would be one operator affecting the service of a partner operator (due to through services), so even if there's an accident on a line you are not using, your train could be late.
> There's also the nuance/nuissance of local/express operations on 2-track corridors (they need to be 4-track (some of the smarter operators are doing good work on fixing that)). It works, sorta, but I'd still say it is bad management.


IIRC one of the lines in Tokyo actually tunneled beneath its 2 track mainline to create a 2 track expess line! I am very impressed with how the Japanese are able to operate such frequent local and express service on a 2 track line with many grade crossings. 


> Trains also can't satisfy demand in Japan, as is well known. What isn't as well-known is that this applies off-peak as well, but the stupid management doesn't run more trains even during high-use off-peak periods that are well-known for being packed (most notably last-trains, but there are others too).


I've experienced that in Singapore too, you want to avoid the MRT on a Sunday night, they thin out the timetable so you wait a long time for a train and when one does show it is packed to the gills. You're better off taking the bus.


> The biggest plus though, is that all (*I think all, there might be rare exceptions) passenger operators in Japan own their track, *it's the freight companies that rent from the passenger lines here*. North America is extremely slow to catch onto this. Freight trains mean dick, goods don't get impatient as inaminate objects, but people do.


The freight railways are more important in the US than other nations due to geography, but it is for hauling bulk goods that are not time sensitive. I think the large number of lines which have been abandoned would allow us to create a parallel rail system for passengers and fast freight.


----------



## Peepers

That wasn't the Silver Meteor. That was a double-decker Superliner-equipped train, and the Silver Meteor operates with single-level Viewliner, Amfleet and Heritage equipment. I don't recognize the skyline however. It's certainly larger than any city south of Washington D.C. And it's not north of D.C. since there are no overhead electric wires.

The Acela Express operates at an average speed of 130-150 k/h, or 80-90 mph, not 90 k/h, with a top speed of 150 mph in Rhode Island. Its slowest section is between New York City and New Haven, offering 75-90 mph speeds, and owned by MetroNorth and Connecticut DOT, not Amtrak. On the Amtrak owned portions every else on the Northeast Corridor, Acela hauls ass (except for tunnels in Baltimore).


----------



## FM 2258

The United States needs to pull it's resources together and revitalize it's transportation network. If Japan can have their trains on time, why can't the United States do it? We have money to fight wars but no money to have trains on time or to eliminate traffic on our freeway system.


----------



## Kai Tak

If you're poor or cheap enough to use Amtrak instead of flying... wait, I take that back. It doesn't matter who you are, you know when you book Amtrak, you're buying assurance you'll get to your destination. The times given are just fictional sets of numbers designed to make you feel better.

What are these people complaining about?


----------



## mopc

LtBk said:


> But for a developed nation, ours is piece of shit.


Yeah, but you have affordable air fares and great roads. Though trains are always a better option.


----------



## hkskyline

*Amtrak Expands Discount for Acela, Metroliner Trains*

*Amtrak expands discount for Acela, Metroliner trains *
By DONNA DE LA CRUZ
27 January 2006

WASHINGTON (AP) - Amtrak said Friday it will offer discounts of as much as 15 percent for some tickets on its Acela Express and Metroliner premium trains that run between Washington and Boston, expanding on a discount program already offered for some of its regional train services. 

Amtrak described the Feb. 6 pricing change, which also will including boosting prices by 15 percent for some peak travel periods on Acela and Metroliner, as part of its plan to cut costs and restructure its operations. 

Revenue management systems are used by many industries, from airlines to Broadway theaters, as a way of pricing tickets to get the most profit by looking at booking patterns, said Bob Harrell, president of the New York-based Harrell Associates, a travel consulting firm which tracks airline fares. 

The railroad began using revenue management last October on its regional trains that run between Boston and Newport News, Va. 

"There are pluses for both Amtrak and its passengers," said Amtrak spokesman Cliff Black. For example, in addition to the three current prices for Acela walk-up one-way fares between Washington and New York -- $135 off peak, $152 midday and $168 peak -- new discount $115 and premium $193 fares would be added to the pricing mix. 

The new pricing is separate from negotiated discounts that many corporate travel departments negotiate with Amtrak. 

"The fares will not be driven strictly by time of day, or day of week, although we will loosely follow that," Black said. "They will be driven by the number of advance reservations and are keyed to times of day, to some extent." 

Black added that Amtrak will not charge a fee for changing a ticket. 

"Revenue management is utilized because it works," Harrell said. "You might have three prices, low, medium and high, and what you want to do is can charge the highest price on those departures where you have the greatest demand." 

Amtrak's load factor -- the proportion of seats that carrier manages to fill with paying customers -- for Acela Express and Metroliner trains was not immediately available.


----------



## FM 2258

Interesting but what would it take for the U.S. Government to pull it's resources together and build a real high speed train between Washington, DC and Boston? It seems like our politicians are more interested in fighting wars and appointing judges than revamping our transportation infrastructure. :bash: hno: :speech:


----------



## samsonyuen

How much of the Boston-NY, Boston-DC, and NY-DC travel market does Acela and Amtrak hold?


----------



## hkskyline

Ridership Press Release : http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/Conte...ase_Page&cid=1081794201919&c=am2Copy&ssid=181


----------



## empersouf

Very stupid that there aren't good high speed rail services like europe in the USA I think.


----------



## spyguy

HSR would really only make sense in regions (like Florida, Texas, California, Midwest), not coast-to-coast service.


----------



## godblessbotox

*detroit to new york by train*

hello everyone, i am going to be in detroit durring december and i was planning a quick trip to new york to meet some people i know. it would have to be by train. so i am wondering if anyone knows how long that could/would take. thanks!


----------



## allurban

So far as I know you would have to cross over into Canada (Windsor, Ontario) and take a train from Toronto or Montreal.

The train from Windsor to Toronto is about 5 hours, from Toronto to New York about 12 hours.

Windsor to Montreal about 12 hours (give or take) and then 8 hours from Montreal to New York.

Coach options or flying would give you more choices.

Cheers, m


----------



## spongeg

according to www.amtrak.com the trip is $110 each way

you go from Detroit to Toledo Ohio and from there on to New York 

the Detroit - Toledo looks to be a bus which is 1h50m and the train portion from Toledo to NY is 13h15m hours

they also show routes from Toledo - Pittsburgh - New York 14+ hours
or Toledo - Washington DC - Nw York - 16+ hours


----------



## Alargule

Wow...can't call that a 'quick trip'.
Take a plane. It's cheaper, faster and of course more polluting.


----------



## godblessbotox

alright... guess no train. thanks everyone


----------



## Nexis

*New Jersey Transit Commuter & Light Rail Photos*

*Show us your New Jersey Transit Commuter & Light Rail, Stations Photos.

Heres some of some of mine.
*
*New York Bound Train @ Broad Street Station in Newark*


















*NJ Transit Tracks over Route 21 & The Passaic River*









*PATH Train Yard in Newark*


















*Northeast Corridor in Newark*



























*Gladstone & Morristown Line Train heading west over the Garden State Parkway*












*~Corey*


----------



## poshbakerloo

wow cool photos Corey ma' darlin'


----------



## Nexis

*Heres some more from me.

Secaucus Junction*



















*NJ Transit Bi-level waiting in the station ready to head to New York's Penn Station*










*NJ Transit Bi-level entering Secaucus Junction from Penn Station.*









*NJ Transit Train entering Secaucus Junction*




























~Corey[/B]


----------



## poshbakerloo

wow cool photos Corey ma' darlin'


----------



## metsfan

I am going to post a useful link here.

http://www.nyctransitforums.com We have a whole forum section dedicated to NJT rail operations! 

- A


----------



## Nexis

*Heres sum More NJT shots*

*Morristown Line Train going West over the Garden State Parkway in Push Mod*










*A NJT Train in Push mod headed towards New York Penn Station*










*Pascack Valley Line Train Stops in Westwood 
Blocking an Ambulance*











*~Corey*


----------



## Frank IBC

They always say that the best place to set your watch is at the train station. {giggle}


----------



## Nozumi 300

I was wondering if the bi-levels are ever used on the NE corridor? Is there a height restirction on this line?


----------



## JustinB

The Bi-Levels are used on the NE corridor. They were designed specifically for the NE corridor, if I recall.


----------



## Frank IBC

Double-stack freight cars are prohibited as they would not clear the power lines. But the bi-level cars lower and they're OK.


----------



## metsfan

Some stuff:

They are MLV, not bi-level cars. They are cleared for operation on all routes. The wires are taller in some areas than others, to allow freight train clearance. They have fixed the clock on the tower, a broken linkage caused the hands to slip out of sync with the master timepiece inside, the one facing the trainshed was the accurate one till it was fixed (not sure bout the other sides). Wow, hoboken's yards are empty, what time of day were those photos taken?

Aside from that, lovely photos, please post more in the future!

- A


----------



## Nozumi 300

metsfan said:


> Some stuff:
> 
> They are MLV, not bi-level cars. They are cleared for operation on all routes. The wires are taller in some areas than others, to allow freight train clearance. They have fixed the clock on the tower, a broken linkage caused the hands to slip out of sync with the master timepiece inside, the one facing the trainshed was the accurate one till it was fixed (not sure bout the other sides). Wow, hoboken's yards are empty, what time of day were those photos taken?
> 
> Aside from that, lovely photos, please post more in the future!
> 
> - A


How many levels are there in the MLVs?


----------



## Nexis

metsfan said:


> Some stuff:
> 
> They are MLV, not bi-level cars. They are cleared for operation on all routes. The wires are taller in some areas than others, to allow freight train clearance. They have fixed the clock on the tower, a broken linkage caused the hands to slip out of sync with the master timepiece inside, the one facing the trainshed was the accurate one till it was fixed (not sure bout the other sides). Wow, hoboken's yards are empty, what time of day were those photos taken?
> 
> Aside from that, lovely photos, please post more in the future!
> 
> - A


That was on a Saturday or Sunday Afternoon , i forgot what time it was but the area was Queit , which is odd for Hoboken and Jersey City.


----------



## metsfan

Nexis said:


> That was on a Saturday or Sunday Afternoon , i forgot what time it was but the area was Queit , which is odd for Hoboken and Jersey City.


That is weird, i guess all the trains were parked at the MMC or at the other various yards waiting for the monday AM rush. I literally have never seen it that empty.

- A


----------



## Nexis

*Heres a NJ Transit Map*









*Electric lines 

Gladstone Branch
Morristown Line : Hoboken to Dover
Montclair-Boonton Line : NYC Penn Station to Montclair
North Jersey Coastal : Hoboken to Long Branch
Northeast Corridor Line 
Princeton Branch
Hudson-Bergen Light Rail
Newark City Rail : Main & Broad Street Connection

Diesel

Pascack Valley Line
Bergen County Line
Main Line
Morristown Line : Dover to Hackettstown
Montclair-Boonton Line : Montclair to Hackettstown
Raritan Valley Line
North Jersey Coastal : Long Branch to Bay Head
Atlantic City Line
RiverLine Light Commuter Rail

Other Services operating in NJ 

PATCO High Speed Line : Philly to Lindenwood,NJ via the Ben Franklin Bridge*










*PATH , Line 1 >Newark Penn Station , Harrison , (Journal SQ , Exchange Place :Jersey City) , WTC 
Line 2 >Journal SQ , Grove Street , Pavonia -Newport (Jersey City) , ( Christopher Street , 9th Street , 14th Street , 23rd Street , 33rd Street : New York City )
Line 3 > Hoboken Terminal , Pavonia-Newport , WTC 
Line 4 > Hoboken Terminal , Christopher Street , 9th Street, 14th Street , 24th Street , 33rd Street*

*Weekdays*










*Weekends*










*~Corey*


----------



## Nexis

*Here's some NJT videos form some of my Favorite Rail Fanners*

*North Jersey Coastal Line

Red Bank,NJ Electric & Diesels*












*Raritan Valley Line : Diesels

Middlesex,NJ*






*Atlantic City Line : Diesels

Berlin,NJ*






*~Corey*


----------



## Nexis

deleted


----------



## Nozumi 300

Thanks for the great videos. I personally enjoy riding NJ Transit whenever I'm in the area.


----------



## Nexis

deleted


----------



## Nexis

Theses were taken on the 13th last weekend , An ACES train Loco caught fire , which switching , no was killed , but it did melt the Catenary above the locos , disrupting service on the NEC for the hours.



















http://www.phillyfirenews.com/content/firewire/detail/3893.php

~Corey


----------



## nouveau.ukiyo

SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority) provides commuter rail service in the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area, spanning 5 counties in Pennsylvania and extending into the states of Delaware and New Jersey. 

*Length: *289 miles (465 km)
*Number of Stations: *153
*Number of Lines:* 13 (The nomenclature on the map below is a little confusing...go read some history on Wikipedia, then ride SEPTA RR and you'll understand)
*Daily ridership:* ~130,000

*info from: http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/existing-systems/existing-commuter-rail-systems/

The map below includes subway, trolley and light rail lines:









This map from Wikipedia gives an accurate geographical representation of SEPTA Regional Rail:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Philadelphia_Transit_and_Commuter_Rail_System.png


----------



## nouveau.ukiyo

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/front_page/20100129_How_to_use_old_Bethlehem_rail_line_.html



> How to use old Bethlehem rail line?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Unused rights-of-way are lines of competition for both recreational use and renewed rail service.
> 
> By Paul Nussbaum
> Inquirer Staff Writer
> 
> What's the best use of the old rail line that once carried passengers between Lansdale and Bethlehem?
> 
> A revived SEPTA commuter line, to Quakertown in upper Bucks County, and beyond to the Lehigh Valley?
> 
> A bucolic "rails to trails" walking path through the exurbs and small towns?
> 
> Or both?
> 
> The old Reading Co. route is being pulled toward two different futures, separated by a county border.
> 
> In Bucks County, planners hope to restore passenger rail service to an area that lost it 29 years ago. Just to the north, in Lehigh and Northampton Counties, workers have removed the old rails to make way for an eight-mile-long Saucon Valley Trail.
> 
> In that corner of southeastern Pennsylvania, two national trends - for rails and for trails - converge. And SEPTA, which owns the old Bethlehem route, has a foot in each camp.
> 
> Yesterday, the SEPTA board leased part of the route, for $1 a year for 30 years, to the Boroughs of Coopersburg and Hellertown for the recreational trail. Last month, the board gave similar leases to neighboring Upper and Lower Saucon Townships for another part of the eight-mile trail.
> 
> At the same time, SEPTA is working with the Bucks County Transportation Management Association on a plan to restore rail service on the same rail line, from Lansdale through Quakertown to Shelly, just southeast of the Lehigh County line.
> 
> Throughout the Philadelphia region, competing hopes for long-dormant rail lines might collide, as the rails-to-trails movement meets revitalized efforts to restore train service.
> 
> SEPTA is spending up to $100 million in Delaware County to extend commuter train service 3.2 miles to Wawa on the R3 Elwyn line, its first move to restore service after three decades of reducing the Regional Rail network it inherited from the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Reading.
> 
> Some of that network, taken out of service years ago, already has been leased for trails.
> 
> In Montgomery County, two miles of the out-of-service R8 line between Fox Chase and Newtown is now the Pennypack Trail, a bike-and-pedestrian path along the edge of Lorimer County Park.
> 
> Also in Montgomery County, the Cynwyd Heritage Trail in Lower Merion is being built on a two-mile railbed that used to be part of the R6 Cynwyd line, from the Cynwyd station to the Manayunk Bridge.
> 
> In Delaware County, the Chester Creek Branch Rail Trail is planned for a long-unused line leased by SEPTA in 2005 to Friends of the Chester Creek Branch.
> 
> When SEPTA leases out-of-service railbeds for use as trails, it retains ownership and the right to bring back rail service. But it has never done so, and SEPTA officials acknowledge the presence of a popular trail could make a return to train service harder.
> 
> "It could be tricky. Legally, it's still ours, but there would be an outcry from those who have gotten used to it as a trail," said Byron Comati, SEPTA's director of strategic planning and analysis. "But we haven't waived our rights. We're not abandoning it."
> 
> "Rail-banking" - using a railbed as a trail - helps preserve an out-of-service corridor from deterioration, vandalism and development, he said.
> 
> "Better the right-of-way is being used for something than nothing," Comati said. "We're not abandoning it. We're preserving its long-term viability."
> 
> Jon Frey, a Bucks County resident who is leading efforts to restore service on the R8 line to Newtown, said the existence of trails would make it harder to bring back trains.
> 
> "I think in the long term it's going to be a significant problem," Frey said. "Once it becomes accepted and popular, a community is not going to want to have it taken away. I don't think anywhere a trail has gone back to passenger rail service."
> 
> Jack Cahalan, manager of Lower Saucon Township, said the township's new lease with SEPTA for the trail on the Quakertown-Bethlehem line is going to provide "a real recreational asset" to local residents.
> 
> "Once people get out on this trail, they're really going to fall in love with it," Cahalan said, citing historic attractions, geologic features, and the newfound ability to walk between communities. He said the township hoped to have the first section of the trail open for use this year.
> 
> He acknowledged SEPTA's right to the property.
> 
> "Any time they want to restore the rail service, they just take back the trail," he said. "But if it's vacant, we'd like to use it."
> 
> Tom Beil, manager of adjacent Upper Saucon Township, said his township had budgeted $250,000 this year to build a two-mile portion of the trail. He said the township knows it must remove its improvements if SEPTA reclaims the path.
> 
> "We viewed it as a huge benefit for our residents," Beil said. "If it's only open for a certain number of years, it's still a benefit for those years."
> 
> Tom Sexton, director of the national Rails-to-Trails Conservancy's northeast region, acknowledged there is "naturally a competition" for some corridors, but he said communities have found ways to have both rails and trails.
> 
> "There is a way of having our cake and eating it, too," Sexton said, citing so-called Rails With Trails projects that have put footpaths next to active railroads in more than 60 locations.
> 
> Nationally, there have not been many efforts to reactive dormant rail lines on trails, said Carl Knoch, manager of trail development for Rails to Trails Conservancy.
> 
> By the time the eight-mile Saucon trail is completed in 2015, trains might be using the same railbed about a mile to the south. There, at the crossroads burg of Shelly in Bucks County, is the proposed northern end of a restored rail line from Lansdale.
> 
> The latest study of restoring SEPTA service north to Quakertown and on to a park-and-ride lot at Shelly is supposed to be done by spring, said William D. Rickett, executive director of the Bucks County Transportation Management Association.
> 
> The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission is preparing ridership studies, and if the proposal meets federal guidelines, it would go to the Federal Transit Administration for consideration.
> 
> Costs for restoring service from Lansdale to Shelly would be about $110 million to $115 million, with diesel-powered railcars, or more than $300 million if the corridor is electrified to accommodate the existing fleet of electric cars, Rickett said. New cost estimates are being prepared by Jacobs Engineering. SEPTA and the DVRPC would seek the money from the federal government.
> 
> Depending on funding, the project might be done in increments, with service extended first to a midway point like Telford, and then to Quakertown and Shelly.
> 
> "The key is going to be the money," Rickett said. He predicted service could begin in about 41/2 years, if there were prompt federal approval and funding. SEPTA's Comati said that was probably optimistic.
> 
> "The time it takes to restore a line is phenomenal," Comati said, noting that the project to restore service to Wawa has been two years just in design.


I used to live in Upper Bucks, went to high school in Bethlehem and college at DeSales University, where the old Reading Line passes through campus. I would love to see rail service restored. 

http://oldtrainschedules.com/?cat=8

The link above has some old Septa/Conrail schedules, including an old Bethlehem schedule. The fastest trains back them did the trip from Bethlehem to Reading Terminal in an hour and a half, which isn't bad!


----------



## nouveau.ukiyo

http://www.buckslocalnews.com/articles/2010/03/02/the_advance/news/doc4b8d45b7858cf445019181.txt



> Effort to reactivate Newtown rail line dominates discussion at Town Hall meeting
> 
> Published: Tuesday, March 02, 2010
> 
> By Jeff Werner; BucksLocalNews.com Editor
> 
> UPDATE: Look for SEPTA'S RESPONSE in the coming days.
> 
> The effort to restore the Newtown rail line is picking up steam.
> 
> During a town hall meeting on Sunday at George School, more than 60 people listened and asked questions as representatives from the Pennsylvania Transit Expansion Coalition (PA-Tec) outlined its arguments for bringing back the line.
> 
> The meeting was organized by Newtown 21st Century Voice to give the residents of Newtown Borough and Newtown Township an opportunity to speak up on issues that could impact their lives.
> 
> During Sunday’s Town Hall, comment was limited to the R8 line and the idea of establishing a community center. But organizers said they hope to hold additional town halls in the future.
> 
> Much of the discussion on Sunday centered on the potential restoration of the R8 line, which once linked Fox Chase with Newtown Borough via Village Shires, Churchville, Holland and Southampton in Bucks County and Abington and Cheltenham Township in Montgomery County. Operation on the line was discontinued in 1983 due to a lack of ridership and its reliance on diesel locomotives.
> 
> Since then, PA-Tec argues there’s been a tremendous amount growth throughout the corridor, more than warranting the restoration of service.
> 
> The organization began pushing the R8 issue as an alternate to the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority’s (SEPTA) plans to build a large parking garage in Jenkintown. They believe the transit organization should instead be investing in its commuter rail system, which they said would take cars off the road and be better for the environment.
> 
> The group is lobbying the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority (SEPTA) and legislators in Montgomery and Bucks counties for reinstatement of the line, either as the R8 Newtown-Fox Chase line or linked into the R4 line. The line would be electrified and equipped with welded rails and low profile electrical towers to make it aesthetically unobtrusive and as quiet as possible.
> 
> The non-profit, volunteer organization based in Southampton contends the line would draw new passengers, help the environment and ease congestion by taking cars off the road, while lessening the burden on nearby stations.
> 
> "Can we really afford to continue to let trees grow on this line, while we sit in traffic and compromise the environment and our productivity?" they asked.
> 
> “Over and over again we have been told that this line is simply not feasible; that studies show only a modest benefit and not enough to justify a new line,” said PA-Tec member John Scott.
> 
> That’s not the case, he said, projecting the new line would draw from a large area of Bucks County –- as far away as Buckingham, New Hope, Doylestown and Plumsteadville -- in addition to highly populated Newtown Township, Southampton and Northampton townships.
> 
> “When you add up all those riders, we have a net gain of 3,000, which is significantly more than any study in the past has shown and probably enough to justify restoration of the line, if not make it an absolute necessity,” said Scott.
> 
> With that said, Scott said it would take political backing and somewhere between $100- and $300-million to accomplish the mission.
> 
> “This is not a trivial project, but at the same time it is not a gigantic project. This is not a big dig,” said Scott. “The funding would most likely come from SEPTA’s capital budget.”
> 
> SEPTA, however, hasn’t been receptive to funding improvements and expansion of its rail system, preferring instead to put its money into building parking garages and investing into “smart station” technology initiatives, said Scott.
> 
> “Technology and parking garages have no place as a centerpiece for transit growth strategies,” argues Scott. “Parking garages do not serve the people of Newtown well. Parking garages do not serve the environment well. Technology does not move passengers. Technology does not get a single car off the Newtown Bypass in the morning.
> 
> “The answer is much simpler,” said Scott. “Instead of technology and garages being the centerpiece of the growth, the region, the environment and the economy need only two things - jobs and cold, steel rails.”
> 
> Tom McCue, who lives within a five minute walk of the Jenkintown station, is among hundreds of people fighting plans by SEPTA to build a parking garage at the station and has formed an alliance with PA-Tec to press instead for the reinstatement of the R8 line.
> 
> “We realized early on that the two projects – parking garages and the expansion of rail - are mortal enemies. Only one will win. Our hope is that we can guide SEPTA strategy to think in terms of expanding rail because there is no form of transportation that comes close to steel wheels rolling on steel rails. Nothing comes close.”
> 
> SEPTA, he said, has had a tendency over time to contract itself into a small group of transit centers and starving and eventually eliminating their rail system. “The more I looked into it the more concern I had.
> 
> “Our sustainability depends on us getting out of automobiles as much as possible and as quickly as is practical,” he said.
> 
> Newtown resident Allen Samuels said the rail line is a great idea, but he wondered where the cars would park.
> 
> Scott said he anticipates the establishment of a park and ride lot located off the Newtown Bypass in Newtown Township. Two acres have been zoned for that purpose, he said.
> 
> “There also may be a benefit of having a smaller station in the borough, which would primarily serve walkers and local residents,” he said.
> 
> Another resident asked whether there is still opposition in the Beth Ayres area.
> 
> “There is potentially some opposition in that area,” said Soctt. “That’s why we have the R8 and R4 alternative. There are also environmental issues between Beth Ayres and Fox Chase and there’s also a trail occupying the right-of-way,” he said. “For various environmental and political reasons, that section may not be available.”
> 
> Another resident asked if they had a case for making the R8 a priority over Quakertown, Reading and West Chester projects.
> 
> “We have looked at all of these. We’d just point out that some of the traffic corridors in Bucks County have double the amount of traffic others do. We have higher population densities in this part of Bucks County. Quakertown has had a lot of growth, but they still don’t have the population density. The area served has 60 percent of the population that Newtown has. There’s a stronger case for the Newtown line and they need to revisit that. There are clearly more people here.”
> 
> The $64,000 question is “how do we convince our friends at SEPTA that this is a worthwhile project … and get them to understand that they need to switch into an expansion mode, which every other transit system in the country is doing,” asked resident Dennis Goran.
> 
> Scott encouraged residents to write their county commissioners, local politicians, state representatives and state senators in support of the project.
> 
> “We can also look to the federal level to help get some of the funding in place, because we are talking about a lot of money,” said Scott. “We have been in touch with many of the legislators and for the most part we get a lot of support. But I would encourage you to let them know that you’re behind this, that we have a market here, that there is ridership here and it is not a wasteful project.
> 
> “I believe the tide is turning. They (SEPTA) are starting to see this is something they can’t ignore much longer,” said Scott. “They’re kind of digging their heels in right now, but we think that’s temporary.”
> 
> SEPTA has basically said if the politics are behind this, they will build it, added PA-Tec vice president Paul Iverson. “If it’s politically popular, they’ll build it.”
> 
> State Rep. Steve Santarsiero reiterated his support for the project, and again called for SEPTA to conduct a feasibility study. “And it needs to be a real feasibility study, based on real data and sound methodoloy,” he said.
> 
> “This is a well thought out proposal that deserves a feasibility study, but as part of the mix we have to look at future transportation needs. We have to look at all the possibilities. They are not mutuallu exclusive and there are a number of ways we can improve our commutes and the quality of life in our area.
> 
> “While that’s important, we also need to look at other potential solutions to the traffic problems we have and they are not mutually exclusive,” said Santarsiero. “One idea I had when gas prices were hovering around $4 was to introduce long range comuter buses to our area. The idea with that is to set up park and rides and we could have comuter buses going to major train terminals such as Cornwells Heights and the Hamilton station in New Jersey.
> 
> “SEPTA was not interested in that when I pitched it to them a year ago, but that doesn’t mean private carriers won’t be interested in it,” he said. “The Bucks County TMA said they may be interested in looking at that on a pilot basis from the Taylorsville Road Park and Ride to the Hamilton Station. If we could start with that, htat would help many of our commuters going north, particulary with the expansion of the Scudder Falls bridge.”
> 
> In December, the group picked up support from the Newtown Township Board of Supervisors, which voted unanimously to adopt a resolution in support of the effort.
> 
> This spring, the group will make its presentation to the Newotwn Borough Council, which will entertain a similar resolution.
> 
> The township’s resolution calls on the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), the Bucks County Planning Commission, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) to review the reinstatement of regional rail service between Fox Chase and Newtown.
> 
> "The restoration will afford Newtown Township residents with an easy and efficient means of transportation to and from Center City Philadelphia," reads the resolution.
> 
> It continues, "Exceptionally high growth rates of housing developments in areas of Bucks and Montgomery counties, formerly serviced by the R8 line north of Fox Chase, has contributed to traffic and congestion in the Newtown area. Sound planning principles indicate the growing need to expand the use of commuter rail systems to improve mobility and traffic flow."
> 
> The supervisors, in adopting the resolution, said they would "support a cooperative effort with other municipalities, Bucks and Montgomery counties and the business community for SEPTA, PennDOT and the Bucks County Planning Commission to conduct a new review of the reinstatement of regional rail service on the existing line."
> 
> Rob Ciervo, the chairman of the board of supervisors and a candidate for state representative in the 31st District, said the resolution would be sent to the agencies and governing bodies involved.
> 
> "We're not just saying we want the line to come back," said Ciervo. "We want these agencies to devote resources to do the study necessary. If a study is updated and done perhaps funding that would have gone to something else would go to this."


----------



## nouveau.ukiyo

Something I'm not all that happy about; click on the link to see some maps to help make things a bit easier to understand.

http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/...l-route-structure-dismissing-through-running/



> Philadelphia Reevaluates Regional Rail Route Structure, Dismissing Through-Running
> by Yonah Freemark | February 4th, 2010
> 
> » The advantages made possible with the opening of a downtown tunnel in the 1980s will be passed over if SEPTA officials get their way.
> 
> When it opened the Center City Commuter Connection in 1984, Philadelphia had produced an interconnected regional rail system few other American cities could boast of. By digging a tunnel 1.7 miles between the former Pennsylvania Railroad’s Suburban Station and the tracks of the former Reading Railroad, regional transit authority SEPTA created a unified rail system spanning the entire Philadelphia region.
> 
> Unlike most U.S. commuter systems, Philadelphia could offer its riders through-service from one part of the metropolitan area to the next and stops at multiple stations downtown. Trains wouldn’t have to turn around at the center-city terminus, clearing up space for redevelopment and speeding up travel times. New uniformly numbered lines operated from one suburban destination to another, via downtown, just like the Paris RER and many German S-Bahn systems.
> 
> Unfortunately, SEPTA has spent the last 25 years making a mockery of the 1980s investment in its regional rail network. Now, the transit agency’s planners are pushing to remove uniform nomenclature from services and eliminate even the suggestion of through-running from operations. It’s a waste of transit capacity on a grand scale, and a disappointment for the agency’s 130,000 daily riders.
> 
> When the regional rail route designations were introduced in 1984, each route, labeled R1 through R8, had two suburban termini, with stops through downtown. Operations, like those on any rapid transit service, were relatively straightforward: trains on the R3 line, for instance, would begin their route in West Trenton and end in Elwyn, every time.
> 
> Today, however, services are muddled as if the line designations had no meaning. R2 trains, for example, become R6 trains when they pass through downtown when coming from the south; they become R1 trains at when coming from the north. R6 trains coming from Cynwyd simply terminate at Suburban Station, despite the fact that the R6 line supposedly continues to Norristown. On the weekends, R7 trains from Chestnut Hill East evolve into R3s headed towards Elwyn. On every line, certain trains simply cease operations once they reach downtown.
> 
> None of this, of course, is displayed on the agency’s map. How can the average rider not be confused?
> 
> These operational oddities are the result of ups and downs in transit ridership over time: line segments on each side of downtown were originally matched based on similar service needs, but corridor use has changed. But there is no explanation for why SEPTA is unable, for instance, to simply change the name of R2 trains coming from Newark to R6 and rename the dead-end Cynwyd R6 something else. The agency has clearly not made an effort to take advantage of the full potential of its built network, a failure that has been repeatedly been decried by one of the system’s designers, University of Pennsylvania transportation professor Vukan Vuchic.
> 
> The system’s staffers suggest that few people take advantage of the through-running nature of the system’s routes, and therefore that the idea of suburb-to-suburb lines should be abandoned.
> 
> But that through-running has not been made clear enough for anyone to understand! There are clear inconsistencies between line naming and actual services. Meanwhile, the system’s route map shows all regional rail lines in a uniform blue as if part of one line. The product is difficult to read, especially since the former Reading and Pennsylvania Railroad networks cross over one another with no interconnection north of downtown.
> 
> A lack of clear detail about which line goes where is to be expected for systems designed for commuters coming almost entirely from the suburbs to the center city — most riders know their line, they don’t transfer, and they go to a single downtown destination. But the beauty of an interconnected line such as Philadelphia’s is that it provides rapid transit ease of use for commuter rail passengers: it has the capacity of providing frequent services in the central city, multiple urban stations, and efficient transfers. Unfortunately, looking at SEPTA’s map, most people unfamiliar with the system can likely decipher none of those features.
> 
> One way to solve the problem is to diagram the regional rail system as a rapid transit agency would, as demonstrated on the right in the drawing above. Lines are differentiated by color, their paths are easily traceable, and it’s clear where trains begin, make stops, and terminate. Other cities with such systems show just that on their maps.
> 
> There is, in other words, a clear explanation for why SEPTA suffers from a lack of through-riding passengers: a lack of clarity about where trains go. For transit agencies just about anywhere, that’s a big problem.
> 
> SEPTA’s recently proposed solution to this situation is to rename lines based on their termini: R7 routes, for example, would simply become “Trenton” or “Chestnut Hill East” lines, depending on the direction. Colors and numbers currently associated with each service would be banished, because it has been decided that they are too complicated to understand. Whether or not trains themselves finish their routes downtown, lines would be portrayed as if they simply radiate from the center city in one direction; customers taking the train from a non-downtown station would be provided no information about the ultimate destination of their train past center city.
> 
> This change would basically reinstate the naming practices in place before the construction of the tunnel connection. It would basically compel all passengers to descend from trains downtown and transfer. The negative effect on ridership is unquestionable.
> 
> According to SEPTA planners, this would make getting around more simple. Unfortunately, that will only be true for people heading to the named terminus. Numbers and colors are far easier to remember than endpoints, especially when several of Philadelphia’s termini have very similar names (such as Trenton versus West Trenton).
> 
> Indeed, the existing system could work perfectly well for Philadelphia, as long as it were operated and labeled appropriately. The decision to move to a route-naming method that obviates possibilities for through-routing ignores the great transportation connections made possible with the downtown tunnel.
> 
> It’s true: The current line labels are nonsensical considering the operational environment. At the extreme, the R6 Cynwyd has a daily ridership of roughly 500 while its pair, the R6 Norristown, carries about 8,000 passengers every day. Services, as a result, cannot follow the route numbers as they’re currently set. The transit agency must rearrange lines so that ridership on each side of downtown is roughly equivalent, so that it make sense to provide similar amounts of service on each; otherwise, Philadelphia will continue suffering from its current bizarre operations conditions or have inappropriate service provision along many of the corridors.
> 
> Perhaps SEPTA simply needs to re-envision the manner in which it describes its existing system. Instead of each line being an individual branch of the overall network — i.e., R1 Airport — it could become an individual branch of a more encompassing line. There are currently thirteen line termini on Philadelphia’s regional rail network; by dividing services leading to those stations based on geography and ridership, SEPTA could produce a simpler to understand system.
> 
> One demonstration of how this could work is illustrated above (http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/...l-route-structure-dismissing-through-running/): SEPTA could divide service into three main corridors — the “Red,” “Yellow,” and “Green” lines, each with roughly equivalent ridership on each side of downtown. This would reduce the number of major routes from seven to three and make a network map easier to understand than the slithering cacophony of hues that would be required were each route designated with its own color. Customer comprehension of the system would improve, simply because of the smaller number of variables encountered by the average passenger.
> 
> Philadelphia may not be the best test case for such a simplification of the route network because of the general lack of shared main lines outside of the urban core. Yet the concept, which would take full advantage of through-running and encourage passengers to take the train from one part of the region to the next, is still valid.
> 
> For Philadelphia’s future development, getting regional rail right is vitally important: the system has the potential to carry a much larger percentage of the region’s population if it were upgraded to rapid transit-type operations, a series of improvements that would be far cheaper to implement than a major light or heavy rail construction campaign. But the only way to do so would be in taking advantage of the system’s through-routing, which increases overall speeds, improves network capacity, and expands the number of available destinations for passengers.
> 
> Today, roughly 5% of passengers take advantage of SEPTA’s through-routing, departing and arriving at destinations outside of downtown, despite the agency’s terrible lack of information about routes and dramatic inconsistencies in operations. These peoples’ commutes cannot be thrown out the window, or the system’s popularity will suffer; meanwhile, improvements in the design of line routings would probably increase ridership by encouraging more non-downtown use of the network. A rethinking of the way regional rail works is well worth the effort for Philadelphia, but a move back to the radial model of suburb-to-downtown transit lines would be a step in the wrong direction.
> 
> Above map hypothesizes completion of the unfunded but relatively cheap “Swampoodle Connector” that would allow formerly Reading Railroad trains to continue along the Chestnut Hill West line. Ridership in the above proposal based on 2006 estimates, from SV Metro.


----------



## city_thing

What are the frequencies like on the regional rail lines? Do people actually use them to get around the city, or are the underfunded, infrequent and empty as many American transit systems seem to be?

And how come we never really see anything about Philly's PT on SSC? Surely it has some pretty cool subway stations we can ogle.


----------



## Nexis

city_thing said:


> What are the frequencies like on the regional rail lines? Do people actually use them to get around the city, or are the underfunded, infrequent and empty as many American transit systems seem to be?
> 
> And how come we never really see anything about Philly's PT on SSC? Surely it has some pretty cool subway stations we can ogle.


The system is currently getting overhauled and expanded. New Rolling stock for Regional Rail is arriving as we speak. Its a decently funded system , but has been run badly intill a few years ago. I think theres a train every 10-20 mins , but i'm not sure about that. Its fairly busy , when they expand and restore some more key lines , then it will be just as busy as some European systems. For the subway pictures and videos go to the Subway forum. 

Heres some videos of the Regional Rail

R5 to Philadelphia






September SEPTA Trains Wallingford and Media R3 Stations






A Major Transit Hub , Trenton Transit Center , Southern Terminus for NJT NEC line , Northern Terminus for Septa R7 Line, Terminus for NJT Riverline and NJT Buses and Septa Buses. The Station is currently getting overhauled.


----------



## nouveau.ukiyo

city_thing said:


> What are the frequencies like on the regional rail lines? Do people actually use them to get around the city, or are the underfunded, infrequent and empty as many American transit systems seem to be?
> 
> And how come we never really see anything about Philly's PT on SSC? Surely it has some pretty cool subway stations we can ogle.


Frequencies depend on the line, but tend to be on average every 30 minutes during peak hours (in one direction, depending on the time of day), and 1 hr+ during non-peak hours. Take a look at the schedules if you're especially curious:

http://www.septa.org/schedules/rail/index.html

Some lines are served by both Amtrak and SEPTA (Keystone Corridor and Northeast Corridor); frequencies on those lines regards to express trains are quite good.

As SEPTA Regional Rail is a railroad, the purpose of many lines is to link the suburbs and outlying cities with Center City Philadelphia. For those living in the city, bus/subway/trolley are usually a cheaper means of getting around, not to mention more frequent than the trains. Regional Rail fares start at $3.50; Bus/subway/trolley cost $2 cash or 1 token ($1.45).

However, one of the peculiarities of this system concerns some of the lines that run entirely or for a significant distance within the City of Philadelphia, notable the R7 Chestnut Hill East, R8 Chestnut Hill West, R8 Fox Chase, R6 Cynwyd, R6 Norristown, and R7 Trenton. Within the city, the distance between some stations can be as little as 3/10 of a mile (~500 meters, as seen on the Chestnut Hill lines) ranging up to 1 mile, numbers you'd typically see only on heavy rail metro/subway systems.

Another unique feature of the system is that it is 100% electrified. It is also RER-esque in that all trains, as they run from the suburbs to the city, link up to a main line and pass under Center City through a tunnel, making stops, then re-emerge to run on the opposite side on the network back out to the suburbs (see map).

Yes, many people use SEPTA Regional Rail; ridership has been growing steadily over the past few years and is close to an all time peak ever since SEPTA took over the system in the early 1980s. However, ridership is only 130,000 daily; around 3 million people live within the scope of the system. Most jobs are in the suburbs, as is the majority of the metropolitan area's population. Unfortunately, despite the rich railroad history on Philadelphia and the State of Pennsylvania, the automobile is the typical means of transportation for most people today. The problem here has less to do with SEPTA and public transportation than it does with the lifestyle of Americans.

SEPTA is 'underfunded' I suppose, but the people who run SEPTA aren't exactly what we'd call 'good at what they do'; giving them more money wouldn't necessarily mean better things to come. And don't get me started on the SEPTA union.

Improvements are being made though; 120 new rail cars have been ordered from Rotem, a South Korean company, and the first batch are arriving as we speak. They will replace some of the older cars still in service, the oldest having been around for 47 years! Yikes! 

Also, the system has shrunk over the years, but recently people are talking about restoring service to some defunct lines; see some of the articles I posted above.

Most of the people interested in Philadelphia hang out on that 'other' site. SkyscraperCity is composed of people from around the world; because Philly is scrunched in between New York City and Washington D.C., it tends to be looked over by most people and therefore mentioned little internationally. Also, Philly is historically a working class, manufacturing city. The fall of industrial America hurt this city hard in ways that may have negatively affected it's image. These days, especially outside the West (I live in Japan now), when I say I'm from Philadelphia, people have no clue where that is or think it's just the name of cheese.

If your interested in the subway, head over to the SEPTA thread under the Subways and Urban Transport Forum.


----------



## city_thing

^^ Thanks for all the information! 

It's a shame the frequencies are so low, hopefully they'll improve as the years go by. I just had another look at the map and saw that there doesn't seem to be many connections in the suburbs (even when the lines pass each other). As expensive as it would be, maybe closing some stations and rebuilding them in more appropriate places could help with ridership and connectivity.


----------



## Nexis

city_thing said:


> ^^ Thanks for all the information!
> 
> It's a shame the frequencies are so low, hopefully they'll improve as the years go by. I just had another look at the map and saw that there doesn't seem to be many connections in the suburbs (even when the lines pass each other). As expensive as it would be, maybe closing some stations and rebuilding them in more appropriate places could help with ridership and connectivity.


That map is deceiving, its compressed.

Heres a Map of the now dead SVM Project , the Green lines are canceled but the Orange & Purple dotted lines will be restored sometime this decade. 










Heres the true map of the Septa & Future Restored network , there is a chance for a connector line , cutting across all the other lines. Which would be Diesel and a Euro Style Train.










Septa is overhauling there Fleet with 104 New ROTEM Cars


----------



## nouveau.ukiyo

> Heres a Map of the now dead SVM Project , the Green lines are canceled but the Orange & Purple dotted lines will be restored sometime this decade.


Well, no one knows if service will ever be restored on those lines. The only restoration currently in the works is the extension of the R3 Elwyn line 3 miles (~5kms) to Wawa. It's projected to cost $100 million, which I think is an incredible price for restoration work; at that price, you'd think they're building a new line. SEPTA has also spent 2 years on design work and planning for this line, which is a lot of time for a short 3 mile line that already exists! Actually, I bet a lot of money is being spent on station work and parking capacity (see below).

Restoring the R8 to Newtown is really tricky; many, very wealthy NIMBYs live along the old tracks, not to mention the cost. However, a lot of people live along this line, including many who work in the city; I personally think this line should be a priority out of all the extension ideas on the table.

SEPTA is studying the restoration of service to Quakertown and beyond to Shelly. Completion of this project would be $300 million (if electrified). Although this project has some hope, word on the street is that this line would only have 4,000 daily passengers (that's just an unofficial number I heard on another forum). Another ding in this plan is that many of the people who live along this abandoned line and work in Philadelphia usually take the R5 from Lansdale or another a station nearby. In other words, there would be few newer passengers; instead, passenger numbers would probably be redistributed. Another problem with the Quakertown line is that the tracks are owned by Norfolk and Southern, a rail frieght company; the line is still an operating railroad. I personally think this line needs to be fully restored to the Lehigh Valley, a few miles north of Quakertown, home to 700,000 people and the fastest growing metropolitan area in Pennsylvania. However, many of the workers there that commute out of the area work in New Jersey and New York City; it might be better for them to have a rail line to NYC rather than Philly!

It's unfortunate that the extension to Reading died such a sad death.

West Chester has a sad story as well; not only was their rail service cut, but trolley service was cut as well, thereby eliminating all rail transit. The trolley was interesting; it ran at quite high speeds for what it was because it had it's own right of way for a significant length of it's route. SEPTA recently completed a large bus depot there within the past few years; I think that shows SEPTAs commitment to servicing West Chester with buses. If you want to take the trains, it's not a long drive to a nearby R5 or R3 station.

By the way, service was cut on many of these lines either because of low ridership or because SEPTA didn't want to run diesel trains through the tunnels under Center City (all abandoned lines were diesel for the most part), or a combination of both. To be honest, I can't see any extensions being done unless a lot more office jobs come to Center City and a lot of those workers live in the suburbs.

Recently, SEPTA has seemed to be focusing more on improving their stations, notable increasing car parking capacity. I can't tell you how many stations have had work done in the past 5-7 in regards to this. It will allow more people to park and ride and thereby increase ridership, but it also tells you something about life in America; you still need a car even if you take the train to work.


----------



## goldbough

SEPTA counts unique names to get 153 stations, but North Philadelphia has two separate platforms. The R7 stops at one while the R8 stops at a different platform, but near the first one. I think they should be counted as two since you can't walk from one platform to the other without going through the parking lot. So I say they have 154 stations.


----------



## Nexis

I took a few NJT Videos on Sunday while waiting for a Train for New York that got delayed , and then waiting for a train to Newark that go Delayed.

NJ Transit Train @ Secacuse JCT departing for NYC 






NJT Northeast Corridor Line to Trenton


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## nouveau.ukiyo

http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/new...4/levittown-station-will-not-be-replaced.html



> Levittown station will not be replaced
> 
> By: GEORGE MATTAR
> The Intelligencer
> 
> Due to major funding issues, SEPTA has abandoned plans to build a $34 million Levittown Train Station to replace the crumbling site, which does not even have a working toilet.
> 
> The transit agency also is shelving plans for expanded parking at the Yardley station and proposing a "modest" fare hike, effective July 1.
> 
> "Levittown is dead. That and 19 other projects are on hold unless Pennsylvania's application to convert Interstate 80 to a toll highway is passed," said SEPTA Board Chairman Pasquale "Pat" T. Deon Sr. at a news conference Friday at SEPTA headquarters on Market Street in Philadelphia.
> 
> Deon and other SEPTA officials unveiled a proposed budget for fiscal 2011 of $1.18 billion, which includes an 8 percent increase in medical and prescription costs, electricity rate caps set to expire next January and the recession, which has impacted ridership about 3 percent.
> 
> The new Croydon Train Station, well under way, will be completed, Deon said. That project was funded in part by federal stimulus funds.
> 
> SEPTA General Manager Joseph Casey said the proposed fare hikes will be "modest" and there has not been a fare hike since August 2007. He said the lack of federal funding had nothing to do with the proposed fare increases, which occur every three to four years to keep up with operating costs and inflation. He noted last November's strike by some SEPTA workers and new contract with pay increases did not spark the fare hikes.
> 
> SEPTA likely will raise fares between 5 and 6 percent, SEPTA officials said. That would raise the cost of a token from $1.45 to about $1.53, weekly TransPasses from $20.75 to roughly $22 and weekly TrailPasses from $22.50 to about $23.75.
> 
> Additionally, weekday peak pricing will be in effect until 7 p.m. daily, said SEPTA spokesman Richard Maloney. Now, SEPTA gives slightly reduced rates to riders using the system from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, considered off-peak hours. This will be eliminated if the budget for fiscal year 2011 is passed as it was presented Friday.
> 
> SEPTA's $2 base fare for buses, subways and trolleys is one of the lowest among the Top 10 largest U.S. transit agencies, SEPTA officials said.
> 
> SEPTA Chief Financial Officer Richard Burnfield said unlike other area transit agencies, SEPTA's proposed fare increases will not be paired with service reduction. He cited New Jersey Transit, which recently proposed a 25 percent fare hike, along with significant cuts in service. No cuts are planned for SEPTA.
> 
> Meanwhile, Deon is not very optimistic SEPTA will get the $110 million it planned on from the federal government.
> 
> "We are in trouble. I'd say it's a 50/50 chance and that leads me to believe we won't get that money," he said. "Gov. Ed Rendell is behind us and Pennsylvania supports this. It's the federal government that we have to convince."
> 
> Deon urged residents to write to Bucks County Congressman Patrick Murphy, D-8, U.S. Senators Bob Casey, D-Pa., and Arlen Specter, D-Pa., to make sure Pennsylvania's application to convert Interstate 80 to a toll highway is approved under state Act 44.
> 
> Act 44 was passed the state Legislature in July 2007, creating the first ever long-term dedicated funding for transit and highways. After a failed plan to lease the Pennsylvania Turnpike, Rendell proposed the money would come from issuing bonds on future toll revenue and tolling I-80.
> 
> George Mattar can be reached at 215-949-4165 or [email protected].


----------



## goldbough

I haven't been to Levittown yet, so I can't comment on the station. I did go to Yardley, but don't remember much. It certainly wasn't a small parking lot. I was there on a Sunday at 6am so of course there were no cars then. Peak time until 7pm seems too late to me. I could see 6pm, but by 7:00 people are going out and not work.


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## nouveau.ukiyo

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/89399542.html



> Abington Twp. girl, 15, hit by SEPTA train
> 
> By Sam Wood
> INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
> 
> A 15-year-old Abington Township girl, struck by a SEPTA commuter train this morning, remained in surgery this afternoon at Albert Einstein Medical Center, police said.
> 
> "We haven't been able to get a statement from her so we don't know if was accidental or intentional," said Det. Andrew Snyder of the Cheltenham police.
> 
> A witness spotted the girl on the tracks about 11:20 a.m. near the border of Cheltenham Township and the city's Lawndale section, police said.
> 
> Moments later, a southbound R8 Foxchase struck her near Passmore Street, about 1,000 feet from the Lawndale station, said Jerri Williams, a SEPTA spokeswoman.
> 
> Snyder said investigators have not been able to determine why the girl was on the tracks or why she wasn't in school. Anyone with information is asked to call Cheltenham Twp. police at 215-885-1600.


----------



## nouveau.ukiyo

http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/new.../april/01/man-struck-by-train-identified.html



> Man struck by train identified
> 
> By: Ben Finley
> phillyBurbs.com
> 
> The man who was struck and killed by a train in Tullytown Monday night has been identified as Thomas Greene, 33.
> 
> Bucks County Coroner Dr. Joseph Campbell said his office could not locate a next of kin.
> 
> Greene’s last known address was in Bensalem. However, he was evicted that address last year with officials unable to determine his whereabouts after that, Campbell said. Officials found a name for an emergency contact but that person is deceased.
> 
> Campbell said Greene’s manner of death has been ruled a suicide. Greene was struck about by an Amtrak Acela train near SEPTA’s R-7 stop in Levittown.


----------



## nouveau.ukiyo

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20100324_Passengers_evacuated_after_SEPTA_R3_train_fire.html



> Posted on Wed, Mar. 24, 2010
> 
> Passengers evacuated after SEPTA R3 train fire
> 
> A SEPTA R3 train en route to West Trenton had a minor fire at about 6:25 last evening in the air-conditioning unit of one car and passengers were evacuated at the Langhorne station, according to SEPTA spokesman Richard Maloney.
> Maloney said no injuries were reported to SEPTA and the passengers were transferred to another train. The R3 line was reopened shortly thereafter, Maloney said. - Inquirer Staff


----------



## nouveau.ukiyo

http://www.delcotimes.com/articles/2010/03/12/news/doc4b9a6818b6821614724894.txt



> SEPTA eyes fare hikes, Wawa cut in budget crunch
> 
> Published: Friday, March 12, 2010
> 
> By JOHN M. ROMAN, [email protected]
> 
> PHILADELPHIA - Add something else to the list of those things that will soon cost you more - mass transit.
> 
> The SEPTA board Friday unveiled a proposal for what they are calling a 'modest' fare hike, likely in the neighborhood of 5 to 6 percent for tokens, TransPasses, and TrailPasses. The hikes would go into effect on July 1.
> 
> *In addition, the board said a number of projects vital to SEPTA and its riders – including extending the R3 Regional Rail to Wawa – will become budget casualties if the feds don’t approve a plan for dedicated funding for transportation in the state.*
> 
> SEPTA proposed fare increases averaging about 6 percent systemwide – the last fare hike was in August 2007 – as it faces a shortfall of $110 million. The base cash fare will remain at $2.
> 
> Here's how SEPTA lays out the increases:
> 
> -- Base cash fare remains at $2.00.
> 
> -- Token -- $1.45 to $1.55
> 
> -- Transfer – 75 cents to $1.00.
> 
> -- Weekly Pass -- $20.75 to $22.00.
> 
> -- Monthly Pass -- $78.00 to $83.00.
> 
> -- Paratransit fare remains at $4.00.
> 
> SEPTA officials also indicate still another delay in their much-awaited SMART token plan.
> 
> The $80 million Wawa project was at the 90 percent design phase with construction originally anticipated this year, it was reported last month by Byron S. Comati, SEPTA strategic planning director. After completion of the project, trains were scheduled to operate from Wawa by 2013.
> 
> SEPTA officials at a press conference hammered at the need for tolling I-80 as a key component of Act 44, the state law enacted in 2007 to create a dedicated funding source for transportation in the state.
> 
> Without I-80 tolls, Act 44 cannot be fully implemented, leaving SEPTA and other transit agencies statewide short of funds needed for operating expenses, among other items. Pittsburgh’s transit agency faces a $25 million deficit which could double if I-80 tolls get rejected.
> 
> SEPTA officials projected a $300 million capital budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1, which includes cuts of $110 million due to insufficient dedicated funding. This would leave the transit authority with just enough to pay for mandated expenses such as debt service, vehicle and infrastructure repairs and new equipment.
> 
> The potential cuts would force SEPTA to delay or abandon a new fare collection system, a “smart card” fare system, renovation of the City Hall Station and the extension of rail service from Elwyn to Wawa in Middletown.
> 
> SEPTA hasn’t had a fare increase since August 2007 and is proposing a roughly 6 percent hike system-wide to keep up with inflation, following the recommendations of the Pennsylvania Transportation Funding/Reform Commission which suggests periodic fare increases rather than sudden huge increases after a lengthy period of time without hikes.
> 
> Public hearings would have to be held and the the plan would have to be approved by the full SEPTA board.
> 
> SEPTA last raised its fares back in 2007. The $2 base fare has been in place since 2001.
> 
> "When you look at what we're already committed to ... (the capital budget) leaves virtually nothing to start new projects," said SEPTA GM and Delco native Joe Casey in briefing reporters.


----------



## nouveau.ukiyo

http://news.topwirenews.com/2010/06/15/pennsylvania-fatality-septa-passenger_201006157183.html

The link to the story has a picture of the London Underground instead of the SEPTA R5. They also spelled "Inquirer" wrong.



> *Pennsylvania fatality: SEPTA passenger jumps onto tracks, killed by train*
> 
> June 15, 2010 (TopWireNews.com: - Law, press release)
> 
> Bryn Mawr, PA – A Pennsylvania woman was killed Friday, June 11, 2010, after she ran onto the SEPTA railroad tracks in attempts to retrieve her Chihuahua, as reported by The Philadelphia Enquirer. The woman was struck by an oncoming commuter train after jumping onto the tracks.
> 
> The woman was believed to be in her 40s and from out of state, according to police. She was on the eastbound platform just before 6 p.m. when her dog jumped from the stand and onto the tracks.
> 
> A witness to the event told reporters the unleashed Chihuahua was excited and spinning circles as a westbound train stopped on the far side of the tracks. A few moments later, the dog jumped off the platform and onto the eastbound tracks.
> 
> The owner followed. The witness explained, “She did not have time to get back up, and the train was on her…It was terrible-looking under the train.”
> 
> When the train stopped, the dog ran out from under. It was apparently unharmed.
> 
> Eastbound commuter service on the R5 Paoli-Thorndale line was suspended until approximately 8:35 p.m. as investigators examined the scene. Passengers who were onboard during the wreck were shuttled to their original destinations by bus, as reported by as SEPTA spokesman.
> 
> The tracks are located only a few inches below the platform. There are no preventative obstacles to prevent people from walking onto the rails.
> 
> The dog was taken to an animal hospital and officials were reportedly attempting to contact the woman’s relatives Friday evening.


----------



## Nexis

Some New Jersey Transit videos i took on Tuesday


*train # 4106 Pascack Valley line Departing Secaucus JCT for Hoboken
*







*Train # 4019 Raritan Valley Train Departing for the yards
*







*Arrows Departing Newark Penn for Trenton
*







*Train # 4165 Departing Secaucus JCT for NY Penn
*







*Train # 4210 Bypassing Secaucus JCT bound for Hoboken
*


----------



## Jayayess1190

SEPTA Regional Rail schedules and line names change July 25



> PHILADELPHIA - SEPTA will be dropping the R-series route names from it's railroad lines as part of a system-wide restructuring of the Regional Rail system. The new names, which had been given a "soft launch" by appearing on transit timetables issued over the past couple of months, will be officially part of the timetables as part of the July 25 schedule changes.
> 
> Almost all Regional Rail lines will see changes to it's train numbers, while most will see time adjustments; no running time changes are planned for the Airport, Chestnut Hill West, Cynwyd, or Warminster lines.


----------



## Nexis

*NYC - NJ - NY - CT Metro Commuter Rail system*

*New Jersey Transit - Metro North Railroad - Long Island Railroad
*
*System Usage : 825,000
*
*New Jersey Transit
*
Current system size : 570 mi 
Current # Stations : 160 
Planned Miles of DMU Rail : 160
Planned Miles of Electrified Rail : 78
Planned Miles of Diesel Rail : 567
Planned # Stations : 60

*Lower Hudson Valley - Metro North RR
*
Current system size : 156 mi
Planned Miles of Diesel Rail : 185
Planned Miles of Electrified Rail : 47

*Connecticut - Metro North RR
*
Current system size : 132
Current # Stations : 127
Planned Miles of Diesel Rail : 248 
Planned Miles of Electrified Rail : 74
Planned # Stations : 42

*Long Island Railroad
*

Current system size : 700
Current # Stations : 124 
Planned Miles of Diesel Rail : 16
Planned Miles of Electrified : 50
Planned # Stations : 30


*Current Hub stations
*
*New Jersey Transit
*
Hoboken Terminal
Newark Penn
Secaucus JCT
Trenton Transit Center
Newark Board Street Station
New York Penn Station
30th Street Station

*Lower Hudson Valley & CT MNRR
*
Grand Central Terminal
New Haven Union Station
Stamford Transportation Center
South Norwalk

*Long Island Railroad
*
New York Penn station
Atlantic Terminal
Jamaica Station
Future : Grand Central Terminal

*System Maps*

*NJ Transit Rail*











*Long Island Railroad*










*Metro North Railroad
*









*Rolling Stock*

*Metro North RR
*









*Long Island Railroad
*










*NJ Transit 
*


----------



## manrush

I wonder if someday, LIRR would be made part of Metro North.


----------



## Xusein

What would be the point? LIRR and Metro North are both managed by the same authority (MTA).


----------



## Nexis

manrush said:


> I wonder if someday, LIRR would be made part of Metro North.


2 Different systems , MNRR is better run then the LIRR and is expanding more.


----------



## ankhanhhn

The trains are getting more and more modern! 
I like to travel by train a lot!


----------



## mrmocha413

obviously metro north is going to expand further north because there are booming suburbs up in dutchess county, long island is well an island, expansion is severely limited, maybe more beefed up service on the outer branches would be beneficial


----------



## apinamies

I watch some movie where Eliah Wood was. He travel some suburban train to New York. It must this system! :lol:


----------



## Simfan34

Now if only every other state had a regional rail system like NJ- that's one of the few things I enjoy about living there.


----------



## nouveau.ukiyo

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/US/10/07/new.jersey.tunnel.project/?hpt=T2



> *N.J. governor kills Hudson River tunnel project*
> 
> By the CNN Wire Staff
> 
> October 8, 2010 -- Updated 1031 GMT (1831 HKT)
> 
> *New Jersey governor scraps tunnel plans
> 
> NEW: Decision will hurt New Jersey, analyst says
> 
> Governor: The project was expected to exceed its budget
> 
> The tunnel project was put on hold last month
> 
> $600 million already spent on the project may not be reimbursed*
> 
> (CNN) -- New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie killed plans for a new train tunnel to connect his state with New York's Manhattan island Thursday, saying billions of dollars in possible cost overruns made the project "completely unthinkable."
> 
> The $8.7 billion tunnel beneath the Hudson River was the largest public works project in the United States, but Christie said it was likely to cost up to $5 billion more than estimated. In a statement announcing his plan to withdraw from the project, he said the tunnel "costs far more than New Jersey taxpayers can afford, and the only prudent move is to end this project."
> 
> "I have made a pledge to the people of New Jersey that on my watch I will not allow taxpayers to fund projects that run over budget with no clear way of how these costs will be paid for," said Christie, a Republican elected in 2009. "Considering the unprecedented fiscal and economic climate our state is facing, it is completely unthinkable to borrow more money and leave taxpayers responsible for billions in cost overruns."
> 
> The tunnel, dubbed the Access to the Region's Core project, was aimed at doubling the number of commuter trains between New York and New Jersey and increasing the number of Amtrak trains serving the Northeast Corridor. It would have included an expansion of New York's Penn Station, created 6,000 jobs and taken 22,000 cars off the road, according to New Jersey Transit and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
> 
> Thomas Wright, the head of the Regional Plan Association, said Christie's decision "is really going to take a hit on New Jersey's economic growth." He said the $5 billion estimate for overruns that Christie cited is overstated, with the actual number being closer to $1 billion.
> 
> "This is a potential overrun that's many years down the road. It should not have been used as the excuse to kill this project," he said.
> 
> The Port Authority and the Federal Transit Administration each put up $3 billion for the Access to the Region's Core project, with the state of New Jersey adding in $2.7 billion. The project also was partially funded by federal stimulus money.
> 
> "New Jersey definitely has extreme financial burdens that they are dealing with," said Wright, the executive director of the transportation and urban planning think tank. "However, Access to the Region's Core was one project that was very well funded from federal and bi-state sources. Very little of the money was actually coming from New Jersey citizens."
> 
> Opponents of the planned tunnel said they would rather see New Jersey's share of the money go to the state's Transportation Trust Fund, which is rapidly running out of money.
> 
> Supporters of the project proposed covering any budget shortfalls with a surcharge on train tickets or an increase in New Jersey's gasoline tax, the third-lowest in the country. But Christie has said he's opposed to raising gasoline taxes.
> 
> Christie said he has asked his state transportation commissioner and the head of the New Jersey Transit agency to work with federal and regional officials to find other ways to boost commuter capacity. "However, any future project must recognize the regional and national scale of such an effort and work within the scope of the state's current fiscal and economic realities," he added.
> 
> Christie had put a 30-day hold on the project in September to re-evaluate it. Wednesday, Department of Transportation spokesman Brian Farber said that Christie and U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood had spoken by telephone and "agreed to have staff work together to further refine the estimated cost of the entire project, and those conversations are ongoing."
> Now that the project has been killed, the Federal Transit Administration could redirect its funds to other projects across the United States. The $600 million already spent on the project may not be reimbursed.
> 
> CNN's Steve Kastenbaum, Eden Pontz and Brian Todd contributed to this report.


----------



## Suburbanist

^^ These pledges not-to-raise-(nominal)-taxes are political winners but public budgetary and economic nightmares. Make no mistake: I favor no marginal (in its strict sense) taxation on fuel other than to recover the costs for maintaining, building and improving the "car transportation infrastructure and fueling". However, if gas taxes receipts are not even covering maintenance of already existing roads and paying for network improvements, it's time to raise them.

Nonetheless, because it's impossible to raise gas taxes without paying lip service to transit warmongers, I prefer to see otherwise sensible transit schemes (like this tunnel) scrapped and see money used to pay for roads, that serve a large (very much large, indeed) share of total trips in any developed country.

They should have find, though, a way to pay for possible cost overruns with fare surcharges only.


----------



## Xusein

> *N.J. Gov. Chris Christie agrees to reconsider Hudson River tunnel project*
> 
> TRENTON — A day after Gov. Chris Christie axed the $8.7 billion Hudson River rail tunnel project over its soaring costs, a reprieve of sorts was granted.
> 
> Following a meeting in Trenton this afternoon with U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, the governor agreed to take a second look at the project.
> 
> LaHood, in a statement, said, "Governor Christie and I had a good discussion this afternoon, during which I presented a number of options for continuing the ARC tunnel project. We agreed to put together a small working group from the U.S. Department of Transportation and the office of NJ Transit Executive Director Jim Weinstein that will review these options and provide a report to Governor Christie within two weeks."
> 
> Christie on Thursday said he was canceling the tunnel, known as Access to the Region's Core (ARC), because estimates had the project going anywhere from $2.3 billion to $5.3 million over budget.
> 
> "The fact that the ARC project is not financially viable and is expected to dramatically exceed its current budget remains unchanged," the governor said in a statement today. "However, this afternoon Secretary LaHood presented several options to potentially salvage a trans Hudson tunnel project. At the secretary’s request, I’ve agreed to have executive director of NJ Transit Jim Weinstein and members from his team work with U.S. Department of Transportation staff to study those options over the next two weeks.”
> 
> At a news conference this afternoon following the stunning development, U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) said the governor and the U.S. Department of Transportation will come to the negotiating table to revive the tunnel project.
> 
> "It's a stay of execution for a very worthy project that's been put on death row," said Zoe Baldwin, the New Jersey advocate for the Tri-State Transportation Campaign.
> 
> State officials said the temporary hold does not mean a reversal of Christie's decision. They said the project is going to continue winding down. But the governor agreed to a two-week evaluation to look at various scenarios.
> 
> Christie had announced he was killing the project because New Jersey did not have the money to pay for added costs, as new reports showed the probability of continuing cost overruns. More than a half-billion dollars has already been spent on construction, engineering and land acquisition.
> 
> Federal lawmakers loudly protested that with the cancellation, the state would abandon $3 billion in federal funding earmarked for the project.
> 
> "New Jersey taxpayers don’t want to own a $600 million hole to nowhere," said U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) "They’d rather have a fully functioning tunnel that brings relief to their commutes, creates tens of thousands of jobs and is supported by a major, $3 billion investment from the federal government."


http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/10/hudson_river_tunnel_project_ma.html


----------



## hoosier

Suburbanist said:


> Nonetheless, because it's impossible to raise gas taxes without paying lip service to transit warmongers, I prefer to see otherwise sensible transit schemes (like this tunnel) scrapped and see money used to pay for roads, that serve a large (very much large, indeed) share of total trips in any developed country.


Do you know nothing about the NY metropolitan area? This isn't Houston numbnuts- we are talking about one of the most transit dependent cities in the country. How is spending more money on roads going to improve New Jersey's access to Manhattan, the intent of the ARC Tunnel project? Widening I-287 or I-78 does NOTHING to reduce commute times to Manhattan.


----------



## Suburbanist

hoosier said:


> Do you know nothing about the NY metropolitan area? This isn't Houston numbnuts- we are talking about one of the most transit dependent cities in the country. How is spending more money on roads going to improve New Jersey's access to Manhattan, the intent of the ARC Tunnel project? Widening I-287 or I-78 does NOTHING to reduce commute times to Manhattan.


Agreed! If then, why car owners/drivers should foot the bill for a rail tunnel they will never use given - as you said - that widening the New Jersey Turnpike or other Interstates in the area would "[do] NOTHING to reduce commute times to Manhattan"[/i]?

Wouldn't it be fairer if the NJ put general funds (e.g., not earmarked gas taxes, which exist for the solely purpose of funding the highway trust fund, state and federal) in the project? Or maybe with an increase in the sales and/or property taxes?

BTW, am I the only one who, when traveled to NYC, set up rental car + decent hotel in Jersey City + car errands all way up and down in Manhattan? At least for vacations, it's very doable if you are not crossing to/from the island more than once a day. Frankly, it was easy to drive in Manhattan (except Downtown Manhattan), much easier than in any major European capital city center. Even parking fees were "doable", except near Ground Zero where fares were like US$ 35/day when I visited. The other boroughs were very easy to access by car too. Just gotta be patient with the jams and copy with no-turn-on-red laws.


----------



## Simfan34

Suburbanist said:


> Agreed! If then, why car owners/drivers should foot the bill for a rail tunnel they will never use given - as you said - that widening the New Jersey Turnpike or other Interstates in the area would "[do] NOTHING to reduce commute times to Manhattan"[/i]?
> 
> Wouldn't it be fairer if the NJ put general funds (e.g., not earmarked gas taxes, which exist for the solely purpose of funding the highway trust fund, state and federal) in the project? Or maybe with an increase in the sales and/or property taxes?
> 
> BTW, am I the only one who, when traveled to NYC, set up rental car + decent hotel in Jersey City + car errands all way up and down in Manhattan? At least for vacations, it's very doable if you are not crossing to/from the island more than once a day. Frankly, it was easy to drive in Manhattan (except Downtown Manhattan), much easier than in any major European capital city center. Even parking fees were "doable", except near Ground Zero where fares were like US$ 35/day when I visited. The other boroughs were very easy to access by car too. Just gotta be patient with the jams and copy with no-turn-on-red laws.


You, good sir, are completely insufferable. People like you are the reason the US lacks a HSR system.

But anyways, I think while this is a real shame that this has been canceled, it's awfully complex. While it is wise to think ahead and in ten years or so this tunnel will be sorely needed, no one simply has the money for this stuff anymore. Costs have gotten out of control.


----------



## Nexis

Suburbanist said:


> Agreed! If then, why car owners/drivers should foot the bill for a rail tunnel they will never use given - as you said - that widening the New Jersey Turnpike or other Interstates in the area would "[do] NOTHING to reduce commute times to Manhattan"[/i]?
> 
> Wouldn't it be fairer if the NJ put general funds (e.g., not earmarked gas taxes, which exist for the solely purpose of funding the highway trust fund, state and federal) in the project? Or maybe with an increase in the sales and/or property taxes?
> 
> BTW, am I the only one who, when traveled to NYC, set up rental car + decent hotel in Jersey City + car errands all way up and down in Manhattan? At least for vacations, it's very doable if you are not crossing to/from the island more than once a day. Frankly, it was easy to drive in Manhattan (except Downtown Manhattan), much easier than in any major European capital city center. Even parking fees were "doable", except near Ground Zero where fares were like US$ 35/day when I visited. The other boroughs were very easy to access by car too. Just gotta be patient with the jams and copy with no-turn-on-red laws.


You good sir are a moron and don't understand how things and the US work. If i knew your real name you'd be banned form Entry. Eventually we rebuild a Euro Style Network in the NE and you'll just have to live with that. Rail is becoming or is very popular mode of Transportation in this region....


----------



## Suburbanist

Simfan34 said:


> You, good sir, are completely insufferable. People like you are the reason the US lacks a HSR system.
> 
> But anyways, I think while this is a real shame that this has been canceled, it's awfully complex. While it is wise to think ahead and in ten years or so this tunnel will be sorely needed, no one simply has the money for this stuff anymore. Costs have gotten out of control.


Well, I will skip the unwarranted personal offense and go back to the ideas discussion.

Out of control infrastructure project costs add uncertainty to any project (from a pipeline to a water main to a railway to a stack road interchange), rendering there less manageable under a budgetary approach. However, in many cases the overruns are not due to technical unexpected surprises, but ongoing redesign and accommodation of interferences of all kinds once the works are already on progress. We DO have the design technology to estimate, after the preliminary works, the real cost of such projects. However, more and more politicians, activists and other parties want to get a stand on the project after it is ongoing, which makes it more expensive - and the pattern replicates itself.



Nexis said:


> You good sir are a moron and don't understand how things and the US work. If i knew your real name you'd be banned form Entry. Eventually we rebuild a Euro Style Network in the NE and you'll just have to live with that. Rail is becoming or is very popular mode of Transportation in this region....


Again, I skip your pointless personal attack. Could we stick with discussing ideas, not swearing at each other? Chill out.

This being said, I have nothing against rail per se. At the same time, I DO recognize the problem of modal-minority transit bias. It means that in places where the use of transit is limited as a share of total km(miles)*pax trips, the ones who use transit usually do so in a way that make their lifestyle inherently different (shopping, leisure and overall consumption patterns) because the lack of cars severely limit their mobility (usually not in scope but reach).

I have a US colleague from U. Texas who explained me that - in details. It is a very interesting situation because it is different than the one in Europe.

Therefore, my point is: I don't have anything against trains as technological systems. They can be cool (if modern, high-speed, new etc). But I'm concerned about the way they are funded, because transit systems at general can put a drag on local and even national economies if they require massive subsidizes, and that interests me as someone studying Economics.

I'm pro-car, for sure, but that is not only on technical basis but on an honest belief that it promotes a more individualistic society and empowers people to commute greater distances and to live in bigger houses. I was fascinated when I lived in US and saw how comfortable and spacious the average house in US is, how much stuff people have inside their houses and how easily they go either for a regional national park or to a shopping mall on the spur of a moment, without any planning and without any need to deal with timetables or cramped buses or trains. You don't need to interact with strangers if you don't want all the way from your house to a camping ground. No uneasy proximity with a random folk seated next to you - that is priceless. I traveled from Las Vegas to Denver and didn't have to talk to anyone but the helpful and courteous receptionist at a motel in Grand Junction. 

Then, because the mainstream housing pattern of US can only exist if cars are used as a basic mean of transportation, I subscribed to them as a no-brainer solution and want that culture to get a stronger hold in Europe. 

My utopia would be a country without the concept of cities, just intercalated agglomerations without centrality and, ideally, without much identity either - but that is not going to happen. However, the "everybody will use train and happily bike under snow if needed" utopia won't happen either 

In any case: could you enlighten me and explain "how things are done here [in US]" in regard of transit projects? I'm honestly interested in the details of the budget process of infrastructure projects.

I know this tunnel has a lot of non-NJ money committed to it, so the local investment by NJ gov't will indeed leverage many more federal and NY dollars. This situation (budget-leveraged projects) makes everything more tricky, because you can lose far more money (indirectly) when such a project is cancelled as you lose grants or external appropriations, and also it makes you (NJ gov't in the case) with a bad institutional record for any future collaborative project in the same area, which increases the perceived walk-out risk of potential contracting parties (like the DOT or the NY government).


----------



## Simfan34

Suburbanist said:


> My utopia would be a country without the concept of cities, just intercalated agglomerations without centrality and, ideally, without much identity either - but that is not going to happen. However, the "everybody will use train and happily bike under snow if needed" utopia won't happen either.


Then you, sir, don't belong on this site.


----------



## Nexis

Suburbanist said:


> Well, I will skip the unwarranted personal offense and go back to the ideas discussion.
> 
> Out of control infrastructure project costs add uncertainty to any project (from a pipeline to a water main to a railway to a stack road interchange), rendering there less manageable under a budgetary approach. However, in many cases the overruns are not due to technical unexpected surprises, but ongoing redesign and accommodation of interferences of all kinds once the works are already on progress. We DO have the design technology to estimate, after the preliminary works, the real cost of such projects. However, more and more politicians, activists and other parties want to get a stand on the project after it is ongoing, which makes it more expensive - and the pattern replicates itself.
> 
> 
> 
> Again, I skip your pointless personal attack. Could we stick with discussing ideas, not swearing at each other? Chill out.
> 
> This being said, I have nothing against rail per se. At the same time, I DO recognize the problem of modal-minority transit bias. It means that in places where the use of transit is limited as a share of total km(miles)*pax trips, the ones who use transit usually do so in a way that make their lifestyle inherently different (shopping, leisure and overall consumption patterns) because the lack of cars severely limit their mobility (usually not in scope but reach).
> 
> I have a US colleague from U. Texas who explained me that - in details. It is a very interesting situation because it is different than the one in Europe.
> 
> Therefore, my point is: I don't have anything against trains as technological systems. They can be cool (if modern, high-speed, new etc). But I'm concerned about the way they are funded, because transit systems at general can put a drag on local and even national economies if they require massive subsidizes, and that interests me as someone studying Economics.
> 
> I'm pro-car, for sure, but that is not only on technical basis but on an honest belief that it promotes a more individualistic society and empowers people to commute greater distances and to live in bigger houses. I was fascinated when I lived in US and saw how comfortable and spacious the average house in US is, how much stuff people have inside their houses and how easily they go either for a regional national park or to a shopping mall on the spur of a moment, without any planning and without any need to deal with timetables or cramped buses or trains. You don't need to interact with strangers if you don't want all the way from your house to a camping ground. No uneasy proximity with a random folk seated next to you - that is priceless. I traveled from Las Vegas to Denver and didn't have to talk to anyone but the helpful and courteous receptionist at a motel in Grand Junction.
> 
> Then, because the mainstream housing pattern of US can only exist if cars are used as a basic mean of transportation, I subscribed to them as a no-brainer solution and want that culture to get a stronger hold in Europe.
> 
> My utopia would be a country without the concept of cities, just intercalated agglomerations without centrality and, ideally, without much identity either - but that is not going to happen. However, the "everybody will use train and happily bike under snow if needed" utopia won't happen either
> 
> In any case: could you enlighten me and explain "how things are done here [in US]" in regard of transit projects? I'm honestly interested in the details of the budget process of infrastructure projects.
> 
> I know this tunnel has a lot of non-NJ money committed to it, so the local investment by NJ gov't will indeed leverage many more federal and NY dollars. This situation (budget-leveraged projects) makes everything more tricky, because you can lose far more money (indirectly) when such a project is cancelled as you lose grants or external appropriations, and also it makes you (NJ gov't in the case) with a bad institutional record for any future collaborative project in the same area, which increases the perceived walk-out risk of potential contracting parties (like the DOT or the NY government).


Transit causes growth and enhances the economy. Things are done differently here in the Northeast / Mid Atlantic , this is not Texas. If your pro-car don't move to the US. I think you'd should research more about the Northeast / Mid Atlantic , we pour more into Schools and Services then Transit and Roads.


----------



## Suburbanist

Nexis said:


> Transit causes growth and enhances the economy. Things are done differently here in the Northeast / Mid Atlantic , this is not Texas. If your pro-car don't move to the US. I think you'd should research more about the Northeast / Mid Atlantic , we pour more into Schools and Services then Transit and Roads.


New England has an Interstate network denser than the Southwest, if you compound area and population.

In any case, the car-friendly culture (for an European) is enough to attract me to spend vacations there. Gosh, even Manhattan is drivable if you don't get angry at jams.

As for relocation to US, I could happily do that for other reasons like a better work environment and perspectives in my area. But I have another 4 years before deciding my next move. Ideally I could move to Houston, Denver, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Oklahoma City, Los Angeles or Las Vegas. Those are the best US metropolitan areas IMO, for my taste, in that order. But not all of those places have right job opportunities in my area, hence it's just wishful thinking.


----------



## Svartmetall

^^ Why do we have to read your drivel on every single page about rail? Please, Suburbanist, give it a rest! Good grief it is tiresome!


----------



## Nexis

Suburbanist said:


> New England has an Interstate network denser than the Southwest, if you compound area and population.
> 
> In any case, the car-friendly culture (for an European) is enough to attract me to spend vacations there. Gosh, even Manhattan is drivable if you don't get angry at jams.
> 
> As for relocation to US, I could happily do that for other reasons like a better work environment and perspectives in my area. But I have another 4 years before deciding my next move. Ideally I could move to Houston, Denver, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Oklahoma City, Los Angeles or Las Vegas. Those are the best US metropolitan areas IMO, for my taste, in that order. But not all of those places have right job opportunities in my area, hence it's just wishful thinking.


So , New England has one of the most Densiet Rail / Transit plans in the Country. Ppl there are demanding Rail , and they are slowly restoring it. You still don't seem to understand how the Northeast / Mid Atlantic works , its different here. I really suggest you research this region's transit plans more.....


----------



## Nexis

Some of my recent NJT Rail videos


----------



## hammersklavier

Bump.

As a regular SEPTA rider, I can tell you, yes, the first three Rotem Silverliner V (read that as a "five")--SVs for short--are in operation, and have been for a month.

...No I don't have photos. Why are youse guys all looking at me like that?


----------



## TheKorean

Heres something I dont get about SEPTA trains. Where do they terminate? I mean, for example, from Trenton, do they terminate at another suburb station meaning the train passes through the center city, or do they terminate in 30th Street Station or Market Street Station?


----------



## nouveau.ukiyo

TheKorean said:


> Heres something I dont get about SEPTA trains. Where do they terminate? I mean, for example, from Trenton, do they terminate at another suburb station meaning the train passes through the center city, or do they terminate in 30th Street Station or Market Street Station?


Originally, I believe the trains were meant to run end to end e.g. a R7 Trenton train would go from Trenton, through Center City and terminate at Chestnut Hill East. This didn't work out because one of half of the line would have a different train configuration than the other (due mostly to ridership discrepancies between the 2 halves of each line). I guess SEPTA mis-matched the line pairing when they merged the old Pennsylvania and Reading networks after the completion of the Center City tunnels; they paired up many lines that have very different ridership figures. I think SEPTA's inspiration was the Paris RER, but unlike that system, SEPTA Regional Rail wasn't built to function like the RER; rather, it is the combination of 2 formerly separate rail networks. This, combined with poor planning, made Regional Rail unable to function like an RER-type network. Again, using the R7 as an example, the R7 Trenton during rush hour uses a push-pull configuration with 7 passenger cars were as the R7 Chestnut Hill East would use a 4-car EMU configuration. Obviously there couldn't be any through service due to the different train configurations needed for each half of the line. SEPTA has different solutions for this problem. One was to have trains, after reaching Center City, to run through on a different line. For example, sometimes the R7 Trenton in 7-car push-pull configuration runs through on the R5 Paoli/Thorndale. Another common SEPTA practice is to have trains terminate just outside of Center City e.g. Temple University, University City, etc. From there, the trains might either go to the yard or run in reverse direction (sometimes on a different line). Few to no trains terminate in Center City anymore. You can actually look at the schedules on the SEPTA website and see were many of the trains terminate, although it does not say which trains run through on other lines.


----------



## Nexis

More recent Regional Videos...


----------



## hoosier

Suburbanist said:


> Ideally I could move to Houston, Denver, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Oklahoma City, Los Angeles or Las Vegas. Those are the best US metropolitan areas IMO, for my taste, in that order.


Don't move to those cities, almost all of them have extremely ambitious RAIL expansions either under construction, or planned to be in the near future. It would put a cramp in your sick car fetish.

I suggest moving to Detroit since cars are your obsession.


----------



## hoosier

Svartmetall said:


> ^^ Why do we have to read your drivel on every single page about rail? Please, Suburbanist, give it a rest! Good grief it is tiresome!


If posts could be thanked on this forum, I would thank this one thousands of times.


----------



## hammersklavier

TheKorean said:


> Heres something I dont get about SEPTA trains. Where do they terminate? I mean, for example, from Trenton, do *they terminate at another suburb station meaning the train passes through the center city*, or do they terminate in 30th Street Station or Market Street Station?


Precisely.

Back in the days when they were still numbered, the R1 ran from Airport to Glenside, the R2 from Newark to Warminster, the R3 from Elwyn to West Trenton, the R5 from Thorndale to Doylestown, the R6 from Cynwyd to Norristown, the R7 from Trenton to Chestnut Hill East, and the R8 from Chestnut Hill West to Fox Chase. (You will note that I am indicating origination on ex-Pennsylvania R.R. side and termination on ex Reading Co. side.)

At least in theory. In _actuality_ the R1 ran from Airport to Warminster, the R2 from Newark to Norristown, the R3 from Elwyn to West Trenton, the R5 from Thorndale to Doylestown, the R6 from Cynwyd to Suburban Station (Center City), the R7 from Trenton to Chestnut Hill East, and the R8 from Chestnut Hill East to Fox Chase. Part of this was because the pairings were put into place in the mid-'80s based on '80s ridership levels (R2 had the highest overall ridership; R1, as the Airport Train, was always a special case) and hadn't changed since, despite internal shifts in ridership (the R5 Thorndale line is now the most-heavily-trafficked in the system), which led to the divorce between how the map implied the system should work, and how it actually worked. This was rectified last summer, with the abolition of the R-numbers--they are now just named after their destinations (Airport, Wilmington/Newark, Media/Elwyn, Paoli/Thorndale, Cynwyd, Trenton, Chestnut Hill West, Warminster, West Trenton, Lansdale/Doylestown, Norristown, Chestnut Hill East, Fox Chase). The placards were changed; however, the actual internal dispatch was _not_ (Lansdale/Doylestown trains still go to Paoli/Thorndale, for instance). It's probably best to imagine our Regional Rail network as functioning much like the French RER or German S-Bahns, as that was what it was patterned on.


----------



## Tom 958

hammersklavier said:


> Precisely.


There's a post about this at TheTransportPolitic, with a livelier-than-usual discussion in the comments (EDIT: including hammersklavier!), and... a link to this detailed and interesting article by Scott Kozel, which in turn leads to http://www.pennways.com/Commuter_Tunnel_Line_Ops.html :



> The original tunnel operating plan was developed by Vukan Vuchic of the University of Pennsylvania. A copy of the plan can be found in Penn's engineering library -- it is a 'must-read' for those interested in the history of the railroad and the peculiar mindset that infects many of the SEPTA people that plan and run the railroad. Vuchic is an unabashed fan of the 'S-bahn' metropolitan rail services in Germany, and in many ways modeled his plan after them. *The R-numbers used to designate the commuter rail lines are analogous to the numbering of the S-bahn lines, and were part of Vuchic's plan (which we should note was never fully implemented*).


because...



> ... it assumed that the city project called the "Swampoodle Connector" would be done. The ex-PRR Chestnut Hill line and the ex-Reading Norristown branch run within a few hundred yards of each other near their respective main line junctions, in a North Philadelphia neighborhood called Swampoodle (the area between the two lines is mostly vacant and isolated land). The plan was to build a connecting track between the two so Chestnut Hill West trains would be connected to the Reading side via the Norristown branch. The plan would have a lot of benefits:
> -- Better balance of PRR-side and Reading-side ridership (CHW was second or third in PRR-side ridership)
> -- Balances the number of lines and trains on the PRR and Reading sides (Airport and Paoli get roughly double the service of the other lines)
> -- Gets CHW trains off the Amtrak Northeast Corridor (reduces expensive trackage rights payments) (improved schedule reliability)
> -- Gets more CHW passengers to their destinations sooner (Market East ridership is higher than 30th St. except on Sundays)
> 
> So assuming Swampoodle, Vuchic stacked up the lines by ridership and numbered them clockwise according to their PRR endpoints.


I'm from Atlanta and I know next to nothing of commuter rail operations in Philadelphia, but I still have to wonder: how different would things be today had the Swampoodle Connector been built?

EDIT: Maybe Yonah's Red Line should be the Pink Line since it's shaped like a breast cancer ribbon. 

another EDIT: Where would the Swampoodle Connector be? I can't figure it out.


----------



## hammersklavier

Swampoodle is the historical name of the neighborhood around Connie Mack Stadium. Connie Mack Stadium was at 20th and Lehigh, so I would guess that the Swampoodle Connector would have been built roughly where the R6 and R8 Norristown and Chestnut Hill West lines parallel each other to its north.

Building the Swampoodle Connector would still be viable. The parallel tracks allow for relatively easy ramp construction, the now-duplicated track would be sold, and the R8 Chestnut Hill train would shave about 10 minutes on its journey into Center City.*

Also note that Yonah's light-rail lines are widely agreed to be unworkable by locals, because the relatively limited space of Philadelphia streets (only about 50 ft. on all except the widest, outside of the Northeast, Roxborough, and Eastwick) effectively necessitate heavy rail for any major city-center service improvements, either as subways or as light rail. Certain Philadelphia regular forumers also advocate transit ideas of their own.
_________________
* Also viable (but more expensive): a connector ramp between the R8 Chestnut Hill West line and the Broad Street line, via a ramp on the current parallel track, and a tunnel under the SEPTA Main Line from the junction down to the corner of Broad and Lehigh. Such a project, however, would also involve a replacement of electrical feed (from 25 Hz AC 60 kW variable-tension catenary to 600 V DC top-contact third rail), a shaving/extending of high-level platforms to meet the Broad Street Line's loading gauge, construction of high-level platforms for stations where low-level ones are still in use, and finally internal (union) restructuring, due to the fact that the Regional Rail and City Transit (who runs the Broad Street Line) divisions have different unions. The political and technical challenges would be enormous, especially for a board as politicized and suburbs-dominated as SEPTA's, while system improvements would be relatively limited.


----------



## TheKorean

No love for Metra?


----------



## SydneyCity

TheKorean said:


> No love for Metra?


There are plenty of other US commuter rail systems that havn't been mentioned either.


----------



## sekelsenmat

G5man said:


> Should we then raise new revenue by tolling roadways? Should that be up to the states or the federal government? I am almost thinking the states since the states maintain the Interstates that run through their boundaries.


The european model is proven to work very well and if applied in the USA it would work like this:

1> Toll *all* Highways, don't use a single cent of gas tax to pay for highway maintenance nor expansion. Tolls should cover both of these needs. This will make even anti-gov people happy, since one option is giving the road as a concession to a private group.

2> Use the money freed up from the gas tax to fund Rail and Public Transport. In the case of the USA the state gas taxes seam more likely to be use for rail then the federal one, since there is a strong anti federal government sentiment.



> I could see commuters not being too happy about it with many budgets already stretched thin.


But public transport is imensely cheaper then owning a private car, so if people make the change, they will be saving huge amounts of money. By increasing the payment required to use cars, people that change to public transit will actually have to pay a lot less to get transportation to anywhere they want.



> I am sure if you exchange it for a reduction of state gas tax, people will buy in since those who use it will pay for the benefit where as the rest who do not use it don't feel they subsidize everyone else.


It's not a matter of subsidizing, it's a matter of market equalization. Cars have externalities and energy inneficient, so you tax them higher and allow this extra money to go to safer, cleaner and more efficient rail and city transit, so correcting market distortions. In the end everyone will win. Car users will get less congestion and money savers will be able to use public transport instead of buying a car and in this way save lot's of money.

Car users will also benefit because less people will use cars, so less gasoline will get burned, so the gas price will grow more slowly, compensating for the increased taxation being sent to rail and city transit.


----------



## Suburbanist

sekelsenmat said:


> The european model is proven to work very well and if applied in the USA it would work like this:
> 
> 1> Toll *all* Highways, don't use a single cent of gas tax to pay for highway maintenance nor expansion. Tolls should cover both of these needs. This will make even anti-gov people happy, since one option is giving the road as a concession to a private group.


There is no "European model" as financing of transport (road, rail, air) varies a lot. Moreover, there isn't a single country that fits your "European model".

Germany and United Kingdom don't have tolls for private cars at all (but for a very short selection of sectors and special structures like the Chunnel).

Spain and France have significant share of highways that are not tolled.

All European countries finance expansion of transportation infrastructure with funds not related to tolls, to variable extent.

The whole "gas tax" needs to be broken down in a the general VATs of each country and fuel-specific taxes.


----------



## Nexis

Suburbanist said:


> There is no "European model" as financing of transport (road, rail, air) varies a lot. Moreover, there isn't a single country that fits your "European model".
> 
> Germany and United Kingdom don't have tolls for private cars at all (but for a very short selection of sectors and special structures like the Chunnel).
> 
> Spain and France have significant share of highways that are not tolled.
> 
> All European countries finance expansion of transportation infrastructure with funds not related to tolls, to variable extent.
> 
> The whole "gas tax" needs to be broken down in a the general VATs of each country and fuel-specific taxes.


Can we stop talking about this road crap in the Railway thread it gets annoying after a while?


----------



## Suburbanist

Nexis said:


> Can we stop talking about this road crap in the Railway thread it gets annoying after a while?


I was replying to seskelemat.


----------



## Suburbanist

*TBMs*

I think leaving TBMs underground is the rule rather than exception for long tunnels excavated in two fronts. The costs of building an extrication bore for the solely purpose of recovering a TBM head is usually not worth the recoup value.


----------



## Suissetralia

Suburbanist said:


> I think leaving TBMs underground is the rule rather than exception for long tunnels excavated in two fronts. The costs of building an extrication bore for the solely purpose of recovering a TBM head is usually not worth the recoup value.


In fact the article does mention that "_Burial is more common for cutters in international tunneling projects. But the approach has rarely been tried in New York, whose crowded underground does not often have room._", they just say it's uncommon in NYC. 

Very poetic and nice article, BTW!


----------



## Nexis

*SEPTA*

*Current , Proposed , Planned Stations*

*Current System
*
*Trenton line
*Trenton Transit Center
Levittown 
Bristol
Croydon
Eddington
Cornwells Heights
Torresdale
Holmesburg Junction 
Tacony
Bridesburg
North Philadelphia
30th Street Station
Suburban Station
Market East Station
Tempe University


*West Trenton Line
*West Trenton Transit Center
Yardley
Woodbourne
Langhorne
Neshaminy Falls
Trevose
Somerton
Forest Hills
Philmont
Bethayres
Meadowbrook
Rydal
Noble
Jenkintown-Wyncote
Elkins Park
Melrose Park
Fern Rock Transportation Center
Wayne Junction
Temple University
Market East Station
Suburban Station
30th Street Station
University City


*Warminster Line
*_New Hope
Traymore
Ivyland_
Warminster
Hatboro
Willow Grove
Crestmont
Roslyn
Ardsley
Glenside
Jenkintown-Wyncote
Elkins Park
Melrose Park
Fern Rock Transportation Center
Wayne Junction
Temple University
Market East Station
Suburban Station
30th Street Station
University City

*Lansdale/Doylestown Line
*Doylestown
Delaware Valley College
New Britain
Chalfont
Link Belt
Colmar
Fortuna
Lansdale
Pennbrook
North Wales
Gwynedd Valley
Penllyn
Ambler
Fort Washington
Oreland
North Hills
Glenside
Jenkintown-Wyncote
Elkins Park
Melrose Park
Fern Rock Transportation Center
Wayne Junction
Temple University
Market East Station
Suburban Station
30th Street Station

*Newtown / Fox Chase line
*_Newtown
Holland
Southampton
Bryn Athyn_ 
Fox Chase
Ryers
Cheltenham
Lawndale
Olney
Wayne Junction
Temple University
Market East Station
Suburban Station
30th Street Station

*Norristown Line
*Elm Street
Main Street
Norristown Transportation Center
Conshohocken
Spring Mill
Miquon
Ivy Ridge
Manayunk 
Wissahickon
East Falls
Allegheny
North Board Station
Temple University
Market East Station
Suburban Station
30th Street Station

*Chestnut Hill East Line 
*Chestnut Hill East 
Gravers
Wyndmoor
Mount Airy
Sedgwick
Stenton 
Washington Lane
Germantown
Wister
Wayne Junction
Temple University
Market East Station
Suburban Station
30th Street Station

*Chestnut Hill West Line
*Chestnut Hill West
Highland
St. Martins
Allen Lane
Carpenter
Upsal
Tulpehocken
Chelten Avenue
Queen Lane
North Philadelphia
30th Street Station
Suburban Station
Market East Station
Tempe Unversity

*Airport Line
*Terminals E & F
Terminals C & D
Terminal B
Terminal A East/West
_Eastwick Transit Center_
University City
30th Street Station
Suburban Station
Market East Station
Tempe University

*West Chester / Media Line
*_West Chester
West Chester University
Oakbourne
Cheyney 
Wawa_
Elwyn
Media
Moylan-Rose Valley
Wallingford
Swarthmore
Morton
Secane
Primos
Clifton–Aldan 
Gladstone
Lansdowne
Fernwood-Yeadon
Angora
49th Street
University City
30th Street Station
Suburban Station
Market East Station
Tempe University

*Wilmington / Newark Line
*Newark
Churchmans Crossing
Wilmington
Claymont
Marcus Hook
Highland Avenue
Chester Transportation Center
Eddystone
Crum Lynne
Ridley Park
Prospect Park
Norwood
Glenolden
Folcroft
Sharon Hill
Curtis Park
Darby
University City
30th Street Station
Suburban Station
Market East Station
Tempe University

*Parkersburg / Thorndale Line
*_Pakersburg 
Coatesville_
Thorndale
Downingtown
Whitford
Exton 
Malvern
Paoli
Daylesford
Berwyn
Devon
Strafford
Wayne
St. Davids
Radnor
Villanova
Rosemont
Bryn Mawr
Haverford
Ardmore
Wynnewood
Narberth
Merion
Overbrook
_52nd Street _
30th Street Station
Suburban Station
Market East Station
Tempe University

*Cynwyd Line
*_Ivy Ridge Upper Level
Manayunk Upper Level
Barmouth _
Cynwyd
Bala
Wynnefield Avenue
_52nd Street _
30th Street Station
Suburban Station
Market East Station
Tempe University

*Norristown High Speed Line
*Norristown Transportation Center
Bridgeport
DeKalb Street
Hughes Park
Gulph Mills
Matsonford
County Line
_Radnor Transit Center_
Villanova
Stadium – Ithan Avenue
Garrett Hill
Roberts Road
Bryn Mawr
Haverford
Ardmore Avenue
Ardmore Junction
Wynnewood Road
Beechwood–Brookline
Penfield
Township Line Road
Parkview
69th Street Terminal

*Proposed / Planned Lines*

*Reading Line 
*_Sinking Spring
West Wyomissing
Wyomissing
West Reading
Downtown Reading 
Lorane
Birdsboro
Stowe
Pottstown
Royersford 
Phoenixville
Valley Forge Transit Center_
Norristown Transportation Center
Conshohocken
Spring Mill
Miquon
Ivy Ridge
Manayunk 
Wissahickon
East Falls
Allegheny
North Board Station
Temple University
Market East Station
Suburban Station
30th Street Station

*Stony Branch
*Lansdale
_West Point
Center Square
East Norriton_
Elm Street
Main Street
Norristown Transportation Center
Conshohocken
Spring Mill
Miquon
_Ivy Ridge Upper Level
Manayunk Upper Level
Barmouth _
Cynwyd
Bala
Wynnefield Avenue
_52nd Street _
30th Street Station
Suburban Station
Market East Station
Tempe University

*Allentown Line
*_Downtown Allentown
Bethlehem Works
Hellertown
Coopersburg
Quakertown
Perkasie
Souderton
Hatfield_
Lansdale
Pennbrook
North Wales
Gwynedd Valley
Penllyn
Ambler
Fort Washington
Oreland
North Hills
Glenside
Jenkintown-Wyncote
Elkins Park
Melrose Park
Fern Rock Transportation Center
Wayne Junction
Temple University
Market East Station
Suburban Station
30th Street Station

*Newark / Boothywn line
*_Downtown Newark
Harmony Hills
Marshalton
Elsmere
Highlands / Wilmington
Northwest Wilmington 
Arden
Boothywn
Parkside
Woodlyn
Folsom
Glenoden North
Collingdale
Darby North
Elmwood
Kingseeing_
University City
30th Street Station
Suburban Station
Market East Station
Tempe University


*South Philadelphia line
*_Naval Yards
Synder Ave
Washington Ave_
University City
30th Street Station
Suburban Station
Market East Station
Tempe University

*Norristown High Speed Line Extension
*_Valley Forge Transit Center
Valley Forge National Historical Park
Village at Valley Forge
King of Prussia_
Hughes Park
Gulph Mills
Matsonford
County Line
_Radnor Transit Center_
Villanova
Stadium – Ithan Avenue
Garrett Hill
Roberts Road
Bryn Mawr
Haverford
Ardmore Avenue
Ardmore Junction
Wynnewood Road
Beechwood–Brookline
Penfield
Township Line Road
Parkview
69th Street Terminal

*Cross Regional Metro
*_Malvern Transfer Center
Southeastern
King of Prussia
Hughes Park
Black Horse 
Plymouth Meeting
Fort Washington
Willow Grove
Southhampton
Festerville-Trevose
Langhorne 
Woodbourne Transfer Center
Fairless Hills
Morrisville_
_State & Calhoun Street
State House
State & Board Street_
Trenton Transit Center

*81 New Stations , 355 miles of Resorted Commuter Rail and 92 miles of Light Diesel Rail*


----------



## aquaticko

A little random, I think, but I had a question about PA's Keystone corridor. I know that they just finished a number of upgrades on the line, and that all of it is now cleared for 110mph service save for 3 grade crossings, all of which are situated within the span of 2 towns and are planned for regrading. But I can't find whether that's 110mph _max_ or 110mph average, the latter of which seems more likely, particularly as it seems to be the plan for most "refurbished" lines (e.g. Chicago-St.Louis, D.C.-Raleigh). Anyone know one way or the other?


----------



## Suburbanist

^^ 110mph _average_ is highly unlikely. 

Has that area got a FRA waiver?


----------



## aquaticko

Suburbanist said:


> ^^ 110mph _average_ is highly unlikely.


I think so too. 



> Has that area got a FRA waiver?


Which? The Keystone Corridor, Chicago Hub, or south of D.C.?


----------



## Nexis

It will be 90mph Average with 110 or 125mph Max.....


----------



## Nexis

aquaticko said:


> A little random, I think, but I had a question about PA's Keystone corridor. I know that they just finished a number of upgrades on the line, and that all of it is now cleared for 110mph service save for 3 grade crossings, all of which are situated within the span of 2 towns and are planned for regrading. But I can't find whether that's 110mph _max_ or 110mph average, the latter of which seems more likely, particularly as it seems to be the plan for most "refurbished" lines (e.g. Chicago-St.Louis, D.C.-Raleigh). Anyone know one way or the other?


The Crossings will be removed sometime later this decade , its not one of refurbished lines...


----------



## hammersklavier

Suburbanist said:


> ^^ 110mph _average_ is highly unlikely.


And you'd be right. It's just 110-rated, meaning 110's the fastest it's considered safe to go.


> Has that area got a FRA waiver?


Nope.

BTW, equipment will still be toaster push-pulls AFAIK.


----------



## nouveau.ukiyo

In 2005, Acela's average speed over the NEC's entire distance was 71 mph; the graphic below breaks things down more. I'm not sure if Acela is faster today or not:










Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/24/national/24acela.html

By the way, the article from where this graphic came from is very interesting.


----------



## State of the Union

IMO, ALL Acela track needs to be brought up to Euro/Asian HSR Standards. Not this half-a$$ed attempt at HSR. I don't know who's idea was it to put fancy looking trains on a 100 Year old corridor and call it HSR. You don't see other countries doing that, and I'm sure that if they do, they atleast bring it up to standard BEFORE the line opens.


----------



## Nexis

*Long Island Railroad @ Hunterspoint ave and Jamaica
*











DSC05864 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


DSC05865 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


DSC05868 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


DSC05869 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


DSC05870 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


DSC05872 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


DSC05874 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


DSC05875 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


DSC05876 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


DSC05877 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr

*~Corey*


----------



## Nexis

State of the Union said:


> IMO, ALL Acela track needs to be brought up to Euro/Asian HSR Standards. Not this half-a$$ed attempt at HSR. I don't know who's idea was it to put fancy looking trains on a 100 Year old corridor and call it HSR. You don't see other countries doing that, and I'm sure that if they do, they atleast bring it up to standard BEFORE the line opens.


The Idea was to have an average of 120mph and the Acela was supposed to be an Faster Intercity service not HSR. But the Politicians like to play with words...


----------



## aquaticko

As much as I'd like to see 186mph/220mph service between major metros, I just don't think it's feasible in the current political climate. I'm more than happy to see 110mph lines (assuming that's the average, not max, speed) if it diverts auto usage, and I think that frankly that'd be about the most we could expect within the next 10 years or so on anything that isn't new PDL. Not to mention that the idea behind these faux-HSR lines is essentially proof-of-concept for possible developments later on; we'd better hope that these lines are a roaring success if we want anything better.


----------



## Nexis

I don't see anything big happening in the US till the 2020s , then we will see alot happen. But for this decade we will see small things like Bridge Repaintings , wire replacement , Rolling Stock upgrades , New or Restored stations , small Railway projects (under 500 Million$) , and Misc improvements to signals and tracks..... Other then that i don't see much and the Rail Fanning community in the Northeast is sick of HSR , we just want Regional and Intercity Rail for the time being at least the next 20 years...


----------



## G5man

aquaticko said:


> As much as I'd like to see 186mph/220mph service between major metros, I just don't think it's feasible in the current political climate. I'm more than happy to see 110mph lines (assuming that's the average, not max, speed) if it diverts auto usage, and I think that frankly that'd be about the most we could expect within the next 10 years or so on anything that isn't new PDL. Not to mention that the idea behind these faux-HSR lines is essentially proof-of-concept for possible developments later on; we'd better hope that these lines are a roaring success if we want anything better.


California is the only PDL you should expect at this point in time. Texas, Cali, the Midwest, and the Northeast need PDLs. 110 is a good step in the right direction for most corridors, but I want more ambitious plans. We definitely need a strong mainline network. Once the corridor demonstrates ridership, then I think there will be a great willingness to fund improvements and speed increases.


----------



## cle

Metro North seems so slow on the New Haven line. It passes some pretty affluent spots (as well as some dodgy ones!) - and speed improvements could definitely help Amtrak too. 

What have they got planned?


----------



## IanCleverly

How bad is the sound of the breaks being applied at just after 2:20?


----------



## Nexis

cle said:


> Metro North seems so slow on the New Haven line. It passes some pretty affluent spots (as well as some dodgy ones!) - and speed improvements could definitely help Amtrak too.
> 
> What have they got planned?


There overhauling the whole line and have been since 1993.


----------



## Nexis

*Westbound NJT Express Train roaring Past Secaucus JCT
*







*5:41AM Pascack Valley Train #1602 Passing through Westwood
*


----------



## Nexis




----------



## Woonsocket54

The new NJT map went online early next month.

It has an outline of the _entire_ state (except Cape May) and features Pennsauken Transit Ctr as a "future station" on the River and Atlantic City lines.

http://www.njtransit.com/pdf/rail/Rail_System_Map.pdf


----------



## Billpa

I like the new map; nice improvement over what they've had.


----------



## Nexis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairmount_Line#Improvement_project


----------



## trainrover

Nexis said:


>


The first of the pair of flats sounds astonishing (22"...) for such a new fleet ...


----------



## Woonsocket54

*America's newest train station*

*Fairfield Metro Center* - open December 5, 2011
Fairfield, Connecticut

source: _I Ride The Harlem Line_ blog
http://www.iridetheharlemline.com/2011/12/06/tuesday-tour-of-the-new-haven-line-fairfield-metro/


----------



## aquaticko

It's kind of funny how antique that rolling stock looks in comparison with the station. Any plans for new trains?


----------



## Nexis

aquaticko said:


> It's kind of funny how antique that rolling stock looks in comparison with the station. Any plans for new trains?


There being replaced as we speak...and the wires are being replaced slowly aswell...


METRO-NORTH--9144 at Springdale Cemetery OB. 2 of 2 by milantram, on Flickr


METRO-NORTH--9125 crossing CT 106 n of Springdale IB. 2 of 2 by milantram, on Flickr


M8 entering Fordham by grumpyff, on Flickr


M8 9119 at Mamaroneck, NY by grumpyff, on Flickr


----------



## zaguric2

That is one of my favourites railways.


----------



## Xusein

The M8 trains look very sweet. It's about time they came in.


----------



## Nexis

M8 Railcar porn...


METRO-NORTH--9111 appr Greenwich IB by milantram, on Flickr


METRO-NORTH--9132 lv Greenwich IB by milantram, on Flickr


METRO-NORTH/AMTRAK--9109 (IB), Acela 2001 at Greenwich, CT by milantram, on Flickr


METRO-NORTH--OB M8s arr Rye by milantram, on Flickr


METRO-NORTH--9115 lv Rye IB by milantram, on Flickr


METRO-NORTH--9124 lv Rye IB by milantram, on Flickr


METRO-NORTH--9138 lv Pelham OB by milantram, on Flickr


METRO-NORTH--9116 passing Pelham IB by milantram, on Flickr


METRO-NORTH--9115 lv Pelham OB by milantram, on Flickr


METRO-NORTH--9124 arr Fordham OB by milantram, on Flickr


METRO-NORTH--9124 arr 125th Street OB by milantram, on Flickr


METRO-NORTH--9124 appr 125th Street OB by milantram, on Flickr


METRO-NORTH--9115 lv 125th Street OB by milantram, on Flickr


----------



## riles28

I'm just curious theres still SPV 2000 unit are running on this time? or all are convert into an amllet caoaches?


----------



## trainrover

Woonsocket54 said:


>


I question the durability of the new installations at this station, for Montreal's commuter-station retrofittings hailing from the mid-80s have been rusted out for ages now :dunno:


----------



## MarcVD

Are there still places on the NEC with the v-shaped catenary like displayed
on this picture : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:NewHavenCatBridge.png ?
I have seen that myself but that was about 20 years ago...


----------



## Nexis




----------



## Nexis

**update on the Lackawanna line...
*
*The NJT proposed to reopen train service in two phases:*


*Phase I, also known as the Minimal Operating Segment: *Extend rail service to Andover, NJ. (7.3 miles, 11.8 km). Build a new station in Andover, at Roseville Road, with 125 parking spaces. This site was chosen because it is the area's only land parcel of sufficient size that is next to the Cut-Off and near a major highway; the site is about 1.1 miles (1.8 km) from US Route 206 and about 0.9 miles (1.5 km) from Sussex County Route 517. Initially operate this section as a single-track railroad with a 70 mph (113 km/hr) speed limit, using dual-mode locomotives. Run 12 daily trains in Midtown Direct between Andover and New York, six eastbound and six westbound. 
Estimated cost: $35 million. Status as of 2011: under construction.


*Phase II: *Extend rail service along the remainder of the Cut-Off (21 miles, 34 km) and into Pennsylvania to Scranton (60 miles, 97 km), a total of 88 miles (142 km). Rebuild the remainder of the Cut-Off as a single-track railroad, but with an 80 mph (129 km/hr) speed limit, reflecting the more favorable curvature of the line west of Andover. Install passing sidings west of Andover station and in Blairstown, New Jersey. Lay the track so as to permit the addition of a contiguous second track. It is anticipated that the entire Cut-Off will receive a track-bed consisting of continuously-welded rail with concrete railroad ties. Reopen the station at Blairstown (230 parking spaces). Build a maintenance-of-way facility at Greendell, a former station site. Estimated cost: $516 million to rebuild the 21 miles (34 km) of the Cut-Off (track, station sites, signals, and bridgework); to upgrade the 60 miles (97 km) between the Delaware Water Gap (at Slateford Junction) and Scranton (station sites and signals); and to acquire additional trainsets (locomotives and passenger cars) for this service. Substantial restoration work on the Delaware River Viaduct will be required, including removal and rebuilding of the entire bridge deck. The Paulins Kill Viaduct also needs work, although it is thought that this work will be primarily cosmetic in nature. Roseville Tunnel will also require rehabilitation to fix long-standing drainage problems near the west end of the tunnel.



Stations in Pennsylvania would include Delaware Water Gap (a new station near the Delaware Water Gap Visitors' Center in Smithfield Township, with 900 parking spaces in a five-story parking garage); East Stroudsburg (a new station site, slightly south of the old station site, with 228 parking spaces); Analomink (a new station, near the old station site, with 250 parking spaces); Pocono Mountain (a new station, near the old Mount Pocono station, with 1,000 parking spaces); Tobyhanna (an existing station, with 102 parking spaces); and Scranton (a new station, west of the existing station, with 30 parking spaces). All stations on the line would have high-level platforms and would comply with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards.
Passenger service to Scranton would consist of 18 trains a day (nine eastbound and nine westbound) between and Hoboken or New York City). By 2030, it is estimated that the service would carry 6,000 passengers a day from northeastern Pennsylvania and northwestern New Jersey to jobs in New Jersey and New York City.
Future commuters traveling to Hoboken using this service would board a Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) train to travel into lower Manhattan or would switch to a Hudson-Bergen Light Rail train to points along the New Jersey side of the Hudson River. A two-hour travel time from northeastern Pennsylvania to New York City has been estimated, about the same as rides from New York's northern suburbs of Poughkeepsie, Brewster, and New Haven, Connecticut. NJ Transit will operate the service to Scranton, which is projected will cost about $26 million a year.


----------



## Nexis




----------



## riles28

I noticed mostly of train car in city operation like caltrain, metra, they use double decker car rather than a level car, and also the amtrak which operates for long distance are also bi level car, Also Base on my research the amtrak has also plan to replace all existing cars in the northeast corridor and it can be used in non electrified lines and the coaches can operate by push and pull operation just like in the existing metroliner cab, The manufacturer of this train coaches is the Nippon sharyo and the shop are located in illinois.


----------



## krnboy1009

^For Amtrak they operate both single level and bilevel cars for long distance trains. Single level cars are only used on long distance trips in the East Coast, where bilevel cars cannot access the many tunnels they have and plus some of the catenaries where these trains must operate are too low I believe. Therefore all East coast trains going up and down the coast and from and to Chicago towards east coast are single leveled except Capitol Limited.


----------



## Woonsocket54

^^ Which tunnels in NEC cannot be accessed by bi-level cars?

Boston and Providence is not a problem since MBTA sends bi-levels through them. Same for the North and East River tunnels (NJT/LIRR bi-levels, respectively). MARC runs bi-levels through tunnels near Baltimore Penn. Is the problem in New Haven/East Haven then? (Or is cat too low in Boston, since MBTA runs diesel bi-level)


----------



## krnboy1009

Superliners are I think, bigger than ordinary bilevel commuter cars though.


----------



## mgk920

Woonsocket54 said:


> ^^ Which tunnels in NEC cannot be accessed by bi-level cars?
> 
> Boston and Providence is not a problem since MBTA sends bi-levels through them. Same for the North and East River tunnels (NJT/LIRR bi-levels, respectively). MARC runs bi-levels through tunnels near Baltimore Penn. Is the problem in New Haven/East Haven then? (Or is cat too low in Boston, since MBTA runs diesel bi-level)


Superliners (the bi-level cars that Amtrak uses on their western long-distance trains and the Capitols) will not fit into Penn Station (NYC).

Mike


----------



## Nexis




----------



## JohnFlint1985

aquaticko said:


> It's kind of funny how antique that rolling stock looks in comparison with the station. Any plans for new trains?


Honestly I like the look of these old trains. I am sure their machinery is adequate, it is just the looks that make some wonder.


----------



## Nexis

*My New Predictions for Ridership growth..
*
*Lower Hudson Valley / Connecticut 
*
*Regional Rail *

-New Haven line : 112,000 (2010) > 150,000 (2030)
-New Canaan Branch : 4,000 (2010) > 6,400 (2030)
-Danbury Branch : 1,400 (2010) > 11,500 (2030)
-Waterbury Branch : 800 (2010) > 4,700 (2030)
-Hudson line : 47,000 (2010) > 50,000 (2030)
-Harlem line : 45,000 (2010) > 80,000 (2030)
-Port Jervis line : 3,800 (2010) > 12,900 (2030)
-New Haven line Extension : 45,000 (2030)
-Hudson line Extension to Penn Station : 17,000 (2030)
-West Shore line : 50,000 (2030)
-Beacon line : 4,700 (2030)
-Maybrook line : 4,200 (2030)
-New Haven - Springfield - Brattleboro Corridor : 50,000 (2030)
-Bristol line : 5,700 (2030)

*Streetcars *

-New Haven Network : 45,000 (2030)
-Stamford Network : 30,000 (2030)


----------



## Woonsocket54

^^ I don't know how they're going to have Danbury Branch ridership nearly double New Canaan without electrification and double-tracking. As for the Connecticut Company, that's not coming back.


----------



## Nexis

Woonsocket54 said:


> ^^ I don't know how they're going to have Danbury Branch ridership nearly double New Canaan without electrification and double-tracking. As for the Connecticut Company, that's not coming back.


There is Electrification planned , the key to the ridership doubling is the 2 restored infill stations at Georgetown and Wall Street (Norwalk). There are extra sidings planned also with an extension to New Milford.


----------



## Nexis

Ive been to kind to the Northeast , so were going to see my other Favorite Regional Railways in the US....to Metra Electric , yes the poles and tracks are be replaced with concrete ties and Constant Catenary Tension. The Stations are slowly being rebuilt also.

*Metra Electric - 45,000 (2010) > 120,000 (2030)
*

Stony Island Metra Station by Zol87, on Flickr


93rd Street/South Chicago Metra Station by Zol87, on Flickr


93rd/South Chicago Metra Station by Strannik45, on Flickr


South Shore by reallyboring, on Flickr


Cheltenham/79th by reallyboring, on Flickr


Burr Oak by iaisrailfan, on Flickr


Blue Island branch by Mickey B. Photography, on Flickr


----------



## mgk920

Interestingly, the entire METRA-Electric South Chicago line (the double-track line in the above images) is in the City of Chicago.

Also, METRA's 'North Central Service' diesel line into the north suburbs (uses CN's ex WC, nee SOO mainline) was only opened as a new service about 20 years ago. It is a very popular system for downtown Chicago commuters, as well as for daytrip visitors.

Mike


----------



## Nexis




----------



## krnboy1009

mgk920 said:


> Interestingly, the entire METRA-Electric South Chicago line (the double-track line in the above images) is in the City of Chicago.
> 
> Also, METRA's 'North Central Service' diesel line into the north suburbs (uses CN's ex WC, nee SOO mainline) was only opened as a new service about 20 years ago. It is a very popular system for downtown Chicago commuters, as well as for daytrip visitors.
> 
> Mike


Well its not the only commuter line to serve inside the city to insie the city, LIRR Rockaway branch does as well, although it does go out to LI briefly before turning and coming back in to the city border.


----------



## Nexis

*My predictions for 2030 ridership....,note that Regional Rail extensions to West Chester , Newtown , Reading and Allentown are factored into the 2030 ridership. TOD is a big factor in the other lines....
*
*Southeastern PA / Northern Delaware Transit Ridership
*
*Regional Rail
*
(New Hope) - Warminster line - 10,000 (2010) > 17,000 (2030)
West Trenton line - 12,000 (2010) > 15,000 (2030)
(Newtown) - Fox Chase line - 6,000 (2010) > 20,000 (2030)
(Reading) - Norristown line - 11,000 (2010) > 50,000 (2030)
Airport line - 7,000 (2010) > 11,000 (2030)
Chestnut Hill East line - 6,000 (2010) > 9,000 (2030)
Cynwyd line - 200 (2010) > 2,000 (2030)
Chestnut Hill West line - 6,000 (2010) > 10,000 (2030)
(Allentown) - Lansdale / Doylestown line - 19,000 (2010) > 50,000 (2030)
Trenton line - 11,000 (2010) > 25,000 (2030)
(West Chester) - Media / Elwyn line - 12,000 (2010) > 35,000 (2030)
(Parkersburg) - Paoli / Thorndale line - 23,000 (2010) > 45,000 (2030)
Wilmington / Newark line - 9,200 (2010) > 25,000 (2030)


----------



## Woonsocket54

krnboy1009 said:


> Well its not the only commuter line to serve inside the city to insie the city, LIRR Rockaway branch does as well, although it does go out to LI briefly before turning and coming back in to the city border.


and don't forget about the Fairmount Line in Boston and the Chestnut Hill East and Chestnut Hill West lines in Philadelphia.


----------



## trainrover

For the past few years, Amtrak's been displaying photos of their Keystone services being pulled by diesel/electro-diesel? Genesis engines in their literature. Should their pictures be updated, for I've just read that the line out to Harrisburg's now fully electrified?


----------



## trainrover




----------



## desertpunk

*Opening and Construction Starts Planned for 2012*

Good rundown of regional and local transit projects in the US & Canada for 2012.


----------



## Cal_Escapee

trainrover said:


> I'm curious to learn what the 110MPH segment will be like when it comes to trespassers and livestock ... fencing ...


How can they have 110 mph trains on lines with grade crossings (fancy gates or not)?


----------



## Sopomon

aquaticko said:


> ^^You'd think that, even with only the moderate amount of interest in improved passenger rail around the country, they'd talk more about updating or just changing the numerous regulations which have helped to slow down or kill high speed trains. At least it sounds as though the CAHSR system is being treated as something worth doing right; it's an attitude that treats the whole thing more seriously.


So am I right in saying that pretty much nothing is happening on the front of changing the FRA regulations?


----------



## aquaticko

Sopomon said:


> So am I right in saying that pretty much nothing is happening on the front of changing the FRA regulations?


Truth be told, I haven't looked into it too much, but I haven't heard anything.


----------



## trainrover

Exactly, Cal Escapee.


----------



## XAN_

I heard that Californians somehow got a waiver for the structure of their trains, so they dont need to use that overweighted cars in future.


----------



## Silver Swordsman

I think the biggest issue why the FRA mandates are there is based on the state of the infrastructure: the reason why the Acela still has to follow the minimum weight specifications is because the NEC itself is nearly a hundred years old with little to no modifications, and the reason why train services in areas outside of the NEC are limited to 79 mph is because the freight companies refused to install ATC systems. 

So, I'd imagine that in the event that CHSR has proved itself to be completely modern (not running on outdated rail infrastructure), I don't see how FRA mandates would apply. If so, I'm pretty sure Obama would find a way to repeal them (it was Obama who pushed for HSR in the first place).


----------



## MarneGator

@Silver Swordsman: The Acela is hobbled by FRA regs not because the NEC is "nearly a hundred years old with little to no modifications", but rather that it's a mixed traffic environment, with commuter and (especially) freight trains. If the tracks connect to the larger US rail network and a slower train, especially of the freight variety, runs on the track, the FRA and its terrible regulations take effect (some degree of waivers excepted).


----------



## trainrover

Silver Swordsman said:


> freight companies refused


Disagree. Ownership of the refusal lies with the regulator, authority.


----------



## Sopomon

Silver Swordsman said:


> If so, I'm pretty sure Obama would find a way to repeal them (it was Obama who pushed for HSR in the first place).


I can only hope


----------



## Silver Swordsman

trainrover said:


> Disagree. Ownership of the refusal lies with the regulator, authority.


I beg to differ. I may have been wrong about the reason for implementing regulations, but I remember clearly that the 79 mph limit was set for stretches of track that did not have PTC or ATC installed. All freight companies balked at the costs, and the only reason why Amtrak trains operate at increased speeds in Michigan and the NEC is because they installed ATC or an equivalent.


----------



## Nexis

Some freight companies like BSNF , NS and smaller companies have finally cracked and will install ATC and PTC on some main lines and branches were they hinted at starting up a passenger service. BSNF and NS are pro-HSR and commuter rail....so a little push and they'll do it.


----------



## aquaticko

Nexis said:


> Some freight companies like BSNF , NS and smaller companies have finally cracked and will install ATC and PTC on some main lines and branches were they hinted at starting up a passenger service. *BSNF and NS are pro-HSR and commuter rail....so a little push and they'll do it*.


I'm curious, what would reasons are there for a freight company to be pro-passenger rail, particularly when an increase in services isn't, for the most part, going to accompanied by construction of new track? Or are they hoping that, assuming passenger rail is successful, new track will eventually be built and they can then have their lines entirely to themselves?


----------



## Nexis

aquaticko said:


> I'm curious, what would reasons are there for a freight company to be pro-passenger rail, particularly when an increase in services isn't, for the most part, going to accompanied by construction of new track? Or are they hoping that, assuming passenger rail is successful, new track will eventually be built and they can then have their lines entirely to themselves?


It makes them look better on the state level and then they can get state funding for smaller projects like restoring branches to Industrial parks and grade separations. The smaller companies do the same and some are trying to get back into the business. I think has to do with improving image....and getting funding. Alot of the Class 1 Railroads have a bad public image and not so nice relationship on the state level....


----------



## trainrover

Silver Swordsman said:


> I beg to differ.


Were the regulations, legislation in place, then what likelihood of existent rogue operators, track owners would there be?


----------



## XAN_

Silver Swordsman said:


> So, I'd imagine that in the event that CHSR has proved itself to be completely modern (not running on outdated rail infrastructure), I don't see how FRA mandates would apply. If so, I'm pretty sure Obama would find a way to repeal them (it was Obama who pushed for HSR in the first place).


 Well, AFAIK the last stretch to SF would be the regular Caltrian track, wich is freight-anabled anyway, isn't it?


----------



## krnboy1009

Nexis said:


> It makes them look better on the state level and then they can get state funding for smaller projects like restoring branches to Industrial parks and grade separations. The smaller companies do the same and some are trying to get back into the business. I think has to do with improving image....and getting funding. Alot of the Class 1 Railroads have a bad public image and not so nice relationship on the state level....


If freight companies support running commuter/intercity trains then they can get what is essentially free upgrades for their tracks.

Some of the freight rail line old and worn.


----------



## trainrover

As much as I like Amfleet, is there any plan in the works at replacing this aging stock?


^^ clickable...​
Something tells me that the topic of *any* stock replacement hasn't appeared on any Amtrak agenda for the last few years ...


----------



## Fan Railer

trainrover said:


> As much as I like Amfleet, is there any plan in the works at replacing this aging stock?
> 
> Something tells me that the topic of *any* stock replacement hasn't appeared on any Amtrak agenda for the last few years ...


Wrong; Amtrak has already drafted plans for a fleet replacement cycle spanning the next 40 or so years. 

http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/Conte...e=am/Layout&p=1237608345018&cid=1241245669222

Go down to "Comprehensive Business Plan" and read the Fleet Strategy Plan document.

In addition, 130 Viewliner II's are already on order with an additional 70 on option, as mentioned elsewhere before. Superliner III and Amfleet III specifications have been drafted and approved, along with a new generation of higher speed Diesel electrics. And finally, 70 Siemens Electrics are on order for 2013-2016 to replace all electric locomotives running on the NEC.


----------



## trainrover

Drafted? Except for the electric loco replacement, a development which I myself seem to remember having learned about some time while ago, I must be right  No image of any one of the trailers you've mentioned appears to exist online. What stock would Viewliner II be replacing?


----------



## Gag Halfrunt

XAN_ said:


> I heard that Californians somehow got a waiver for the structure of their trains, so they dont need to use that overweighted cars in future.


Caltrain (which runs one line in the Bay Area) has obtained a waiver from FRA crashworthiness regulations, but only for double decker EMUs. There are no existing FRA-compliant designs for double decker EMUs. Caltrain currently runs bilevel cars hauled by diesel locomotives, but it plans to electrify the line.

The waiver does not apply to any other operator or to any rolling stock except double decker EMUs.


----------



## Nexis

krnboy1009 said:


> The single tracked parts of Port Washington branch really needs to be double tracked. one of the busiest LIRR routes...


Theres no room....


----------



## IanCleverly

USA Today said:


> *How car-centric is your city? Public transit ranked*
> 
> How easy would it be to leave your car behind or not even have one? A new ranking of U.S. cities Thursday, based on their public transit systems, offers a clue and perhaps some surprises.
> 
> As might be expected, New York, San Francisco, Boston and Washington, D.C. top the list of 25 cities, but Miami comes it at eighth place and Los Angeles at 11th, according to the analysis by Walk Score, a website that scores homes and neighborhoods for walkability. Eco-friendly Austin, Texas, ranks 21st, while the other bottom cities include Raleigh (North Carolina), Columbus (Ohio) Las Vegas and Sacramento.
> 
> <snip>
> 
> His group says using public transit saves individuals big bucks estimated at more than $10,000 a year by the American Public Transportation Association. It also notes that young adults are leading the trend toward driving less. The average annual number of vehicle miles traveled by 16- to 34-year-olds in the U.S. fell 23% between 2001 and 2009, according to a study released earlier this month by U.S. PIRG, a federation of consumer groups.
> 
> Here's how Walk Score ranks 25 U.S. cities:
> 
> (1) New York (Transit Score: 81)
> 
> (2) San Francisco (Transit Score: 80)
> 
> (3) Boston (Transit Score: 74)
> 
> (4) Washington, DC (Transit Score: 69)
> 
> (5) Philadelphia (Transit Score: 68)
> 
> (6) Chicago (Transit Score: 65)
> 
> (7) Seattle (Transit Score: 59)
> 
> (8) Miami (Transit Score: 57)
> 
> (9) Baltimore (Transit Score: 57)
> 
> (10) Portland (Transit Score: 50)


Read the rest of the story for cities 11-25 Here


----------



## trainrover

The validity of that list is highly dubious, N Americans do lean toward doctoring their statistics. Only three of the top ten municipalities there bear populations exceeding one million. Funny how N Americans screw around with the context of city versus metropolitan/urban area. It's (Greater?) Frisco's high rating that's set me off here :sly:


----------



## Fan Railer

trainrover said:


> The validity of that list is highly dubious, N Americans do lean toward doctoring their statistics. Only three of the top ten municipalities there bear populations exceeding one million. Funny how N Americans screw around with the context of city versus metropolitan/urban area. It's (Greater?) Frisco's high rating that's set me off here :sly:


I wouldn't be so quick to judge, considering that SF (and Greater SF) does have a decent transit system, in terms of busing. Rail not so much, but in downtown, they do have the MUNI light rail system and Caltrain down to San Jose.

I wouldn't go so far as to say that these are "doctored" statistics either. The first six cities on the list do have extensive transit systems, although I wouldn't put SF second on the list either.


----------



## trainrover

It's more a case of either the statisticians or journalists themselves being too speedy ... no distinction's made in the report between the communities' municipal or metropolitan areas, thus its tale's unclear.



Anyhow, reported to be the continent's most powerful loco, it's queer that Amtrak literature refrains from covering their HHP-8 the past several years, be it in writing or any image. Furthermore, the speed of MARC's commuter train hauled by their HHP-8s featured in the following video amazes me, I never knew 








I suppose motorizing the retractable mirror to the HHP-8s is integral to its streamlining :sly: :


----------



## Sopomon

trainrover said:


> I suppose motorizing the retractable mirror to the HHP-8s is integral to its streamlining :sly: :


Is that a station?

If so, that's an utter joke.


----------



## k.k.jetcar

> Is that a station?
> 
> If so, that's an utter joke.


Not unusual for a commuter station. They use bus shelters. No community pride. Even some Amtrak stops use them, thus the monicker "Amshack".


----------



## Suburbanist

"Community pride"? I agree there should be better stations, but out of safety and comfort, not "pride".

Pride is irrelevant for any transportation system.


----------



## Silly_Walks

Suburbanist said:


> "Community pride"? I agree there should be better stations, but out of safety and comfort, not "pride".
> 
> Pride is irrelevant for any transportation system.


Actually, pride can create public pressure on politicians or companies to improve things.


----------



## krnboy1009

^I have seen worse looking stops in Europe. Its not a busy station and not every MARC trains running through there stops there I imagine so no need to be all fancy.



k.k.jetcar said:


> Not unusual for a commuter station. They use bus shelters. No community pride. Even some Amtrak stops use them, thus the monicker "Amshack".


Theres no Amshack along the Northeast corridor. Every Amtrak stops has proper station buildings. I think every one of them are manned too.


----------



## trainrover

Proof that MARC must've bent over backwards creating its very own CRAMshak(s)


----------



## Sopomon

krnboy1009 said:


> ^I have seen worse looking stops in Europe. Its not a busy station and not every MARC trains running through there stops there I imagine so no need to be all fancy.
> 
> 
> Theres no Amshack along the Northeast corridor. Every Amtrak stops has proper station buildings. I think every one of them are manned too.


Yeah, but come on, is it really that hard to build a poxy little pedestrain bridge and platform? I'm sure it's not good for timetabling either.


----------



## Spikespiegel

krnboy1009 said:


> ^I have seen worse looking stops in Europe.


I have not seen worse in Europe...

The worst in my country is probably Høvelte, which was built as a temporary stepping board for unloading soldiers to the nearby barracks... But even that has a full length platform:

(Photo from Wikipedia)


----------



## trainrover

Comments to at least a couple of videos featuring MARC's HHP-8 loco claim there be a difference between MARC's and Amtrak's
versions of this model. If so, then how come their class names don't differ? I mistook 'HHP-8s' as a separate designation, whereas
the 's' was used for the sake of multiplicity. Is there indeed any difference between the operators' versions?


^^ See page 52...



^^ Clickable...


----------



## Nexis

*Newark Penn Station​*
*Yes the Platforms , Roof , Wires , Approaches are getting replaced it will take 10 years but its happening as we speak. The Dock Bridge will be getting painted and all Signals will be LED Bulbs...







*Waiting Area..
*

DSCN4042 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


DSCN4043 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr

*Trackside ....*


DSCN3622 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


DSCN3621 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


DSCN4047 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


DSCN4046 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


DSCN4045 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


DSCN4041 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


DSCN4223 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


DSCN4220 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


DSCN4217 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


DSCN4208 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


DSCN4207 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


DSCN4205 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


DSCN4201 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


DSCN4197 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr

*Outside*


DSCN4196 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr

*Approaches *


DSCN4180 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


DSCN4179 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


----------



## Fan Railer

trainrover said:


> Comments to at least a couple of videos featuring MARC's HHP-8 loco claim there be a difference between MARC's and Amtrak's
> versions of this model. If so, then how come their class names don't differ? I mistook 'HHP-8s' as a separate designation, whereas
> the 's' was used for the sake of multiplicity. Is there indeed any difference between the operators' versions?
> 
> 
> ^^ See page 52...
> 
> 
> 
> ^^ Clickable...


What differences, exactly? I'm not aware of the existence of such variation. Besides, if there is any at all, it would be minimal, and seeing as the locomotives were all purchased and built in the same time period of a couple of years, there's no reason to designate them differently.


----------



## trainrover

Stubby nose to MARC's fleet, was one such claim ... if true, then the practice of not designating the models differing class names would be queer.


----------



## Fan Railer

trainrover said:


> Stubby nose to MARC's fleet, was one such claim ... if true, then the practice of not designating the models differing class names would be queer.


If it's dimension differences, it would be minimal if any. Specifications for the locomotive show both MARC and Amtrak units have the same specs.


----------



## Woonsocket54

Fairfield Patch
http://fairfield.patch.com/articles/squirrel-causes-metro-north-delays



> *Squirrel Causes Metro North Delays *
> By Barbara Heins
> 5:30 pm (May 9 2012)
> Metro North says the rodent shorted a transformer at the Cos Cob power substation, stopping trains.
> 
> A squirrel was the cause of Wednesday's power outage on Metro-North, delaying thousands of commuters during the morning rush hour.
> 
> According to a Metro-North statement released shortly after 4 p.m. Wednesday, "The delays of up to 45 minutes that you experienced during your morning commute resulted from the loss of catenary power from Greenwich to Harrison shortly before 7 AM.
> 
> "This power loss was caused by a ground to the electrical feed at the substation in Cos Cob. This was caused when a squirrel entered the area and shorted a transformer.
> 
> "We immediately dispatched an emergency crew to the substation where they reset the relays for power protection. Once this was done, our Power Control Center personnel in Grand Central were able to restore power to the area by 7:25 AM.
> 
> "We quickly devised a plan to operate a limited number of available trains between New Rochelle and Grand Central, however, because this occurred at the height of our rush hour, a backlog of trains began to build, causing further delays."
> 
> The railroad also issued an explanation for delays occurring during the Tuesday evening rush hour which were due to a failed Con Edison power cable that caused sparking from the ceiling of the Park Avenue Tunnel shortly after 6 PM.
> 
> "The dangerous condition, occurring in the vicinity of 51st Street, affected an area approximately 30 - 50 feet wide. The burning cable caused several small fires at track level and prohibited us from using the tracks on the west side of the Terminal from track 24 to track 42. As a result, our operating flexibility into/out of Grand Central was severely limited during the height of the evening rush hour. We were able to operate outbound service from Grand Central with 15-20 minute delays; inbound service to the Terminal, however, was temporarily suspended due to the need to shut down power to allow Metro-North, Fire Department, and Con Edison staff to respond to the scene.
> 
> "Once the fire was extinguished, and the faulty Con Edison cable identified and shut down, we were able to restore power gradually to all the affected tracks. Regular train service resumed shortly before 8 PM."


----------



## K_

krnboy1009 said:


> The single tracked parts of Port Washington branch really needs to be double tracked. one of the busiest LIRR routes...


Looking at the schedule I'd say no. You can easily run a half hourly service both ways on single track if your passing spots are in the right place.


----------



## Jay

Yea but the US doesn't have those, it's about 50 years behind when it comes to railway technology 

But my point remains, trains are often hundreds of times heavier than a car, there is NEVER, EVER a good excuse for a car or even most trucks or buses to derail or seriously damage a train.


----------



## Woonsocket54

Fan Railer said:


> In fact, it is that accident IN ADDITION to the Chatsville incident back in i wanna say 2008 that has builders upping safety standards on passenger cars for the US market.


Chatsworth incident, named after the porn production district of Los Angeles where it took place


----------



## Nexis

I don't know if i posted this or not...


----------



## Nexis

*Minnesota Regional & commuter Rail Network
*Size in 2012 : 40 Mi
Size by 2030 : 640 Mi (Some lines overlap - 120-210 mi worth)
Electric lines in 2012 : 0 Mi
Electric lines by 2030 : 120? Mi
Number of lines in 2012 : 1
Number of lines by 2030 : 11-14
Top Speed 2012 : 79mph
Top Speed 2030 : 180mph
Daily Ridership in 2012 : 2,600
Daily Ridership in 2030 : 85,000 

Found in PDfs and wonderful wiki links...Phase 1 MN Railways


----------



## mgk920

Nexis said:


> I don't know if i posted this or not...


This is already an active Amtrak route (trains 7 and 8, the 'Empire Builder' use it) and a very heavy freight corridor, Canadian Pacific (former Milwaukee Road) and BNSF (former CB&Q) share that track northwest from the Hastings, MN/Prescott, WI area into the metro area proper. Southeast of there, the BNSF runs on the Wisconsin side of the Mississippi River and CP the Minnesota side, which then crosses at La Crosse, crosses the BNSF mainline on the city's west side and heads across central Wisconsin towards Milwaukee. Amtrak 7 and 8 use the CP the whole way.

IMHO, this would be a 'natural' and useful commuter route and once in service, I can easily foresee it being farther extended towards Red Wing, MN and perhaps even Winona, MN, La Crescent, MN and La Crosse, WI.

Mike


----------



## goldbough

Nexis said:


> My Fictional enhancements to the Metra system...
> 
> *Map*
> 
> https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=215312482559953359515.0004c0d1bed2f1e1ab450&msa=0


That's pretty impressive. But if you lived at the end of the line wouldn't you have to leave at 4am to get to work in Chicago?


----------



## Woonsocket54

goldbough said:


> That's pretty impressive. But if you lived at the end of the line wouldn't you have to leave at 4am to get to work in Chicago?


I could be wrong, but I think the idea is that by the time those would be built, everyone will be telecommuting and only taking the train to Chicago on weekends for baseball games and such.


----------



## XAN_

Woonsocket54 said:


> I could be wrong, but I think the idea is that by the time those would be built, everyone will be telecommuting and only taking the train to Chicago on weekends for baseball games and such.


Well, since 1900 many telecomunucations were invented, but still even more people commuting and even for greater distances.


----------



## lkstrknb

This is a quick video of an Amtrak trip I took recently.

110mph running, not quite high speed, but pretty close.


----------



## Nexis

XAN_ said:


> Well, since 1900 many telecomunucations were invented, but still even more people commuting and even for greater distances.


Its called Super Commuting , usually commuting over 100 miles on a daily or weekly basis. Thanks to our Rail and Bus network , theres at least 50,000 in the Northeast who do that daily. With HSR I could see that 4x , due to the cheaper southern section of the Northeast , but most of the Jobs are in the NYC region.... Most of the 20 Million + expected to move in the Northeast over the next 40 years will be between NYC - NOVA...and no further out then Harrisburg... Most of the NYC super commuters live in PA and Upstate NY.


----------



## nouveau.ukiyo

I used to commute from Upper Bucks County to Philly daily; 60 miles one way, 120 miles round trip. It's not cheap; over $200 for a SEPTA Zone 5 pass plus gas (I had to drive 20 miles to the station = 40 miles or 2 gallons of gas daily). 

A monthly Amtrak pass is more expensive and a monthly Acela pass is like $1000. Prices need to come down, way down to compete with cars and buses. You can get a cheap bus from Philly to New York for a few bucks but it's over $70 on Amtrak one way?!


----------



## Sopomon

nouveau.ukiyo said:


> I used to commute from Upper Bucks County to Philly daily; 60 miles one way, 120 miles round trip. It's not cheap; over $200 for a SEPTA Zone 5 pass plus gas (I had to drive 20 miles to the station = 40 miles or 2 gallons of gas daily).
> 
> A monthly Amtrak pass is more expensive and a monthly Acela pass is like $1000. Prices need to come down, way down to compete with cars and buses. You can get a cheap bus from Philly to New York for a few bucks but it's over $70 on Amtrak one way?!


A friend of mine commuted daily on First Capital Connect into London and has a yearly pass. It costs him £4000 ($6000). It's a horrible service, but unfortunately, there's no viable alternative. (The commute is only 30 minutes!)


----------



## Woonsocket54

High real estate prices in the Northeast have led to too many examples of extreme commuting. From Pennsylvania to NYC; from Maine to Boston; from New Haven to NYC, etc.


----------



## Don31

Woonsocket54 said:


> High real estate prices in the Northeast have led to too many examples of extreme commuting. From Pennsylvania to NYC; from Maine to Boston; from New Haven to NYC, etc.


Absolutely true. When I worked in Manhattan we had a guy in the office who drove in from the Poconos every day.


----------



## aquaticko

Woonsocket54 said:


> High real estate prices in the Northeast have led to too many examples of extreme commuting. From Pennsylvania to NYC; from Maine to Boston; from New Haven to NYC, etc.


Just out of curiosity, what does it mean to have too much supercommuting?

From my perspective, so long as the commuting is done in environmentally-friendly manner (I specifically have in mind electrified trains running on some manner of clean-ish energy supply), there are numerous economic benefits to physically centralizing production. 

Ultimately, you'd centralize where people live, as well, but there are obvious constraints to centralizing _everything_. We don't have functioning arcologies yet.


----------



## nouveau.ukiyo

Woonsocket54 said:


> High real estate prices in the Northeast have led to too many examples of extreme commuting. From Pennsylvania to NYC; from Maine to Boston; from New Haven to NYC, etc.


Not just real estate but taxes as well.


----------



## Woonsocket54

aquaticko said:


> Just out of curiosity, what does it mean to have too much supercommuting?


Parents not being able to see their kids on weekdays because they leave home at 4 am and return at 9 pm, things like that.


----------



## aquaticko

Woonsocket54 said:


> Parents not being able to see their kids on weekdays because they leave home at 4 am and return at 9 pm, things like that.


I usually think more about distance when I think of supercommuting, mostly because commutes in excess of one hour or so are unacceptable, and in my mind point to a societal failure of some kind, but that's another story.


----------



## Suburbanist

aquaticko said:


> I usually think more about distance when I think of supercommuting, mostly because commutes in excess of one hour or so are unacceptable, and in my mind point to a societal failure of some kind, but that's another story.


In multi-polar regions long commutes are usually a necessity of families where woman and man work in skilled careers in different places.


----------



## aquaticko

Suburbanist said:


> In multi-polar regions long commutes are usually a necessity of families where woman and man work in skilled careers in different places.


Well again, it depends on what you mean when you say "long". Just as I don't think anyone should have to walk five miles to get potable water, I don't think anyone should have to drive or take a train for more than an hour to find meaningful and productive employment. 

Knowing you, I can see how you might not have much of a problem with that latter scenario, but either way, it's a matter of definition.


----------



## sekelsenmat

aquaticko said:


> I usually think more about distance when I think of supercommuting, mostly because commutes in excess of one hour or so are unacceptable, and in my mind point to a societal failure of some kind, but that's another story.


In huge metropolis, like Sao Paulo, Tokio, etc, communing 2 hours for just going to work (and potentially much more in the event of a strike or heavy traffic jam) is just a normal fact of life. For most people there is no way arround that and it is simply caused by the sheer size of the city.

There are also some people that do huge commutes in smaller cities, sometimes living 100km from work or so. But then it is a question more of personal choice then real necessity.


----------



## Fan Railer

New Jersey Transit: Round Trip from Secaucus Junction to Princeton Junction on 6/27/12 (Northeast Corridor).

The local was kinda rough starting out of stations, but overall, a decent ride:





The express on the other hand, was a different story. These were shot on 6/27/12, the day where there were insane delays. 4646 manages to accelerate the 10 car MLV set quite nicely out of Princeton, and we reach top speed in about 3 or so minutes. We continue to cruise, encountering an Amtrak NER train twice along the way before running into delays. Originally, I would have shot this all the way into Penn station, but because of the delays, I ran out of memory and had to conserve the last remaining mb's for other clips. What was supposed to take only 50 min ended up taking about an hour and a half.


----------



## Fan Railer

5 and a half collective hours at Princeton Junction and Newark Penn Stations on the Northeast Corridor:


----------



## FM 2258

^^

Thanks for your videos *FanRailer*! Much appreciated. 




lkstrknb said:


> This is a quick video of an Amtrak trip I took recently.
> 
> 110mph running, not quite high speed, but pretty close.


110 mph is a step in the right direction. So many level crossings looks dangerous but it looks like we don't have the capacity to build grade separated dedicated lines like they are in China. Nice video.


----------



## Woonsocket54

Rail being delivered for the SMART commuter rail project in northern California (Sonoma and Marin counties north of San Francisco)
http://www.facebook.com/sonomamarintrain


----------



## Suburbanist

Cool.

Those sleepers are also in DIRE need of repair. It can be seen from the pics how unbalanced and worn out they are!


----------



## Nexis

Suburbanist said:


> Cool.
> 
> Those sleepers are also in DIRE need of repair. It can be seen from the pics how unbalanced and worn out they are!


Theyre being replaced...


----------



## mgk920

Suburbanist said:


> Cool.
> 
> Those sleepers are also in DIRE need of repair. It can be seen from the pics how unbalanced and worn out they are!


They appear to me to be quite adequate and usable for the freight service that that line was providing, but do look to be about to be replaced for the passenger service upgrade. Note the stacks of concrete ties in the right background.

:yes:

Mike


----------



## XAN_

BTW, what is the maximum/minimum wire height for AMTRAK lines?


----------



## Don31

XAN_ said:


> BTW, what is the maximum/minimum wire height for AMTRAK lines?



I believe its 23 feet or something in that area....


----------



## trainrover

-- dome car hails from 1955 -- mute! :wallbash:​


----------



## XAN_

Don31 said:


> I believe its 23 feet or something in that area....


 So they can run doublestacks under it, at least while wire is de-energised?


----------



## Don31

XAN_ said:


> So they can run doublestacks under it, at least while wire is de-energised?


I don't think so, thats probably just a lucky coincidence. Its 23 feet on the NEC, which wouldn't likley ever see any doublestacks....


----------



## trainrover

I suspect the rationale to (periodically) inserting and removing the dome car into the Montreal-NYC Adirondack service only at Albany is because of the restrictive loading guage found in and around the Bos-Wash corridor.


----------



## jchernin

SMART (Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit) construction update:


























































































http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.119161744780150.14739.116321028397555&type=3

It's great to see tangible progress.

More info: http://www.sonomamarintrain.org/


----------



## XAN_

Don31 said:


> I don't think so, thats probably just a lucky coincidence. Its 23 feet on the NEC, which wouldn't likley ever see any doublestacks....


 Yeah, I'm aware of that. I'm interested if it's theoretically possible to fit the doublestack under 23 feet high wire either electrified or de-electrified.


----------



## Nexis

XAN_ said:


> Yeah, I'm aware of that. I'm interested if it's theoretically possible to fit the doublestack under 23 feet high wire either electrified or de-electrified.


They run Doubestacks under the Septa West Trenton line for 15 miles without any issues....


----------



## mgk920

The 23 feet/7 meters is the minimum required clearance for structures (bridges, etc) over active rail lines. The allows auto racks and double-stacked containers the room that they need to operate. I would add at least another half meter over the railhead for bridges over track that has a 25KVAC overhead wire.

Mike


----------



## trainrover

Border/customs officers embarking halted US domestic services for their patrols is apparently customary :uh: their stings even occur in Rochester, NY


----------



## krnboy1009

Yea they did that when I was on Lake Shore Limited to Chicago from NYC.

Apparently they stopped it now.


----------



## Sunfuns

Nexis said:


> *The line itself sees close to 6,000 daily riders *, the stations are very close to each other so Ridership aside from a few busy stations is about 350 per station. Same with the other Chestnut Hill line and other regional rail lines , theres also a bus route that runs down the center of Chestnut hill about 50,000 use that. So you have 14,000 Regional Rail users , 50,000 Bus / Future Tram users and other misc number use shuttle buses all in the Suburban part of Philly. A lot of people bike up there since everything is so close or walk or the bus or train.


OK. The way you wrote your original post it seemed obvious that the entire line in 350 people per day. To be honest even 6,000 is not all that much, but I guess it is explained by the parallel bus line. 

P.S. I spent 2 years in Philly, but lived in university area and never used any other local public transport than subway...


----------



## Woonsocket54

*October 8, 2012* is when Sound Transit commuter rail line will be extended from Tacoma to Lakewood, Washington

http://www.soundtransit.org/Rider-Community/Rider-news/Lakewood-South-Tacoma-Sounder-Service.xml


----------



## Nexis

I rode with ALP45dp today ...


004 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


005 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr

*Pascack Valley line Train # 1620 departing Secaucus JCT with ALP45DP # 4515*


----------



## Don31

Nice shots Nexis. Are they any louder than the PL42s?


----------



## Nexis

Don31 said:


> Nice shots Nexis. Are they any louder than the PL42s?


Quieter & faster acceleration


----------



## trainrover

So much quieter :uh:


----------



## Nexis




----------



## Woonsocket54

In eastern Bronx, MTA is planning to add 4 train stations and run Metro North trains to Penn Station.










Co-Op City Station at Erskine Pl/Hunter Ave



















Morris Park Station at Bassett Ave/Morris Park Ave










Renderings and locations of Hunts Point and Parkchester stations will be revealed at community meetings next month:

http://www.mta.info/mta/planning/psas/


----------



## Woonsocket54

*Hunts Point Station (proposed) - Bronx, NY*

station proposed for Hunts Point Ave at Bruckner Expressway. Interchange with Hunts Point Ave express station on the subway (6 train).









http://www.mta.info/mta/planning/psas/pdf/HuntsPt_121002.pdf


----------



## IanCleverly

*Wrong thread*


----------



## yankeesfan1000

Woonsocket54 said:


> In eastern Bronx, MTA is planning to add 4 train stations and run Metro North trains to Penn Station.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I apologize because I usually hate these types of questions, but what are the chances of this being realized?


----------



## Woonsocket54

IanCleverly said:


> *Wrong thread*


what the ****, dude?



yankeesfan1000 said:


> I apologize because I usually hate these types of questions, but what are the chances of this being realized?


A good chance. MTA is holding meetings and will likely build these stations once capacity at Penn opens up following the opening of East Side Access, allowing LIRR to GCT. This isn't one of those pipe dreams that *Nexis* made up but an actual plan by an actual transit agency committed to making it happen.


----------



## yankeesfan1000

Thanks for the answer. I had no idea that Metro North could run on East Side Access, and then from there to Penn. Just hope East Side Access is done by the new delivery date of 2019.


----------



## Woonsocket54

yankeesfan1000 said:


> Thanks for the answer. I had no idea that Metro North could run on East Side Access, and then from there to Penn. Just hope East Side Access is done by the new delivery date of 2019.


East Side Access is for LIRR.
Penn Station Access is for MNRR.

These are two different programs. There will be no direct trains btw Penn and GCT.


----------



## yankeesfan1000

Ah thanks again! Shows how much I know.


----------



## Suburbanist

Why no stop in Queens where it intersects LIRR or some subway lines?


----------



## Nexis

Suburbanist said:


> Why no stop in Queens where it intersects LIRR or some subway lines?


We will have to wait and see if there is space left over from the ESA and Harold Interchange Upgrades for a Sunnyside station , another Woodside station would have to wait intill the NEC upgrade is done in 2025.


----------



## aquaticko

It seems like they could've deviated the path of that new line to run through Grand Central, though I'm sure that would be significantly more difficult than it looks.


----------



## Woonsocket54

aquaticko said:


> It seems like they could've deviated the path of that new line to run through Grand Central, though I'm sure that would be significantly more difficult than it looks.


If you have $7 trillion lying around, please send the check to MTA, as I think it's still not too late.


----------



## aquaticko

Woonsocket54 said:


> If you have $7 trillion lying around, please send the check to MTA, as I think it's still not too late.


^^Pocket change.:lol:


----------



## Nexis

*ALP46/A Madness...and other things at Newark Penn Station
*

312 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


313 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


314 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


315 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


316 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


317 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


320 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


321 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


322 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


323 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


324 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


325 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


328 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


329 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


330 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


----------



## Woonsocket54

Proposed Parkchester/Van Nest station (just east of Unionport Road and E Tremont Ave intersection in the Bronx), part of Metro North Penn Station Access project.










More info here: http://www.mta.info/mta/planning/psas/pdf/Parkchester121022.pdf


----------



## wardog_7kdt

Nexis said:


> *ALP46/A Madness...and other things at Newark Penn Station
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *


*



Is there any renovation plan for it? I mean at least are they controlling the hobos that asks for spare changes with their dramatic repeatedly stories?.. this station sometimes is even worst than you being at harlem at night.. its pretty damn dangerous...*


----------



## Woonsocket54

wardog_7kdt said:


> Is there any renovation plan for it? I mean at least are they controlling the hobos that asks for spare changes with their dramatic repeatedly stories?.. this station sometimes is even worst than you being at harlem at night.. its pretty damn dangerous...


"Renovating" Newark Penn won't address any of the issues you raised.


----------



## Nexis

*Stamford​*

083 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


091 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


093 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


129 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


130 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


131 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


132 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


----------



## Woonsocket54

^^ Did you catch any Shore Line East (ex-Virginia Railway Express) trains while you were there? That kind of stuff seems right up your alley.


----------



## Nexis

Woonsocket54 said:


> ^^ Did you catch any Shore Line East (ex-Virginia Railway Express) trains while you were there? That kind of stuff seems right up your alley.


They only run during rush hr...


----------



## Woonsocket54

008 by MTAPhotos, on Flickr


----------



## Woonsocket54

New rails are being installed on damaged portion of Hudson Line in New York state.


Metro-North Hudson Line Repairs! by MTAPhotos, on Flickr


----------



## Nexis

South Shore line 


Making the Grade by Trainham, on Flickr


HEY! We have the green! by Trainham, on Flickr


Crossings Galore by Trainham, on Flickr


Green Signals by Trainham, on Flickr


Highball! by Trainham, on Flickr


Topping the Hill by Trainham, on Flickr


Bi-Level Electrics by Trainham, on Flickr


----------



## gpjn

Woonsocket54 said:


> New rails are being installed on damaged portion of Hudson Line in New York state.
> 
> 
> Metro-North Hudson Line Repairs! by MTAPhotos, on Flickr


Very nice picture. Would you share some more?


----------



## MelbourneCity

Nexis said:


> South Shore line
> 
> 
> Making the Grade by Trainham, on Flickr
> 
> 
> HEY! We have the green! by Trainham, on Flickr
> 
> 
> Crossings Galore by Trainham, on Flickr
> 
> 
> Green Signals by Trainham, on Flickr
> 
> 
> Highball! by Trainham, on Flickr
> 
> 
> Topping the Hill by Trainham, on Flickr
> 
> 
> Bi-Level Electrics by Trainham, on Flickr


Are there any plans to remove the train line from the streets of that town by building a bypass?


----------



## FM 2258

^^

It's cool to see the train running in the street. I wonder where the stations are for this line or if there are any along the street.


----------



## Nexis

MelbourneCity said:


> Are there any plans to remove the train line from the streets of that town by building a bypass?


Yes , but there's no $$$ , so its not going to happen for a while along with Double tracking and new lines further South and West.


----------



## Nexis

FM 2258 said:


> ^^
> 
> It's cool to see the train running in the street. I wonder where the stations are for this line or if there are any along the street.


There like bus shelters...









http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/11th_Street_(NICTD)








http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carroll_Avenue_(NICTD)


----------



## Samu66el

The state Government has allocated over 700 acres of land for the project.


----------



## k.k.jetcar

> There like bus shelters...


They must be steaming in the summer heat. Though better than nothing if you're caught in an afternoon thunderstorm or winter blizzard, I suppose.


----------



## Cesar Vieira

Nexis said:


> South Shore line
> 
> 
> Green Signals by Trainham, on Flickr
> 
> 
> Highball! by Trainham, on Flickr
> 
> 
> Topping the Hill by Trainham, on Flickr
> 
> 
> 
> *Heavy Rail Transit* !:lol:
> what is the name of the city where is that line?
Click to expand...


----------



## Sopomon

^^ http://lmgtfy.com/?q=south+shore+line


----------



## Woonsocket54

Along 11th Street in Michigan City, Indiana, USA.


----------



## Suburbanist

What I found particularly troubling is that that rail ROW has not even lane marking to orient drivers about how far they should place their cars from the tracks. Dangerous.

FRA should ban these operations, requiring some 4ft fencing along the ROW at least.


----------



## Nexis

Suburbanist said:


> What I found particularly troubling is that that rail ROW has not even lane marking to orient drivers about how far they should place their cars from the tracks. Dangerous.
> 
> FRA should ban these operations, requiring some 4ft fencing along the ROW at least.


While I agree the FRA or DOT should mandate markings , there are hundreds of these types of lines around North America and very few accidents , trains when operating through these areas use regular traffic rules , stopping at traffic lights , for crossing guards and at stop signs..... These routes are often through less populated areas or through Main street....locals are so used to the trains that accidents don't occur. Which I can't say for the gating crossings or protected areas , its the same with LRT....and streetcar people pay attention when theres a train running down the street then at a crossing.


----------



## thainoodles

A train running on the streets along with cars, never saw anything like that. Neat. :cheers:

What seems a little unusual to me is the amount of pantographs, anybody knows why there are so many and why all of them are used at the same time? I'm asking because here in Poland most our EMU's have max four of them whereas usually two are used, like in the pic:


----------



## XAN_

It's really depends on current in catenary and power of train. Lower current and higher power - more pantographs are needed.
For example classic soviet 8-car EMU ER2 that runs under 3 000 V DC usually use all 4 pantographs, while 8-car ER9 - the same design, but with electrics for 25 000 V AC usually use only 2 of 4.
And the USA trains tend to be ridiculously overweighted, so they need really a lot of power to keep moving, while the South Shore Line is only 1 500 V DC.


----------



## Sunfuns

Cesar Vieira said:


> Nexis said:
> 
> 
> 
> South Shore line
> 
> 
> Green Signals by Trainham, on Flickr
> 
> 
> 
> Why are those trains so ugly? Looks more like a cattle train! In Europe at least windows are made as big as possible not the other way around...
Click to expand...


----------



## G5man

Sunfuns said:


> Cesar Vieira said:
> 
> 
> 
> Why are those trains so ugly? Looks more like a cattle train! In Europe at least windows are made as big as possible not the other way around...
> 
> 
> 
> FRA regulations that are focused more on the weight of the train for safety rather than energy management principles are why. Our FRA is more focused on crash worthiness rather than avoidance. I am surprised we have not decided to move over to avoidance. Especially with two heavy frieght derailments carrying dangerous cargo that required residents in nearby towns to evacuate, we are better off focusing on prevention.
Click to expand...


----------



## mgk920

Speaking of the South Shore line, that is one of the very few of the 'interurban' electric street railroads that were built a century or so ago that still survives. The USA was once laced with these lines that went from town to town. At one time in the 1910s or early 1920s, it was very nearly possible to travel between NYC and several points deep in Wisconsin using only interurbans.

Here in NE Wisconsin, one could travel between Green Bay, Appleton, Oshkosh and Fond du Lac using interurbans until about 1926.

What happened to it all? Cars became practical for personal transportation and the interurbans and streetcars were looked down on as being 'old fashioned'.

Mike


----------



## XAN_

mgk920 said:


> Speaking of the South Shore line, that is one of the very few of the 'interurban' electric street railroads that were built a century or so ago that still survives. The USA was once laced with these lines that went from town to town. At one time in the 1910s or early 1920s, it was very nearly possible to travel between NYC and several points deep in Wisconsin using only interurbans.
> 
> Here in NE Wisconsin, one could travel between Green Bay, Appleton, Oshkosh and Fond du Lac using interurbans until about 1926.
> 
> What happened to it all? Cars became practical for personal transportation and the interurbans and streetcars were looked down on as being 'old fashioned'.
> 
> Mike


Yes, exponential growth of oil producing and amount of energy available to society resulted in a fact that society stopped being saving and became more consuming.


----------



## Cesar Vieira

Woonsocket54 said:


> Along 11th Street in Michigan City, Indiana, USA.


Thanks. kay:



G5man said:


> FRA regulations that are focused more on the weight of the train for safety rather than energy management principles are why. Our FRA is more focused on crash worthiness rather than avoidance. I am surprised we have not decided to move over to avoidance. Especially with two heavy frieght derailments carrying dangerous cargo that required residents in nearby towns to evacuate, we are better off focusing on prevention.


Hello, I think there was a mistake. you answered the question that was not me who did and yes another Forumer.


----------



## trainrover




----------



## Fan Railer

thainoodles said:


> A train running on the streets along with cars, never saw anything like that. Neat. :cheers:
> 
> What seems a little unusual to me is the amount of pantographs, anybody knows why there are so many and why all of them are used at the same time? I'm asking because here in Poland most our EMU's have max four of them whereas usually two are used, like in the pic:


Because those cars that you see in the picture are designed as single units, capable of operating on their own. that is the only reason each car has its own pantograph.


----------



## Woonsocket54

Cesar Vieira said:


> Why are those trains so ugly? Looks more like a cattle train!


Metra passenger car design was actually based on the cattle car, with a big door in the middle where all the cattle are prodded through.


----------



## riles28

I like the amfleet coach and the NJT and MARC coaches because have a lots of purpose from commuter, excursion, express and even for high speed run specially on the northeast corridor and it could run from electrified line and non electrified line because it push and pull by a electric or diesel locomotive.


----------



## riles28

I think the Nippon sharyo will introduce the first set of "k - star express" for MARC railway that could run from 120 miles per hour to 200, this train use a push pull type technology and the will call it a medium high speed train, they will also introduce this to amtrak to replace the existing amfleet that run for a decade.


----------



## Nexis




----------



## Nexis




----------



## k.k.jetcar

riles28 said:


> I think the Nippon sharyo will introduce the first set of "k - star express" for MARC railway that could run from 120 miles per hour to 200, this train use a push pull type technology and the will call it a medium high speed train, they will also introduce this to amtrak to replace the existing amfleet that run for a decade.


Actually the K-star Express is a Kawasaki Rail product, though Nippon Sharyo has an artist's conception of a similar (unnamed) product in this brochure:
http://www.nipponsharyousa.com/highspeedrailcatalog.pdf

Anyway, would be nice if Nissha does get the amfleet replacement contract.


----------



## k.k.jetcar

> In Europe at least windows are made as big as possible not the other way around...


Well, in the US, smaller windows make for a smaller target for the rock throwers.


----------



## trainrover

Better off just making the things travel faster.


----------



## Nikonov_Ivan

Any plans about maglev( like in Shaghai or Japan) in the USA?


----------



## webeagle12

Nikonov_Ivan said:


> Any plans about maglev( like in Shaghai or Japan) in the USA?


In couple thousands years, a million lawsuits, and XXX billion dollars.


----------



## k.k.jetcar

Merely a statement of hope, I reckon, but Nippon Sharyo is looking at more opportunities for its Rochelle plant:


> Amtrak Chairman Thomas Carper was among the VIPs. Jason Anderson, economic development director for Rochelle, said Carper had told him that Amtrak routes demand new and replacement cars.
> 
> “He said there are thousands of rail cars in the country that will need to be replaced,” Anderson said.
> 
> And that means more opportunities for Nippon Sharyo in Rochelle.


http://www.rrstar.com/news/x1582305896/Extras-on-horizon-for-rail-car-assemblers-in-Rochelle


----------



## riles28

This is the two graphic rendered of two train will introduced in the america one is the k - star express a push pull coaches it will use it for MARC and for future replcement of amfleet, second is the inter regional high speed train it can be used for long distance and can run in electrified and non electrified lines it's suitable to amtrak services also.


----------



## k.k.jetcar

^^
One thing to note is the Nippon Sharyo trainset design (or rather design _concept_) is only for unpowered coaches. The locomotive will have to be from a third party supplier.


----------



## riles28

k.k.jetcar said:


> ^^
> One thing to note is the Nippon Sharyo trainset design (or rather design _concept_) is only for unpowered coaches. The locomotive will have to be from a third party supplier.


It's Actual Nippon sharyo design actually the k - star express has been approved for MARC and for amtrak is still under decision making, the second train for inter regional service is also approved for US DOT in the future the amtrak will be use this technology to replace amtrak diesel hauled train.


----------



## Nikonov_Ivan

webeagle12 said:


> In couple thousands years, a million lawsuits, and XXX billion dollars.


But why? USA has enough money to build it, isn't it?


----------



## aquaticko

^^Technically we could, but there's barely enough political will amongst the general public and most politicians to get a standard HSR system built, nevermind the extra expense and somewhat uncertain track record of success of maglev in other places.


----------



## Nikonov_Ivan

^^But why most politicals want to build only simple HSR system? I think there are no problems to build maglev for example from manhattan to JFK airport( like in Shanghai) or from Washington D.C. To New York City?


----------



## Moje Leto

The united states needs a high speed (300+mph) from boston to san diego.

when will they start the building of this?
Greetz


----------



## Nikonov_Ivan

^^ To San Diego? Don't you think that it is so far and expensive? Maybe from Boston to Washington D.C.???


----------



## G5man

Nikonov_Ivan said:


> ^^ To San Diego? Don't you think that it is so far and expensive? Maybe from Boston to Washington D.C.???


I am going to have to agree with you on that one. Boston-DC will get the ridership. I could definitely see the line extending to Miami, connecting Richmond, Raleigh, Charlotte, Atlanta, Macon, Jacksonville, Orlando, branching to Tampa and Miami.


----------



## Nexis

Nikonov_Ivan said:


> ^^But why most politicals want to build only simple HSR system? I think there are no problems to build maglev for example from manhattan to JFK airport( like in Shanghai) or from Washington D.C. To New York City?


We had a Plan for Direct Lower Manhattan Regional Rail Access along with an Airport link back in 2003 but it was thrown out due to costs even tho ridership was estimated to be 170,000+.


----------



## Nexis

riles28 said:


> This is the two graphic rendered of two train will introduced in the america one is the k - star express a push pull coaches it will use it for MARC and for future replcement of amfleet, second is the inter regional high speed train it can be used for long distance and can run in electrified and non electrified lines it's suitable to amtrak services also.


They are looking to order those new cars for Amtrak Regional , Vermonter , and Keystone Service.....300 cars...


----------



## Nikonov_Ivan

Nexis said:


> We had a Plan for Direct Lower Manhattan Regional Rail Access along with an Airport link back in 2003 but it was thrown out due to costs even tho ridership was estimated to be 170,000+.


Really? But it's crazy, isn't it? I think they can spend much money, but this project will be very successful


----------



## Nexis

Nikonov_Ivan said:


> Really? But it's crazy, isn't it? I think they can spend much money, but this project will be very successful


All told , the sheveled and canceled Projects which would have relieved the Subway and Regional Rail congestion would have added 1.5 Million riders to the Regional Rail Network...


----------



## Nexis

*Northern New England & Eastern New York State Rail Ideas *

*The Main Trunk lines or High Speed Rail - 135-250mph*
Coastal Northeast Corridor
New Inland Northeast Corridor 
Knowledge Corridor
Empire line 
Berkshires Express
The New Yorker HSL
The Montrealer HSL 

*Intercity or Long Distance Regional Rail*
Downeaster 
Vermonter
Lewiston Branch
Ethan Allen line 
Northern Berkshires limited
Wildcat Branch

*Commuter or Regional Rail*
Greenfield/Fitchberg line
Newburyport / Portsmouth line
Rockport line
Concord/Lowell line
Lowell Connector
Malden line
Cross Hampshire Line
I-93 Rail Corridor
Portsmouth Connector
Rochester Branch

https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=215312482559953359515.0004ce220d503c5297992&msa=0&ll=43.100983,-71.531982&spn=5.414023,13.392334

*Station by Station List*

*High Speed Rail & Trunk lines*

*Inland Northeast Corridor *
Boston South Station - Express
Boston Back Bay - Express 
_Providence Central
Danielson - Limited
Storrs - Limited
Manchester - Limited
Hartford HSR - Express
Bristol HSR - Limited
Waterbury HSR - Express
Danbury HSR - Express
White Plains - Westchester Airport - Limited_
New Rochelle - Limited
New York Penn - Express

*Coastal Northeast Corridor *
Boston South Station 
Boston Back Bay 
Route 128
_Providence Central _
Kingston
Westerly 
New London
New Haven Union 
Stamford 
New Rochelle
_Sunnyside JCT_
New York Penn

*Knowledge Corridor Express *
Brattleboro
_Springfield Riverfront_
Windsor Locks
Hartford Union
New Haven State Street
New Haven Union

*Knowledge Corridor Local*
Brattleboro
Greenfield
_South Deerfield
Northampton
Holyoke
Willimansett
Ferry Lane
Springfield Riverfront
Long Meadow
Thompsonville_
Windsor Locks
Windsor
_North End_
Hartford Union
_Parkville
Newington_
Berlin
Meriden
Wallingford
_North Haven
Fair Haven_
New Haven State Street
New Haven Union 

*Empire Line*
Albany-Rensselaer
Hudson
Rhinebeck
Poughkeepsie
Croton Harmon
Yonkers 
New York Penn 

*The New Yorker HSL*
Montreal Central Station
Plattsburgh
_Glens Falls
Troy_
Albany-Rensselaer
Poughkeepsie
Croton Harmon
Yonkers 
New York Penn 

*The Montrealer HSL*
Montreal Central Station
_Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu
St. Albans
Burlington
White River JCT
Concord HSR
Manchester HSR_
Lawrence 
North Station 

*Berkshires Express*
Albany-Rensselaer
Westfield
Springfield Union
Worcester Union
_Framingham Center_
Boston Back Bay
Boston South Station 

*Berkshires Local *
Saratoga Springs
Schenectady 
Roselleville
Arbor Hill
Albany-Rensselaer
_Chatham_
Pittsfield
Westfield
_Wakefield Street
West Springfield_
Springfield Union
_East Springfield
Indian Orchard_
Palmer
Worcester Union
Framingham
Boston Back Bay
Boston South Station


*Intercity Rail & Long Distance Regional Rail*

*Ethan Allen line*
St. Albans
Essex JCT
_Winnoski
Burlington
Middlebury
Center Rutland
Fair Haven
Whitehall
Fort Edward_
Saratoga Springs
Schenectady 
Albany-Rensselaer
Hudson
Rhinebeck
Poughkeepsie
Croton Harmon
Yonkers 
New York Penn

*Vermonter *
St. Albans
Essex JCT
Waterbury
Montpelier 
Randolph
White River Junction
Windsor
Claremont
Bellows Falls
Brattleboro
_Greenfield
South Deerfield
Northampton
Holyoke
Springfield Riverfront_
Windsor
Hartford Union
Berlin
Meriden
Wallingford
_New Haven State Street_
New Haven Union 


*Downeaster Express *
_Bangor
Waterville
Augusta_
Brunswick
Freeport
Portland Union
Old Orchard Beach
Saco-Biddeford
Wells
Dover
Durham-UNH
Exeter
Haverhill
Woburn
North Station 

*Downeaster Local *
_Milford
Old Town 
Orono
Bangor
Newport
Pittsfield
Fairfield
Waterville
Augusta
Gardner_
Brunswick
Freeport
_Yarmouth
Riverton_
Portland Union 
Old Orchard Beach
Saco-Biddeford
Wells
Dover
Durham-UNH
Exeter
Haverhill
Woburn
North Station 

*Lewiston Branch *
_Waterville
Oakland
Belgrade (limited)
Winthrop 
Lewiston 
Riverton _
Portland Union 

*Regional Rail* 

*Rockport Line*
North Station
Chelsea
River Works 
Lynn
Swampscott
Salem
Beverly Depot 
Montserrat
Prides Crossing
Beverly Farms
Manchester
West Gloucester
Gloucester 
Rockport

*Portsmouth / Newburyport line*
North Station
Chelsea
River Works 
Lynn
Swampscott
Salem
Beverly Depot 
North Beverly
Hamilton/Wenham
Ipswich
Rowley 
Newburyport
_Salisbury
Hampton
Portsmouth_


*Haverhill Line*
North Station
Malden Center 
Wyoming Hill
Melrose/Cedar Park
Melrose Highlands 
Greenwood
Wakefield
Reading
North Wilmington 
Ballardvale
Andover
Lawrence
Bradford 
Haverhill
_Plaistow _

*Playmouth/Concord / Lowell line*
North Station
West Medford
Wedgemere
Winchester Center
Mishawum
Anterson RTC
Wilmington
North Billerica
Lowell
_North Chelmsford
Tyngsborough 
Nashua
Merrimack
Manchester Airport
Manchester
Southern New Hampshire University
Hooksett
Concord
Penacook
Northfield
Laconia 
Meredith 
Plymouth _


*Greenfield / Fitchburg line*
North Station
Porter SQ
Belmont
Waverly
Waltham
Brandeis/Roberts
Kendal Green
Hastings
Silver Hill
Lincoln 
Concord
West Concord
South Acton
Littleton/Route 495
Ayer 
Shirley 
North Leominster
Fitchburg 
_West Wachusetts
Gardner
Athol
Orange
Greenfield_

*Cross Hampshire line*
_Concord
Southern New Hampshire University
Manchester
Epping
Greenland
Portsmouth_

*Malden line *
Salem 
Swampscott
_West Lynn
Saugus
Malden East
Malden Center East
Everett_
North Station

*Lowell Connector *
Lawrence 
Andover
Ballardville
_Tweksbury 
South Lowell_
Lowell
_Nebnasset
Forge village_
Ayer
Shirley
North Leominster
Fitchberg


*I-93 Rail line *
North Station
Malden Center
Wyoming Hill
Melrose/Cedar Park
Melrose Highlands
Greenwood
Wakefield
Reading
North Wilmington
Ballardvale
Andover
_Lawrence Centre 
Methuen 
Main Street - Salem
Derry
Manchester Airport
Manchester
Southern New Hampshire University
Hooksett
Concord _

*
Eastern Hampshire Main line / Rochester Branch *
North Station
West Medford
Wedgemere
Winchester Center
Mishawum
_Woburn_
Anterson RTC
Wilmington
Ballardvale
Andover
Lawrence
Bradford
Haverhill
Plaistow 
Exeter
_Newmarket_
Durham
Dover
_Somersworth
Rochester _

*Portland Metro *
_Gorham
Westbrook
Rosemont
Portland Union
West End
Old Port
East End
East Deening
Cumberland Foreside 
Yarmouth _

*Power Source* 

*High Speed Rail *

Coastal Northeast Corridor - 25 kV AC, 50 Hz
New Inland Northeast Corridor - 25 kV AC, 50 Hz
Knowledge Corridor - 15 kV AC, 16.7 Hz
Empire line - 15 kV AC, 16.7 Hz
Berkshires Express - 15 kV AC, 16.7 Hz
The New Yorker HSL - 25 kV AC, 50 Hz
The Montrealer HSL - 25 kV AC, 50 Hz

*Intercity or Long Distance Regional Rail*

Downeaster - 15 kV AC, 16.7 Hz
Vermonter - 15 kV AC, 16.7 Hz
Lewiston Branch - 15 kV AC, 16.7 Hz
Ethan Allen line - 15 kV AC, 16.7 Hz
Northern Berkshires limited - 15 kV AC, 16.7 Hz
Wildcat Branch - 15 kV AC, 16.7 Hz

*Commuter or Regional Rail*

Greenfield/Fitchberg line - 15 kV AC, 16.7 Hz
Newburyport / Portsmouth line - 15 kV AC, 16.7 Hz
Rockport line - 15 kV AC, 16.7 Hz
Concord/Lowell line - 15 kV AC, 16.7 Hz
Lowell Connector - 15 kV AC, 16.7 Hz
Malden line - 15 kV AC, 16.7 Hz
Cross Hampshire Line - 15 kV AC, 16.7 Hz
I-93 Rail Corridor - 15 kV AC, 16.7 Hz
Portsmouth Connector - 15 kV AC, 16.7 Hz 
Rochester Branch- 15 kV AC, 16.7 Hz
Portland Metro - 3 kV DC


----------



## Woonsocket54

Construction of West Haven station in West Haven CT (expected to open June 2013)









Glass installers work at the new West Haven Train Station. Peter Casolino









Alex Cordona of Acoustic Inc., works on the train platform at the new West Haven Train Station as a Metro North train speeds by. Peter Casolino









From left, Lynn Cichowski, assistant district engineer for DOT, Gene Colonese, rail administrator, DOT, George Cooper, resident engineer, STV Engineering firm, and Rich Jankovich, assistant rail administrator discuss the progress of the new West Haven Train Station from the glass walkway over the rails. Peter Casolino

Story here: http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2012/12/09/news/metro/doc50c540a8e31ae034722313.txt


----------



## riles28

I'm just wondering what happen to california high speed train and the florida high speed train i think this project are vital for the economy of the america.


----------



## IanCleverly

Streetsblog San Francisco said:


> Image taken from California Rail Map
> 
> 
> Finding a highway map for a road trip is easy, but comprehensive transit maps for car-free travel in California have always been a little harder to come by.
> 
> Not to worry: Alfred Twu and his team of cartographers have created a map of transit throughout the state. The new map features “both intracity and regional rail lines as well as connecting buses, proving once and for all that it’s possible to get to almost anywhere in the state on public transit,” says Twu.
> 
> The map ties together networks for Amtrak, BART, Muni, VTA, Caltrain, Altamont Commuter Express, Sacramento Regional Transit, San Diego North County Transit District (NCTD), San Diego Trolley, LA Metro, and Metrolink, as well as key bus and ferry connections.


Taken from Here


----------



## aquablue

Nikonov_Ivan said:


> Really? But it's crazy, isn't it? I think they can spend much money, but this project will be very successful


Yes, the politicians in NYC don't seem to understand the need for proper transit between the airports and major job centers. I.e, transfer free rail between jfk and manhattan. NYC is probably lagging way behind its major global competitor cities on this issue.

Regarding the lower manhattan to jfk link that was scrapped: I think a midtown link without transfers would be far more beneficial investment as that's where most people are going.


----------



## phoenixboi08

aquablue said:


> Yes, the politicians in NYC don't seem to understand the need for proper transit between the airports and major job centers. I.e, transfer free rail between jfk and manhattan. NYC is probably lagging way behind its major global competitor cities on this issue.
> 
> Regarding the lower manhattan to jfk link that was scrapped: I think a midtown link without transfers would be far more beneficial investment as that's where most people are going.


What would be the best solution? 
What would seem to be the most convenient is if they could somehow operate "skytrains" as shorter, express subway trains (i.e. operate them as shuttles between JFK and some stop in Midtown-Downtown). Though, I'm not sure [if] how that could be accommodated. But seems like the best bang-for-the-buck.

I'm not really sure about a lot of other cities, but London really knows what it's doing, because they have a _clear _ regional plan for transit...seems like a lot of things in NYC are kind of unsure.


----------



## aquablue

*Ay*



phoenixboi08 said:


> What would be the best solution?
> What would seem to be the most convenient is if they could somehow operate "skytrains" as shorter, express subway trains (i.e. operate them as shuttles between JFK and some stop in Midtown-Downtown). Though, I'm not sure [if] how that could be accommodated. But seems like the best bang-for-the-buck.
> 
> I'm not really sure about a lot of other cities, but London really knows what it's doing, because they have a _clear _ regional plan for transit...seems like a lot of things in NYC are kind of unsure.


The plan that was talked about years ago was to build some kind of hybrid air train that could also travel on the LIRR tracks legally as well as the current air train track. This would have allowed a non stop link directly to midtown from jfk though a new rail link at Jamaica. However, this hybrid train plan never came about and I'm not even sure it was ever feasible given the difference between the two rail systems. That seems like the most cost effective solution to me. However, it seems the idea has died sadly which means it must be complicated to implement or very costly. The other plan was to build a new tunnel to lower manhattan and run the AirTran directly there down the Atlantic avenue line. That died too.

There is talk about PATH to EWR airport, but apparently it is not to the terminals requiring a transfer onto a monorail.


----------



## Nexis




----------



## Woonsocket54

Brentwood, N.Y. - L.I.R.R. train vs. car - from Bruno's NovusDeum twitter account








\
https://twitter.com/NovusDeum/status/293743174168506368/photo/1









https://twitter.com/NovusDeum/status/293736690487537666/photo/1


----------



## IanCleverly

Chicago Sun Times said:


> *New York City’s Grand Central Station marks 100 years*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> New York Transit Museum's Twitter account
> 
> 
> 
> Grand Central, the country’s most famous train station and one of the finest examples of Beaux Arts architecture in America, turns 100 on February 1st. Its centennial comes 15 years after a triumphant renovation that removed decades of grime and restored its glittering chandeliers, cathedral windows and famous ceiling depicting a night sky.
> 
> The building’s survival is also a testament to historic preservation: The landmark was saved from demolition in the 1970s thanks to a battle spearheaded by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. In 1978, the court ruled that cities have the right to protect historic buildings, even if that limits the owner’s ability to develop or sell the property. The decision legitimized preservation efforts around the country.
> 
> Grand Central was an engineering wonder when it opened in 1913, with trains flowing seamlessly over 67 subterranean tracks and thousands of people departing and arriving daily from around the country. Purists note that it’s actually not a station, but a terminal, where trains stop and start their routes rather than passing through. But it’s always been much more than a place to get on or off a train: It’s a spectacular public space with marble floors, tiled arches, ornate staircases and even sculpture inspired by Greek and Roman mythology.
> 
> <snip>
> 
> Today the only trains in Grand Central are run by Metro-North Railroad to the city’s northern suburbs. But the railroad’s 275,000 passengers are not the only ones using Grand Central. It remains the largest train station in the world, and it is also one of the most-visited buildings in the world, with 750,000 people passing through daily, including tourists and commuters using the onsite New York City subway station.
> 
> Some of those passing through are shoppers. Grand Central has become an attractive location for dozens of high-end retailers, from a jeweler to an Apple store. And while the iconic Oyster Bar continues to dish up raw oysters, as it has since 1913, the terminal’s restaurants and bars now include Michael Jordan’s The Steak House N.Y.C. and the elegant Campbell Apartment, which was once the private apartment and salon of a 1920s tycoon, John W. Campbell.
> 
> If you’re visiting Grand Central for the first time, make a point of contemplating its famous features: the tall windows, grand staircases, chandeliers, and four-faced clock at the central information booth. The clock has been a meeting point for New Yorkers for generations and now serves as a symbol of the centennial.
> 
> <snip>
> 
> One of the terminal’s best-known features is the ceiling painting of the zodiac, with gold-leaf constellations and twinkling light bulb stars. But a commuter in 1913 noticed that the zodiac was backwards — it’s a mirror image of how the sky actually looks. Among the explanations given: It was painted from God’s point of view, above the heavens.
> 
> While you’re staring up, look for a hole in the ceiling near the Pisces constellation that marks the spot where cables secured a rocket ship displayed here in 1957. And in the ceiling’s northwest corner, near the stationmaster’s office, there’s a black smudge. That’s the color of the ceiling before the renovation.
> 
> Other fun facts for Grand Central cognoscenti: The times listed on a board for MetroNorth trains are a minute earlier than actual departures, to give passengers precious seconds to board in time. The information booth’s brass kiosk hides a spiral staircase connecting to a booth a floor below. And there’s a secret train platform a few blocks away beneath the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, where U.S. presidents visiting New York usually stay. (The hotel is north of Grand Central but the terminal’s subterranean footprint extends from 42nd to 97th streets.) President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, whose legs were paralyzed from polio, used the platform to exit a train unobserved. A waiting car took him into the Waldorf garage through an underground passage.
> 
> On a recent evening, those admiring the terminal included a group of docents from the Municipal Art Society who were training to give public tours. Their varied reasons for becoming volunteer guides show how passionate many New Yorkers remain about Grand Central, 100 years after it opened.


Full story can be read Here


----------



## Coccodrillo

Nexis said:


> *Power Source*
> 
> *High Speed Rail *
> 
> Coastal Northeast Corridor - 25 kV AC, 50 Hz
> New Inland Northeast Corridor - 25 kV AC, 50 Hz
> Knowledge Corridor - 15 kV AC, 16.7 Hz
> Empire line - 15 kV AC, 16.7 Hz
> Berkshires Express - 15 kV AC, 16.7 Hz
> The New Yorker HSL - 25 kV AC, 50 Hz
> The Montrealer HSL - 25 kV AC, 50 Hz
> 
> *Intercity or Long Distance Regional Rail*
> 
> Downeaster - 15 kV AC, 16.7 Hz
> Vermonter - 15 kV AC, 16.7 Hz
> Lewiston Branch - 15 kV AC, 16.7 Hz
> Ethan Allen line - 15 kV AC, 16.7 Hz
> Northern Berkshires limited - 15 kV AC, 16.7 Hz
> Wildcat Branch - 15 kV AC, 16.7 Hz
> 
> *Commuter or Regional Rail*
> 
> Greenfield/Fitchberg line - 15 kV AC, 16.7 Hz
> Newburyport / Portsmouth line - 15 kV AC, 16.7 Hz
> Rockport line - 15 kV AC, 16.7 Hz
> Concord/Lowell line - 15 kV AC, 16.7 Hz
> Lowell Connector - 15 kV AC, 16.7 Hz
> Malden line - 15 kV AC, 16.7 Hz
> Cross Hampshire Line - 15 kV AC, 16.7 Hz
> I-93 Rail Corridor - 15 kV AC, 16.7 Hz
> Portsmouth Connector - 15 kV AC, 16.7 Hz
> Rochester Branch- 15 kV AC, 16.7 Hz
> Portland Metro - 3 kV DC


Is that a wish list for projects of new electrifications?

As far I know you have strange currents like 12 kV 25 Hz, as much as 3 different traction currents on the North Eastern Corridor alone.

By the way, I suppose this 50 Hz should be read 60, like the main industrial network in North America.


----------



## Nexis

Coccodrillo said:


> Is that a wish list for projects of new electrifications?
> 
> As far I know you have strange currents like 12 kV 25 Hz, as much as 3 different traction currents on the North Eastern Corridor alone.
> 
> By the way, I suppose this 50 Hz should be read 60, like the main industrial network in North America.


Its a wishlist for Electrification part not the Rail Project in general... Alot of people are pushing Electrification in New England as a way of being greener and quieter....so all New lines must come up with Electrification plans , and leave space for poles. As for the 15 kV AC, 16.7 Hz , I was told that it was cheaper to build lines with that voltage however it looks like most New lines will use 25 kV AC, 50 Hz. By the End of the decade from Philly to New Haven the Voltage should be increased to 25 kV AC, 50 Hz , the South Coast Network will use 25 kV AC, 50 Hz , along with Knowledge Corridor , Danbury Branch , Bristol Branch , and a few other projects. The Portland Metro will use DMU's , along with the Central Corridor , Eastern link and Waterbury branch.


----------



## Ocean Railroader

The Amtrak Mainline from New York City to Washington DC uses 25Hz Pennsylvania Railroad Single phase power. It gets this power from several hydro dams along the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania. I really wish they would extend the 25Hz electric power system south to Richmond Virginia and Norfolk Virginia so we can have trains running at 160 miles on hour. 

There is also news that the Governor of Virginia wants to extend the Lynchburg Amtrak Service down to Roanoke Virginia in the next two to three years.


----------



## hammersklavier

^^ Said Pennsylvania system is technically obsolete, and in fact one of the greatest physical limitations on the NEC between New Haven (the New Haven's electrification was a PRR clone) and D.C.

The PRR electrification was 11kw 25Hz variable-tension; more modern electrification (like the Northend) is 50 or 60 Hz constant-tension. The difference is that in the variable-tension system, the catenary itself flexes as trains pass under it, and this flexing carries as waves for far further than in constant-tension systems, where the _constant _constant tension limits this catenary motion. Also remember, the faster a train goes, the more stresses it places on a catenary, and thus these stresses are carried further and more severely. Constant tension's constant tension inhibits the propagation of these stresses, which then allows greater propagation of high-stress uses. There's probably a physics formula explaining all this.

When the PRR built its mainline electrification, they judged that the stresses its equipment put on the wire were not great enough to be destructive, systemwide. Even the best equipment of the era maxed out at 110 mph, and the alignments improved to that standard inasmuch as possible. As such, the level of stress a GG1 or two put on the wire was an _order of magnitude_ less than what, for example, the TGV Réseau puts on its wire. But now we want to run TGV Réseau-type equipment under wire built for GG1-type equipment...which requires an electrical upgrade.

BTW, the Amtrak Northend electrification--between Boston and New Haven--is 25kV 60Hz constant-tension, a global standard.


----------



## Nexis

*Metro North News​*



> *MTA considers more frequent stops​*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The Metropolitan Transportation Authority held a hearing last week in Riverdale to gauge public interest in doubling the number of stops trains make at the Spuyten Duyvil and Riverdale stations during off-peak and weekend hours.
> 
> Metro-North Railroad has proposed implementing half-hourly stops during those times at both stations, and, as a result, will add more Hudson Rail Link feeder buses — which shuttle commuters from the stations to local stops throughout the neighborhood — accordingly. Currently, trains and buses come once an hour during those times.
> 
> Marjorie Anders, spokeswoman for the MTA, said the change stems from am increase in commuters the agency is seeing at both stations. With the addition of the Hudson Rail Link buses, she said, “those stations have really come to life.”
> 
> While most of the two dozen or so people who attended the Jan. 23 hearing, held at the Riverdale YM-YWHA, welcomed the increase in service, there were some concerns raised, according to Dan Padernacht, chairman of Community Board 8’s Traffic and Transportation Committee. Residents living close to the stations noted that noise is already a nuisance and some worried that vibrations caused by the additional stops could affect the foundations of nearby buildings.


http://riverdalepress.com/stories/MTA-considers-more-frequent-stops,51764



> *New Haven Line sets record for high ridership​*
> Despite the effects of Superstorm Sandy, Metro-North Railroad's New Haven Line provided a record 38.8 million customer trips in 2012, driven by ridership growth in non-commuter and intermediate trips and those to and from stations from Stamford to New Haven.
> Ridership on the line grew about 1.5 percent from last year's record-breaking 38.2 million rides in 2011, according to Metro-North.
> Overall, the railroad's three lines provided 83 million rides, its second best year ever, enough to defend its claim as the nation's busiest commuter railroad against the Long Island Railroad, which provided 81.7 million rides in 2012.
> Metro-North's highest ridership total was 83.6 million in 2008, and it provided 82 million rides in 2011, according to Bob MacLagger, Metro-North's vice president of planning.



Read more: http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/loc...-for-high-ridership-4236683.php#ixzz2JYhlCoIa


----------



## Nexis

*New Jersey Transit News​*


> *NJ Transit announces approval of train station​*
> Get excited, North Brunswick. That is what Jonathan Frieder, principal of North Brunswick TOD Associates, said of the news that came out last week.
> 
> “We’re excited that we are all moving forward,” he said with a smile he could not contain as he sat in the offices on the former Johnson & Johnson site on Route 1 north, overlooking the massive plans for the MainStreetNB transit village project. “We have waited for this moment for seven years.”


http://ns.gmnews.com/news/2013-01-17/Front_Page/NJ_Transit_announces_approval_of_train_station.html



> *NJ Transit eyes 2 new train yards​*NJ Transit officials are considering building a train storage yard far from the storm-surge waters that swamped the agency’s upper Hoboken and Meadowlands Maintenance Center yards, where about a quarter of its fleet was flood damaged by superstorm Sandy.
> 
> Two Central Jersey locations being considered are off the busy Northeast Corridor Line — one in an existing Conrail freight yard between Linden and North Rahway and another in County Yard, an Amtrak yard between the New Brunswick and Jersey Avenue stations.


http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20130127/NJNEWS10/301270025/NJ-Transit-eyes-2-new-train-yards



> *New Jersey Transit Ridership Trends Illustrate the Need for More Transit Funding​*
> Click the Map for the Details
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Ridership gains were made across transit modes:
> 
> Rail
> 
> • Average monthly rail passenger trips were at 6.2 million, the highest in two years. Rail also saw its largest quarterly growth in two years (6.1 percent).
> • Saturday passenger trips saw the most substantial increase of 13.6 percent when compared to the same period last year.
> • Passenger trips to and from New York Penn Station grew by 7.8 percent.
> 
> Bus
> 
> • Bus ridership increased 4 percent during the first quarter of FY2013 compared with the same period the previous year.
> • Sunday passenger trips saw the most substantial increase of 16.3 percent when compared to the same period last year.
> 
> The ongoing challenge for NJ Transit is how to address increased transit demand within funding constraints. NJT’s operating expenses outpace operating revenues forcing the agency to transfer dollars from its capital budget to meet its operating needs. This is an unsustainable funding scheme that makes it difficult for NJ Transit to plan for the years of growth ahead. Legislators must find new funding solutions to help ensure NJ Transit can keep pace with the rising demand.


http://blog.tstc.org/2013/01/14/new-jersey-transit-ridership-trends-illustrate-the-need-for-more-transit-funding/


----------



## Nexis

*Long Island Railroad News​*


> *New Report: A Third Track on the Main Line Is Key to Long Island’s Economy​*
> by Joseph Cutrufo
> 
> 
> A January 2013 report by the Regional Plan Association and the Long Island Index, “How the Long Island Rail Road Could Shape the Next Economy,” is reviving the discussion about building a third track on the Long Island Rail Road’s Main Line. The third track has been a third rail for some Long Islanders, mainly those whose properties abut the Main Line corridor, but the report highlights how the infrastructure project would be a boon for Long Island’s regional economy.


http://blog.tstc.org/2013/01/18/a-third-track-on-the-main-line-is-key-to-long-islands-economy/


----------



## Nexis

*East Norwalk​*

010 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


011 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


012 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


014 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


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## Nexis

*Tarrytown​*

027 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


029 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


030 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


031 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


033 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


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## Nexis

*Newark Penn Station​*

102 by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


----------



## Nexis

> *Bill proposes to electrify Metro-North Danbury Branch​*
> By MATT KIERNAN Villager Staff Writer
> 
> WILTON — Two Fairfield County politicians are proposing legislation to convert the diesel system of Metro-North’s Danbury Branch rail line to run on electricity.
> State Rep. Gail Lavielle, R-143, and State Sen. Toni Boucher, R-26, tesified Monday at a legislative meeting in Hartford to convince legislators of the conversion’s necessity.
> For Fairfield County, the switch would bring faster commute times for residents, generate greater revenues for the state and allow economic growth in the county, according to Lavielle.


http://www.thehour.com/wilton_villager/news/bill-proposes-to-electrify-metro-north-danbury-branch/article_f8c3558e-6f20-11e2-b485-0019bb30f31a.html


----------



## Nexis

*Railway Fleet Orders for NJT/MNRR/LIRR*

*Ordered Fleet *
Metro North M8's -- 405 Cars , another 25 could be ordered
New Jersey Transit Muti-level 2's --- 100 cars

*Delievered so far *
New Jersey Transit Mutilevels 2s -- 45 cars 
Metro North M8's -- 186 cars < 10 cars per month 

*To be Ordered later this year *
Long Island Railroad M9/A's -- 236 Cars 
Metro North M9's -- 210 Cars

*Long Term outlook late 2013-2017*
Long Island Railroad M9's --- 252 cars 
New Jersey Transit EMU's --- 228 Cars
New Jersey Transit DMU's --- 53 Cars 
PATH -- 10-75 Cars

http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sb/ra0112/#/52


----------



## M-NL

hammersklavier said:


> Said Pennsylvania system is technically obsolete, and in fact one of the greatest physical limitations on the NEC between New Haven (the New Haven's electrification was a PRR clone) and D.C.
> 
> The PRR electrification was 11kw 25Hz variable-tension; more modern electrification (like the Northend) is 50 or 60 Hz constant-tension.


So variable tension is the problem, not the voltage/frequency? What would the problem be with only changing to constant tension and leaving the voltage/frequency as is? 

Increasing voltage would also require increased safety distances, that might not be available at for instance bridges and tunnels. That's one of the reasons Germany will stick to 15 kV 16,7 Hz and the Netherlands also will not switch to 25 kV anytime soon.


----------



## Nexis

> *Passenger rail service for Western Massachusetts and Connecticut on track for development​*
> Want to leave behind high fuel prices, parking problems, drivers who text, roads like skating rinks?
> 
> Rail travel - already an option for Pioneer Valley people - is going to loom larger in the future for mass transportation across the region, says Timothy W. Brennan, a rail booster and executive director of the Springfield-based Pioneer Valley Planning Commission.


http://www.masslive.com/business-news/index.ssf/2013/02/passenger_rail_service_for_western_massa.html


----------



## Nexis

> *Enfield Asks State To Build Rail Station In Thompsonville*​
> HARTFORD ——
> Enfield officials asked state lawmakers Wednesday to build a high-speed rail station in the Thompsonville section of their town.
> 
> The local officials who testified at the legislature's transportation committee public hearing say they want Enfield to be a stop on the proposed high-speed railway between New Haven and Springfield. Putting a station in Thompsonville would improve the community's economy, said town Councilman William Edgar Jr.
> 
> "Enfield is the hub of north central Connecticut," Edgar said, explaining that many town residents work in either Hartford or Springfield.
> 
> Asnuntuck Community College is also in town, and Thompsonville is located near major roadways like I-91 and Route 5, he said. A rail stop would bring people from surrounding communities to Enfield, he added.


http://www.courant.com/community/enfield/hc-enfield-thompsonville-rail-20130213,0,5503941.story


----------



## Nexis

> *Expansion of passenger trains in Maine takes slow track*​
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *NORTH TO AUBURN AND MONTREAL?*
> 
> Extending service in another direction -- from the Portland terminal near outer Congress Street to Lewiston-Auburn -- also can't go forward without the construction of the Y track in Portland and the sidings in Yarmouth, where the junctions to both lines to Lewiston-Auburn are located. The Portland terminal would also need to be expanded to allow more than one train to be in the station at a time.
> 
> Auburn has long been the next goal for the Downeaster, in part because the tracks have already been upgraded as far as Yarmouth, just 20 miles short of the proposed Auburn Intermodal Passenger Center, where shuttle buses to downtown Lewiston would depart. Another attraction is that it would get Amtrak that much closer to Montreal on the legendary Grand Trunk, the railway that made Portland into the winter port of Victorian-era Canada and helped introduce the Quebecois to the sands of Old Orchard Beach.


http://www.pressherald.com/news/expansion-of-passenger-trains-in-maine-takes-slow-track_2013-02-04.html


----------



## Nexis

> *Hearing set on East Side rail station*​
> STAMFORD -- Corporations, developers in the South End, along with East Side businesses and residents, all want to clear hurdles and make a long-sought East Main Street train station a reality, said James Grunberger, chairman of the nonprofit East Side Partnership.
> New commuters at NBC Sports at Chelsea Piers, as well as long-standing residents and business owners, want to access Metro-North Railroad's New Haven Line without going to Stamford's downtown station, he said.
> "What we need is train relief in the city, and it is clear the main station is overwhelmed," Grunberger said. "We want a train station and not a bus station or depot."
> Residents will get the chance next week to hear about possible options for the East Main Street rail station, expanded bus service, and other information from a study on improving transit links to the East Side.



Read more: http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/new...t-Side-rail-station-4257715.php#ixzz2KseZe27G


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## Nexis

> *Rail study committee envisions stations in Bristol, New Britain more​*
> By DIANE CHURCH
> STAFF WRITER
> BRISTOL — One day local residents might be able to hop aboard a train at a local station that will take them to Waterbury or New Britain, where they could catch other trains to Hartford, Boston, New York City and beyond.
> 
> The Central Connecticut Rail Study Advisory Committee held a meeting Thursday to discuss its findings so far. The committee is funded by a $1 million grant that Gov. Dannel Malloy pledged to rail proponents when he committed state funds for CTfastrak, the busway linking New Britain and Hartford that is expected to ease rush-hour congestion on Interstate 84. The grant will be used for further studies and meetings until the end of 2014.


http://www.newbritainherald.com/articles/2013/02/07/news/doc51146a3a0a530266011392.txt


----------



## Nexis

> *NJ Transit trains record best on-time performance in 2012​*
> NEWARK — Thirty years and 96 percent.
> 
> On the 30th anniversary of the creation of NJ Transit rail operations, agency officials said its trains set a record last year of a 96.4 percent on-time performance, breaking the previous record of 96.2 percent set in 1995. Officials said this happened even though the agency is operating nearly 23 percent more trains than in 1995.
> 
> NJ Transit ran 210,122 trains in 2012, while in 1995 it operated 171,409 trains, said John Durso Jr., NJ Transit spokesman.


http://www.app.com/article/20130131/NJNEWS/301310112/NJ-Transit-trains-record-best-time-performance


----------



## Nexis

*[HD] MNRR 6522: Stratford to New Haven on M2 8704 *


----------



## Nexis

Future East Side Access Station....


----------



## Woonsocket54

Nexis said:


> *[HD] MNRR 6522: Stratford to New Haven on M2 8704 *


The new West Haven station (scheduled to open 1 Jun 2013) can be seen 11:17-11:29.


----------



## hammersklavier

M-NL said:


> So variable tension is the problem, not the voltage/frequency? What would the problem be with only changing to constant tension and leaving the voltage/frequency as is?
> 
> Increasing voltage would also require increased safety distances, that might not be available at for instance bridges and tunnels. That's one of the reasons Germany will stick to 15 kV 16,7 Hz and the Netherlands also will not switch to 25 kV anytime soon.


Right. Variable-tension catenary creates a speed limit (go faster and you break the wire), while the other elements of the electrical system have supplier issues. Is there anywhere else in the world that uses the old PRR system? And since the Northend Electrification--the section east of New Haven--is at 25kV 60Hz, the equipment to run it is already carried on-board.

Clearance concerns are also important, but should be secondary. I wouldn't be surprised, for example, if the network is converted into a two-phase system: 25kv 60Hz for free running, and something else (like the Hell Gate Line's 12kV 60Hz) for areas with clearance issues.


----------



## M-NL

hammersklavier said:


> while the other elements of the electrical system have supplier issues. Is there anywhere else in the world that uses the old PRR system?
> 
> Clearance concerns are also important, but should be secondary. I wouldn't be surprised, for example, if the network is converted into a two-phase system: 25kv 60Hz for free running, and something else (like the Hell Gate Line's 12kV 60Hz) for areas with clearance issues.


As far as I know the only place 25 Hz-systems are still used is on former PRR lines.

Any system change is a nuisance. The last thing you want is a system change every so many miles. Given that you state that the current 25Hz feeding equipment also has issues, switching to 12 kV 60 Hz will solve the clearance problem (they do not change) and would be much cheaper then switching to 25 kV. In the end it all comes down to price versus performance.


----------



## FM 2258

Nexis said:


> *[HD] MNRR 6522: Stratford to New Haven on M2 8704 *


Really cool video. Any idea how fast this train goes at top speed? 

It's clear in this video that upgrading this line/right of way to handle 186 or 217 mph trains would be a very hard task...don't really want to use the word "impossible." I've never seen this perspective before so I used to think it was something that could be pushed forward hard if the government got their acts together and threw money at this line.

Another question, why do the power lines rise so high when crossing rivers, can be seen around :40 in the video.


----------



## Sunfuns

FM 2258 said:


> *It's clear in this video that upgrading this line/right of way to handle 186 or 217 mph trains would be a very hard task.*..don't really want to use the word "impossible." I've never seen this perspective before so I used to think it was something that could be pushed forward hard if the government got their acts together and threw money at this line.


Upgrading an old line to more than ca 125 mph (in some rare case 156 mph) is virtually impossible. I don't think it has ever been done anywhere. If you want that fast then a brand new line is needed.


----------



## Nexis

FM 2258 said:


> Really cool video. Any idea how fast this train goes at top speed?
> 
> It's clear in this video that upgrading this line/right of way to handle 186 or 217 mph trains would be a very hard task...don't really want to use the word "impossible." I've never seen this perspective before so I used to think it was something that could be pushed forward hard if the government got their acts together and threw money at this line.
> 
> Another question, why do the power lines rise so high when crossing rivers, can be seen around :40 in the video.


That line won't be upgraded past 130mph hence why Amtrak is proposing building a new line inland and up to 220mph.... The line will have some of its curves straightened , a few bridges replaced and new High tension Catenary installed.....but nothing else. Once the Main line is done , there is a push to upgrade and expand the Branch lines....electrifying them aswell..... The Trains can hit up to 100mph on overhead or 3rd rail.


----------



## Nexis

Woonsocket54 said:


> The new West Haven station (scheduled to open 1 Jun 2013) can be seen 11:17-11:29.


Where did you hear June 1?


----------



## Nexis

> *Metro-North plans for Penn Station access​*
> 
> 
> The plan, currently labeled West Side Access, would involve routings some Metro-North New Haven Line trains over Amtrak's Hell Gate Bridge and to Penn Station, on Manhattan's West Side. A second phase would allow Metro-North's Hudson Line to also access Penn Station, via crossing the Spuyten Duyvil Bridge and traversing Amtrak's right-of-way along Manhattan's West Side.
> 
> At present, Grand Central Terminal serves as the terminus for all Metro-North operations east of the Hudson River.
> 
> The plan would in some ways be counterbalance to MTA's current $8 billion East Side Access construction project, which will give Metro-North's sibling Long Island Rail Road direct access to Grand Central as well as Penn Station. Proponents of West Side Access, however, note the Metro-North plan, utilizing existing rights-of-way, would be far less expensive than East Side Access, in the "hundreds of millions of dollars," according to MTA spokesman Aaron Donovan, as opposed to billions.


http://www.railwayage.com/index.php/passenger/commuter-regional/metro-north-capital-plan-eyes-penn-station-access.html?channel=55&utm_source=WhatCounts+Publicaster+Edition&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=FreightCar+America+reports+4Q+results%3B+Metro-North+eyes+Penn+Station+access&utm_content=Full+Article


----------



## XAN_

Nexis said:


> That line won't be upgraded past 130mph hence why Amtrak is proposing building a new line inland and up to 220mph.... The line will have some of its curves straightened , a few bridges replaced and new High tension Catenary installed.....but nothing else. Once the Main line is done , there is a push to upgrade and expand the Branch lines....electrifying them aswell.....


But isn't nearly all branches are owned by freight RRs?


----------



## Nexis

Closer look at the Hell Gate/New Haven/Shore line with my notes added on....

*Shore Line* 
New York Penn Station
_Sunnyside JCT
Astoria - *1
(Hell Gate Bridge) - *A
Hunts Point 
Parkchester
Morris Park
Co-Op City
(Pelham Bay Bridge) - *B 
City Island-Orchard Beach - *2
South Rochelle - *3_
(Rochelle JCT) - B1
New Rochelle 
Larchmont
Mamaroneck
Harrison
Rye
Port Chester
Greenwich
Cos-Cob
(Cos Cob Bridge) - *C
Riverside
Old Greenwich
Stamford
_East Stamford - *4_
(Glenbrook JCT) - *C1
Norton Heights
Darien
Rowayton
South Norwalk
(Norwalk JCT) - *C2
(Norwalk River Bridge) - *D
East Norwalk
Wesport
(Saugatuck River Bridge) - *E
Green Farms
Southport
Fairfield 
Fairfield Metro Center
Bridgeport
_East Bridgeport_
Stratford
(Devon Bridge) - *F
(Devon JCT) - *F1
_Devon JCT - *5_
Milford
_Orange
West Haven_
New Haven Union Station
New Haven State street
_Fair Haven - *6
East Haven - *6 _
Branford
Guilford
Madison
Clinton
Westbrook
Old Saybrook
(Connecticut River Bridge) - *G
_Old Lyme - *7
Niantic - *7_
New London 

*Notes ....*

*1 - This station has been proposed by numerous community groups in Astoria , there are a few problems with the proposed station , one its 3 stories above the street which means it would require an expensive cost , two its cost vs usage might be lower then expected due to the nearby bus routes that duplicate the service 

*2 - Orchard Beach-City Island Station would be a great boon to the area , with direct access to Pelham Bay Park , Orchard Beach , and City Island the station would allow for tourists to explore the hidden gems of NYC. The Bridge that crosses the tracks is wide enough for a bus bay , and taxi stand. The Station is closer to both Orchard Beach and City Island by a 5 minute ride or 15 min walk....and is right in the Heart of Pelham Bay Park as opposed to the Co-OP City station which is on the edge of the Park and is a mess to access unless you live in Co-Op City

*3 - South Rochelle is an Under invested Neighborhood of the City of New Rochelle once the Rochelle JCT is grade Separated there should be a study looking into the possibility of a Station.

*4 - East Stamford is nothing more then a boondoogle that will slow down the travel on the line , there are 2 nearby stations that are about a mile away , Glenbrook and Stamford Main. I understand this area is booming with growth but the canceled Stamford Streetcar Network would have been a better solution and not this band-aid which will also mess with New Canaan trains merging with the line.

*5 - This station should be looked into after the Devon Bridge Replaced to service the Western side of the town Milford and at as a Transfer station between the Waterbury Branch and Northern line which I will post later...

*6 - These 2 stations have been pushed by community groups and would be easy to construct and be a boon to an often neglected or rarely invested Fair Haven and East Haven. 

*7 - These 2 stations just like the 2 above are being pushed by community activists and residents alike and would be a huge boon to the tourism industry of both towns. Both stations would likely be community stations with no or little parking....

*Bridges *

*A - The Hell Gate Bridge needs its tracks replaced along Catenary and a paint job , this is underway as we speak and should be completed by 2015

*B - The Pelham Bay Bridge will replaced later this decade with a high clearence bridge for the remaining boat traffic that uses the channel these days

*B1 - Long Term plans call for the Grade Seperation of Rochelle JCT to allow for faster Amtrak trains most of which bypass the New Rochelle Station and have to cross 4 tracks to make onto the Hell Gate line.

*C - The Cos Cob Bridge will be replaced , Not sure on the design yet...

*C1 - Glenbrook JCT , Upgrade to the switches and signals to allow for more New Canaan Branch trains without mucking up the New Haven line trains.

*C2 - Norwalk JCT will be upgraded to allow more Danbury trains without conflicting with the Main line , plans call for a 5th track to run from the Danbury Branch into the South Norwalk station and upgrades to the switches and signals.

*D - The Norwalk River Bridge will be Rehabilitated , its in great shape , just needs a tune up and repainting...

*E - Saugatuck River Bridge , will be Rehabilitation , similar to the Norwalk River Bridge

*F - The Devon Bridge will be replaced , not sure with what...could be an open bridge or fixed

*F1 - Switches at Devon JCT need to be replaced to reduce conflict between the Waterbury Branch and Main line

*G - The Connecticut River Bridge will be replaced , although the exact design is unknown...


----------



## Nexis

XAN_ said:


> But isn't nearly all branches are owned by freight RRs?


Metro North owns all the branches and severely neglects them , however calls are getting stronger to upgrade both and Re-Electrify the Danbury Branch. Upgrading both lines would result in huge economic booms for the towns and cities with stations as developers are afraid to invest with the current service levels along both lines which is rush hr only. Combined I would say there's about 3 billion in investments for both lines , restorations of old factories into Mix use , New Dense developments in Danbury , Waterbury and Norwalk , infill in many of the smaller towns.... Theres an addition 3-6 proposed infill stations for both lines.


----------



## Woonsocket54

Nexis said:


> Where did you hear June 1?


http://www.mta.info/mta/news/hearings/


----------



## Woonsocket54

Nexis said:


> *3 - South Rochelle is an Under invested Neighborhood of the City of New Rochelle once the Rochelle JCT is grade Separated there should be a study looking into the possibility of a Station.


I've never heard of any neighborhood named South Rochelle. How is the grade separation an impediment?


----------



## Nikonov_Ivan

Some more photos from the East Side Access:


----------



## Nexis

*Kearny Junction​*


----------



## Nexis

*Stamford Transportation Center​*


----------



## dimlys1994

New Fort Lauderdale station for All Aboard Florida rail line, taken from project's Facebook page:


----------



## Nexis

*LIRR Atlantic Branch​*


----------



## phoenixboi08

Have they been doing work on the NEC lines? I just moved to NJ, and it seems like a lot of the rails have recently (in the last year or so) been upgraded to concrete - rather than wooden - ties. Was this just repair work [Sandy]?


----------



## BoulderGrad

Denver's Union station re-opened today after a years long renovation project:

http://denverinfill.com/blog/2014/07/denver-union-station-update-128-the-historic-station-opens.html


----------



## Nexis

*New Haven Line at Milford Station​*


----------



## Nexis

*Morristown Line at Mountain Station​*

Morristown Line at Mountain Station in South Orange,New Jersey by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


Inbound Hoboken Bound Arrow 3 train departing Mountain Station in South Orange,New Jersey by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


Inbound Hoboken Bound Arrow 3 train departing Mountain Station in South Orange,New Jersey by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


Morristown Line at Mountain Station in South Orange,New Jersey by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


Outbound Gladstone Arrow 3 Train Morristown Line at Mountain Station in South Orange,New Jersey by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


Morristown Line at Mountain Station in South Orange,New Jersey by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


Outbound Morristown Line Express at Mountain Station in South Orange,New Jersey by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


----------



## Nexis

*Morristown Line at Summit Station​*

Dover Bound Morristown Line Train at Summit Station by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


Morristown Line Summit Station West Signals by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


Morristown Line at Summit Station by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


Morristown Line Summit Station East Signals by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


Morristown Line at Summit Station by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


Morristown Line Summit Station West Signals by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


Outbound Gladstone Bound Gladstone Line Train at Summit Station by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


Inbound New York Penn Bound Morristown Line Train at Summit Station by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


----------



## dimlys1994

From MTA's Flickr page, construction over LIRR's Hudson Yards behind Penn Station is underway, along with tunnel box for planned Amtrak's Gateway Project tunnel:


Construction at Hudson Yards by MTAPhotos, on Flickr


----------



## Nexis

*Montclair - Boonton Line at Upper Montclair Station​*

Montclair - Boonton Line in Upper Montclair,New Jersey by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


Montclair - Boonton Line in Upper Montclair Station by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


Montclair - Boonton Line in Upper Montclair,New Jersey by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


Montclair - Boonton Line in Upper Montclair Station by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


Inbound Montclair - Boonton Line train entering Upper Montclair Station by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


----------



## Nexis

*Hudson Line at Yonkers Station​*

This Station is Yonkers , This is the train to Croton Harmon , the Next Station is Hastings on Hudson by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


Hudson Line at Yonkers Station by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


Express Train whipping through Yonkers by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


Poughkeepsie Bound Express train at Yonkers by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


Poughkeepsie Bound Express train at Yonkers by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


Poughkeepsie Bound Express train at Yonkers by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


This station is Yonkers , This is the Train to Croton Harmon , the Next Station is Glenwood by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


----------



## 00Zy99

dimlys1994 said:


> From MTA's Flickr page, construction over LIRR's Hudson Yards behind Penn Station is underway, along with tunnel box for planned Amtrak's Gateway Project tunnel:
> 
> 
> Construction at Hudson Yards by MTAPhotos, on Flickr


Is the tunnel box that long concrete trench thingy right near the yard tracks?

Because it doesn't look like it's going to go deep enough soon enough to get under the river.


----------



## dimlys1994

00Zy99 said:


> Is the tunnel box that long concrete trench thingy right near the yard tracks?
> 
> Because it doesn't look like it's going to go deep enough soon enough to get under the river.


Yes, it is. And they reserved it for the future, just like lower level of 63rd Street tunnel under East River


----------



## 00Zy99

Wait, then that ISN'T the track deck that we're seeing here?

Would the actual tracks be below what is being built?


----------



## Nexis

Courtesy of Ryan Dravitz

*Denver Union Station​*

IMG_0599 by RyanDravitz, on Flickr


IMG_0609 by RyanDravitz, on Flickr


IMG_7160 by RyanDravitz, on Flickr


Under the Canopy by RyanDravitz, on Flickr


IMG_7486 by RyanDravitz, on Flickr


IMG_7475 by RyanDravitz, on Flickr


IMG_7314 by RyanDravitz, on Flickr


IMG_7317 by RyanDravitz, on Flickr


IMG_7318 by RyanDravitz, on Flickr

*Underground Bus Terminal​*

IMG_6092 by RyanDravitz, on Flickr


IMG_6095 by RyanDravitz, on Flickr


IMG_6102 by RyanDravitz, on Flickr


----------



## dimlys1994

From Global Rail News:



> http://www.globalrailnews.com/2014/08/14/siemens-announces-us-rail-expansion-to-meet-ptc-demand/
> 
> *Siemens announces US rail expansion to meet PTC demand*
> 14 AUG, 2014
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Siemens Rail Automation has said it is having to expand its operation in the USA in order to deliver a major upgrade to train control systems on New York’s Metro-North Railroad and Long Island Rail Road (LIRR).
> 
> Two existing Siemens’ sites in Pittsburgh will be combined and moved to a new location in Munhall, Pennsylvania. Siemens also plans to create an additional 129 engineering and manufacturing positions.
> 
> In November 2013, New York transit authority MTA awarded Bombardier and Siemens a $428 million contact to bring Positive Train Control (PTC) to the LIRR and Metro-North Railroad. The package of works involves upgrading signalling systems along 1,100 kilometres of track and 1,500 trains across the two lines.
> 
> - etc


----------



## Nexis

*New Canaan Station​*

New Canaan Station by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


New Canaan Station by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


New Canaan Station by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


New Canaan Station by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


New Canaan Station by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


New Canaan Station by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


New Canaan Station by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


New Canaan Station by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


----------



## Nexis

*Silverliner V Railfan Window Philly-Newark, DE Amtrak NEC/SEPTA Wilmington Line​*


----------



## nostalgy

Nexis said:


> Courtesy of Ryan Dravitz
> 
> *Denver Union Station​*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> IMG_7475 by RyanDravitz, on Flickr


They built very beautiful station ^^ :cheers:


----------



## CNB30

funny to think the Acela runs there now.


----------



## Nexis




----------



## Nexis

CNB30 said:


> funny to think the Acela runs there now.


Acela runs off the NEC. Erie Lackawanna network is now the Morris & Essex network of New Jersey Transit.


----------



## dimlys1994

From Rail Journal:



> http://www.railjournal.com/index.php/north-america/another-record-year-for-amtrak.html?channel=535
> 
> *Another record year for Amtrak*
> Tuesday, October 28, 2014
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _AMTRAK announced its annual results on October 27 for its 2014 financial year, which ended on September 30, revealing revenues from ticket sales have once again reached a record high, climbing 4% compared with 2013 to reach to $US 2.19bn_
> 
> Overall ridership increased by 0.2%, driven mainly by a 3.3% increase in passenger numbers on the Washington DC – New York – Boston Northeast Corridor, which reached 11.6 million. Acela Express ridership exceeded 14,000 on 28 days during the 2014 financial year, compared with just five days in 2013. Eight other services also saw record passenger numbers
> 
> ...


----------



## Tower Dude

http://www.progressiverailroading.c...-proposed-DCRichmond-highspeed-project--42535



> *Virginia DOT, FRA host meetings on proposed D.C.-Richmond high-speed project*
> The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation and the Federal Railroad Administration are hosting public information meetings this month to introduce a preliminary engineering and environmental review project related to a proposed high-speed rail service between Washington, D.C., and Richmond, Va.
> 
> The review project includes a Tier II Environmental Impact Statement for the 123-mile rail corridor that runs through all cities and counties along the Interstate 95 corridor between Arlington County and Chesterfield County, Va.


Maybe all hopes for High speed out side the northeast and California aren't dead yet.


----------



## CNB30

Tower Dude said:


> http://www.progressiverailroading.c...-proposed-DCRichmond-highspeed-project--42535
> 
> 
> Maybe all hopes for High speed out side the northeast and California aren't dead yet.


----------



## Nexis

Grand Central Terminal


Grand Central Terminal in Midtown Manhattan by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


Grand Central Terminal in Midtown Manhattan by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


Grand Central Terminal in Midtown Manhattan by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


Grand Central Terminal in Midtown Manhattan by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


Grand Central Terminal in Midtown Manhattan by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


----------



## Nexis

Metro North Harlem Line at Fleetwood Station


North White Plains Bound Harlem line Local departing Fleetwood Station by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


North White Plains Bound Harlem line Local departing Fleetwood Station by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


Metro North Harlem Line at Fleetwood Station by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


Metro North Harlem Line at Fleetwood Station by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


Metro North Harlem Line at Fleetwood Station by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


----------



## nouveau.ukiyo

I appreciate all the pictures, but shouldn't they be in a separate thread? When I want to check this thread for news I have to load dozens of huge photos and scroll through them looking for news...


----------



## Nexis

nouveau.ukiyo said:


> I appreciate all the pictures, but shouldn't they be in a separate thread? When I want to check this thread for news I have to load dozens of huge photos and scroll through them looking for news...


Its Pictures and News....but News isn't common these days about US rail...so you get pictures. Not any different then the hundreds of other threads..


----------



## Fan Railer

He does have a valid point though; loading through dozens of pictures can be tedious.

Although, I would have to say that if people want to look purely for news, just go to the direct sources (railwayage, railwaygazette, irj, etc.)


----------



## Fan Railer

*Amtrak & NJT Thanksgiving Day 2014 Railfanning at SEC Junction and Metropark*

Secaucus Junction:






Metropark (watch this one on YouTube for the timestamps in the description):






Riding Northeast Regional 156 Business Class from Metropark to Penn Station New York:





Photo album:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...073741851.100001258801227&type=1&l=c74db574a4


----------



## dimlys1994

From Railway Gazette:



> http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/...ately-funded-us-commuter-service-planned.html
> 
> *Privately-funded US commuter service planned*
> 03 Dec 2014
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _Boston Surface Commuter Railroad Co demonstration train_
> 
> USA: Plans for the USA’s ‘first privately-funded passenger rail service in almost 100 years’ have been announced by Boston Surface Commuter Railroad Co.
> 
> This would operate over the Providence & Worcester Railroad between the eponymous cities in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, offering a reliable alternative to unpredictable road journey times. A launch in 18 months to two years is envisaged.
> 
> BSRC founder and General Manager Vincent Bono told Railway Gazette International that the plan arose from a consultancy project which examined why passengers use rail. This identified that a ‘measurable percentage’ of people will take the train for journeys of around 70 km taking 50 min or over, but also found that a solid commuter base of regular passengers is needed to ensure financial viability. The Worcester – Providence route was subsequently identified as a suitable candidate
> 
> ...


----------



## Nexis

*East Side Access Update: November 2014​*

East Side Access Update: November 2014 by MTAPhotos, on Flickr


East Side Access Update: November 2014 by MTAPhotos, on Flickr


East Side Access Update: November 2014 by MTAPhotos, on Flickr


East Side Access Update: November 2014 by MTAPhotos, on Flickr


East Side Access Update: November 2014 by MTAPhotos, on Flickr


East Side Access Update: November 2014 by MTAPhotos, on Flickr


East Side Access Update: November 2014 by MTAPhotos, on Flickr


East Side Access Update: November 2014 by MTAPhotos, on Flickr


East Side Access Update: November 2014 by MTAPhotos, on Flickr


East Side Access Update: November 2014 by MTAPhotos, on Flickr


East Side Access Update: November 2014 by MTAPhotos, on Flickr


East Side Access Update: November 2014 by MTAPhotos, on Flickr


East Side Access Update: November 2014 by MTAPhotos, on Flickr


----------



## Nexis

*Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center​*

AnaheimARTIC0103 by Nardella Photo Album, on Flickr


AnaheimARTIC0184 by Nardella Photo Album, on Flickr

Anaheim-9456.jpg
by www.CostaMesaPhotography.com, on Flickr

AnaheimARTIC0160 
by Nardella Photo Album, on Flickr


----------



## Nexis

Long Island Railroad - Atlantic Branch Portal


LIRR Atlantic Branch by Alan Cordova, on Flickr


----------



## Nexis




----------



## Nexis

> $55 million redesign, two-story building planned for Elizabeth NJ Transit station
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Preliminary designs were unveiled Monday for a $55 million renovation of the Elizabeth NJ Transit station. From left are Mayor Chris Bollwage, City Council President Patricia Perkins Auguste, Assemblywoman Annette Quijano, U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez and U.S. Sen Cory Booker. (Katie Lannan | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)
> 
> ELIZABETH — A total of $55 million in state and federal money will fund the construction of a new two-story building and train platforms at the city's midtown NJ Transit Station, a project officials hailed today as an economic driver.
> 
> "This project is not just about the rail, it's not just about the station," U.S. Sen. Cory Booker said during an event outside the station. "This will be an economic accelerator for the city of Elizabeth. It'll increase housing values, it'll spur business growth, it'll create jobs and expand opportunity. This is a tremendous day for the city of Elizabeth and for the region."
> 
> Booker, Sen. Robert Menendez and Rep. Albio Sires joined state, city and NJ Transit officials and Union County freeholders to unveil the designs for the new station.
> 
> "This area is going through a renaissance, and this is just going to help it," Sires said. "It's going to create jobs, people are going to move into the area because of easy access to moving back and forth, and you need a train station that's adequate."
> 
> Preliminary designs of the West Grand Street station, expected to be completed in 2018, include a two-story station building with a street-level ticket office, waiting room and vendor space.
> 
> New, longer platforms will be constructed with covered, climate-controlled waiting areas. Elevators to the platform will be renovated, with additional elevators and stairways also planned.


http://www.nj.com/union/index.ssf/2015/01/nj_transit_announces_55_million_redesign_of_elizabeth_station.html#incart_river


----------



## Nexis

> *New Jersey DEP reviewing permit for work on Scranton-NYC passenger rail line​*By Joe Sylvester
> As legislators and other officials in Pennsylvania push for a Scranton to New York City passenger rail line, New Jersey environmental officials are reviewing an application for a permit to resume construction on a section of the line in that state.
> 
> The New Jersey Herald recently reported that Sussex County Freeholder Gail Phoebus said the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection were close to releasing the remaining permits needed to lay more track and build the new NJ Transit rail station on Roseville Road in Andover Township, along the so-called Lackawanna Cutoff.
> 
> But Larry Haina, a spokesman for the New Jersey DEP, said the review of NJ Transit’s application was in the early stages.


http://www.timesleader.com/news/local-news-news/50986810/


----------



## Nexis

> Metro-North's Danbury Line improvements getting back on track
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> New Milford's old train station on Railroad Street, now houses the New Milford Chamber of Commerce. Friday, January 9, 2015. Photo: Carol Kalif
> 
> Susan Tuz
> Published 6:18 pm, Saturday, January 10, 2015
> 
> After years on the back burner, plans to improve commuter rail service to Danbury, and perhaps extend it as far north as New Milford, might be picking up steam.
> 
> While some improvements, including signalization, have recently been made to Metro-North's Danbury Line, bigger enhancements, like electrifying the branch line, remain in limbo -- frustrating not just commuters but also local leaders who see improvements as the key to economic growth.
> 
> Many officials believe electrifying the Danbury Line is long overdue, and when it is finally done, it will decrease road congestion and make it easier to bring workers to employment centers.


http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Metro-North-s-Danbury-Line-improvements-getting-6006976.php#photo-7368399


----------



## Nexis

> *New Canaan Branch gets new rail cars for peak commuter departures*
> By Aaron Marsh on January 13, 2015
> The departures that will run the M-8 cars are the 7:32 and 7:58 a.m. trains leaving from New Canaan and the 5:13 and 5:29 p.m. trains leaving from Grand Central. The state Department of Transportation expects the new trains will boost ridership by 44% over the next 15 years, and Malloy said it’s one step in making Metro-North reliable and able the meet regional demands.
> 
> “Currently, we’re running about 2,500 people Monday-Friday,” Malloy said of the New Canaan Branch. “We see that growing.” The areas around the branch’s stations such as Glenbrook and Springdale also are growing, he noted, and the governor said juicing up the entire rail system and the neighborhoods it reaches is “all part of the effort to unwind the damage that’s been done by two generations of underinvestment in transportation.”


http://www.ncadvertiser.com/43006/new-canaan-branch-gets-new-rail-cars-for-peak-commuter-departures/


----------



## Nexis

*Stamford - Metro North​*


> *East Side rail proponents find transit study results lacking​*Martin B. Cassidy
> Published 2:34 pm, Monday, July 15, 2013
> Craig Lader, a senior planner at SRPA, said the agency understood East Side residents and business owners want a train station as soon as possible, but since this will take years, an interim plan makes sense.
> 
> "There are many reasons why a train station is not going to happen for a decade at best," Lader said.
> 
> "The community has made it clear they want something to take place as soon as possible, and we thought the bus would be the best way to introduce something on a near-term basis with all the political support that is needed."


http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/local/article/East-Side-rail-proponents-find-transit-study-4666357.php



> *East Main Street Transit Oriented Development*
> 
> Building Facts:
> - Potential for 15 Building Structures
> - Residential w/ possible retail
> - Developer: Parsons Brinckerhoff
> - Planner: South Western Regional Planning Agency, NY-CT Sustainable Communities
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> http://www.sustainablenyct.org/docs/Stamford%20-%20SCI%20East%20Main%20Street%20Feasibility%20Study-6.26.13_cl.pdf





> *Station Place Redevelopment (Manhattan Street, Station Place, Atlantic Street, Henry Street)*
> 
> Building Facts:
> - Proposed
> - Mix of Office, Commercial, Residential, Parking (Garage) space
> - Combined Total of +1,000,000 sq ft of development
> - Office/Hotel Complex: +600,000 sq ft,
> - Metro Tower: 17 story office building
> - Manhattan St Tower
> - 150 room hotel, 150 residential units
> - 11.5 story residential building (131 Units)
> - 2.5 story residential building (24 Units)
> - 60,000 sq ft street-level retail
> - Total of 2,300 spaces between parking garages
> - Developer: JHM Group of Companies, Malkin Properties, and Jonathan Rose Companies LLC
> - $500M development
> - Expected Groundbreaking: Mid 2014


http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/State-unveils-Stamford-rail-station-redevelopment-4659762.php#


----------



## Nexis

> *Wesmont Train Station breaks ground in Wood-Ridge​*March 12, 2014, 11:12 AM Last updated: Wednesday, March 12, 2014, 11:12 AM
> By Susan JOy Clark
> Officials broke ground March 11 on the new Wesmont Train Station, a state-of-the-art commuter rail station at the 70-acre mixed-use, transit-oriented redevelopment.
> 
> The new train station, located on the former site of the Curtiss-Wright aircraft facility, will connect with the Bergen County Line and is expected to generate approximately 800 daily trips. All of the buildings at the development will be within walking distance of the station, and will provide riders with a 25-minute commute into Manhattan.
> 
> The new station is a partnership of Somerset Development, the developer of property, and NJ Transit and is the first in New Jersey to break ground through a public-private partnership. Fall 2015 is the expected completion date of the station.


http://www.northjersey.com/news/wesmont-train-station-breaks-ground-in-wood-ridge-1.737031?page=all


----------



## Nexis

> *Elmhurst LIRR stop not a slam dunk​*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Photo By Christopher Barca
> 
> Passenger trains serving Elmhurst stopped along the tracks over Broadway until 1985, when the LIRR station there was razed. However, the MTA has proposed building a new, $40 million station in the bustling neighborhood by the end of the decade.
> 
> by Christopher Barca, Reporter
> 
> 
> Nearly 30 years after Long Island Rail Road passenger trains last stopped in Elmhurst, the MTA has laid out plans to construct a new stop in the bustling northwest Queens neighborhood.
> 
> However, area elected officials and civic associations who have pressed for a station for years shouldn’t consider the $40 million plan as set in stone just yet.


http://www.qchron.com/editions/central/elmhurst-lirr-stop-not-a-slam-dunk/article_6410b263-ecef-535f-bcf1-114c5b607b87.html


----------



## Nexis

> *State approves bond funds for work on new CT rail stations​*By Shelton Herald on January 13, 2015
> On the New Haven Line, new stations will be added in Bridgeport (to be called the Barnum Station, a second station in the Park City) and Orange, plus enhancements to the existing Merritt Seven Station on the Danbury Branch of the New Haven Line.
> 
> Barnum Station will be on the East Side of Bridgeport, between Bridgeport Hospital and East Main Street. The city’s existing train station is in downtown Bridgeport, and will remain operational as well.


http://sheltonherald.com/57428/state-approves-bond-funds-for-work-on-new-ct-rail-stations-including-second-one-in-bridgeport/


----------



## Nexis

> *State Can Build On Shore Line East Success​*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The new Shore Line East station at Westbrook opened for service in March, one of several recent upgrades along the line. (Fred Guenther / UGC)
> 
> Though much attention has been aimed at Connecticut's transportation deficiencies in the last couple of years, there are a few good stories. One is Shore Line East, the commuter rail service that runs between New Haven and New London.
> 
> As The Courant's Don Stacom recently reported, ridership on the line has been increasing steadily since 2010, from 585,218 riders that year to 657,832 in 2013. In the first three quarters of 2014, the numbers are up 1 percent over the same period in 2013.
> 
> A key step in expanding ridership was expanding service. Shore Line East, which began in 1990, used to focus on the New Haven to Old Saybrook section. But in 2013, the state significantly added service to New London, on weekdays and weekends. Passengers going to or from The Whaling City now account for 20 to 25 percent of overall weekend Shore Line East ridership. Three points:


http://www.courant.com/opinion/editorials/hc-ed-shore-line-east-20141120-story.html


----------



## Nexis

> *Shore Line East Trains Are Attracting More Riders​*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Commuters disembark at the Old Saybrook train station from the Shore Line East express train from Stamford in 2001. (BOB MACDONNELL / Hartford Courant)
> 
> NEW HAVEN — Ridership this year on Shore Line East appears on course to meet or exceed 2013's levels, and the state intends to continue recent service expansions through 2015.
> 
> With extra trains for the midsummer Sailfest in New London, Shore Line East posted a record-breaking July ridership of nearly 64,000 people, according to the state transportation department.
> Overall, the service drew 499,249 passengers in the first nine months of the year — up about 1 percent from the same period in 2013. Much of the new business was travel to or from New London, where ridership in the winter and early spring was about double the 2013 levels.
> 
> .


http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-shore-line-east-ridership-up-1117-20141117-story.html


----------



## Tower Dude

So anyone have any news or information on everyone's favorite project, The Gateway Project?


----------



## Nexis

It wouldn't surprise me if this project gets funding later this year either partially or fully...


----------



## Nexis




----------



## Nexis

> *Lansdale council approves plans for new Ninth Street SEPTA station​*By Dan Sokil
> [email protected]
> @dansokil on Twitter
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> An architectural rendering of the proposed Ninth Street SEPTA train station looking south toward the Lansdale station.
> 
> LANSDALE >> A new SEPTA rail station in Lansdale is one big step closer to becoming a reality.
> 
> Borough council granted final approval Dec. 17 to plans for a new platform station at Ninth Street near Shaw Avenue, which Borough Manager Timi Kirchner said has been on the town’s to-do list for years.
> 
> “SEPTA is building another station along the line, which is their most successful line, and continuing to grow. It’s a platform station, which makes the line go that much faster through [the new station], and is much more accessible,” said Kirchner.
> 
> SEPTA and borough officials have discussed the new station as a concept since roughly 2007 when a land development agreement for the adjacent industrial property set aside space for the station, and formal plans have been vetted for several months by Lansdale staff and its planning commission as the transit agency moves ahead with plans to build a parking garage behind the Lansdale train station.


http://www.montgomerynews.com/articles/2014/12/26/north_penn_life/news/doc549decd368283783647046.txt


----------



## Nexis

> *Providence-Worcester commuter rail gathers momentum​**By Aaron Nicodemus TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF*
> [email protected]
> 
> WORCESTER — A proposal to build a private passenger rail service from Worcester to Providence bucks more than 100 years of history.
> 
> At the moment, private commuter rail in the United States is extinct. The last one to run with any regularity — the Rio Grande Zephyr, which shuttled through the Rockies between Denver and Ogden, Utah — ceased operating as a private enterprise 31 years ago, when the route was folded into Amtrak's California Zephyr line.
> 
> A short-lived private venture called the Florida Fun Train operated between Fort Lauderdale and Tampa in the late 1990s, but it folded in less than a year, according to a recent story on private commuter rail in The Atlantic magazine.
> 
> And that's it.
> 
> Amtrak now runs most passenger rail service in the United States. While the Northeast Corridor between Boston and Washington, D.C. is profitable, Amtrak is supported by nearly $1 billion a year in public subsidies. Most major cities have their own public commuter rail, subway and bus services.
> 
> But Vincent Bono, general manager and largest shareholder of the Boston Surface Railroad Co., based in Arlington, Mass., is convinced there is enough demand to bring private commuter service to large cities in the Northeast. He said the Worcester-to-Providence connection is the most feasible of several city pairings that he has studied.


http://www.telegram.com/article/20141207/NEWS/312079972/1237


----------



## Nexis

> *Despite problems, Metro-North ridership rises​* Theresa Juva-Brown, [email protected] 9:09 a.m. EST January 21, 2015
> 
> Despite chronic problems with overcrowded cars, delayed trains and slow commutes in 2014, Metro-North Railroad is expected to set a new ridership record.
> 
> Leaders estimate the railroad provided 84.7 million trips last year — the highest number in its 31-year history. Metro-North's previous record was in 2008, when it posted 83.6 million rides.
> 
> But as the railroad becomes busier than ever, officials continue to struggle to make much-needed track repairs and deliver reliable service each day, Metro-North President Joseph Giulietti acknowledged Tuesday.
> 
> Metro-North has come under heavy fire since a series of disasters on its tracks in 2013, including a derailment in Connecticut and a December crash in the Bronx that killed four passengers and injured dozens. Investigators later determined the engineer in that case was speeding and dozed at the controls before the train flew off the track. Since then, leaders have been overhauling the railroad's programs and practices with a special focus on safety.


http://www.lohud.com/story/news/transit/2015/01/20/despite-problems-metro-north-ridership-rise/22068359/


----------



## Nexis

> *Construction underway on commuter rail line to Sussex County*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> By Larry Higgs | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
> Email the author
> on January 14, 2015 at 8:19 AM, updated January 14, 2015 at 8:23 AM
> 
> Construction has begun on the first commuter train line to Sussex County in decades as rails are being installed that will extend service to Andover.
> 
> The first 4.25 miles of track have been installed on the former Lackawanna Cutoff, as part of the first phase of the project to restore 7.3 miles of track between the Port Morris rail yards and Andover Township, said William Smith, NJ Transit spokesman.
> 
> The cutoff would connect to NJ Transit's existing Morris & Essex lines at Port Morris Junction in Roxbury, and to Mid-Town Direct service to New York in Dover.
> 
> 
> 
> The Sierra Club's state chapter opposes the project because it will open up environmentally sensitive areas in the Highlands region to sprawling development, said Jeff Tittel, chairman. The project received federal environmental approvals in 2008.


http://www.nj.com/traffic/index.ssf/2015/01/construction_underway_on_commuter_rail_line_to_sussex_county.html#incart_river


----------



## Nexis

Sun Rail Lynx Central






from ExactoCreation


Sunrail Platform and ticket machines by ExactoCreation, on Flickr


Amtrak & Sunrail by ExactoCreation, on Flickr


sunraildeparts by ExactoCreation, on Flickr

Lynx Buses


Florida Lynx Nova LFSA by ExactoCreation, on Flickr


Lynx Gillig advantage BRT by ExactoCreation, on Flickr


Lynx Gillig BRT by ExactoCreation, on Flickr


----------



## Nexis

All Aboard Florida's Miami Terminal


----------



## Nexis

> *Waterbury line upgrades a priority, commissioner says​*By Paul Hughes
> 
> HARTFORD -- The state Department of Transportation is doing its best to accelerate the design and installation of a signalization system for the Waterbury rail line, DOT Commissioner James P. Redeker told state lawmakers today.
> 
> Sen. Robert Kane, R-Watertown, questioned Redeker about the status of planned upgrades to the Metro-North branch line running between Bridgeport and Waterbury during Redeker's confirmation hearing.
> 
> Redeker said it is “insane” that trains currently can only run in one direction at a time.
> 
> “So, we have to fix it. We're committed to it, and it is the first time we made that commitment,” he told members of the Executive and Legislative Nominations Committee.
> 
> The signalized line would allow north- and southbound trains to safely pass each other, and it would permit DOT to add rush hour and off-peak trains to a line that has been long neglected.
> 
> The DOT is adding pull outs to permit train traffic to flow in both directions.


http://www.rep-am.com/articles/2015/01/30/news/local/doc54ca8b37ee399487310863.txt


----------



## Nexis

> *Branch lines may benefit from Malloy’s transportation plan​*By by Jeannette Ross on January 25, 2015
> “Each of the branch lines has been through extensive studies,” Mr. Redeker said. They include Danbury, New Canaan and Waterbury.
> 
> The emphasis will be on expanded service and improved service. Although they are secondary to the main passenger line, he said the branch lines offer “extraordinary opportunities” for development and will be a “major focus” of the plan.
> 
> Budgeting will have to begin almost immediately to “build the capacity within the Department of Transportation to do the things we have to do,” Mr. Malloy said.
> 
> As for where the money will come from, he was not specific. “We are not focused on funding now,” but did indicate there may be public partnerships and design-build opportunities. To a question about paying for the plan with tolls, he said, “There are many ways to pay for transportation improvements,” adding a toll is essentially a tax on motorists.


http://www.thereddingpilot.com/21146/branch-lines-may-benefit-from-malloys-transportation-plan/


----------



## goldbough

Nexis said:


> Boston Surface Railroad employees would act as ushers, as well as serve food and drinks. The proposal calls for alcoholic drinks to be sold on the train.
> 
> In a recent test run, the trip between Worcester and Providence along the P&W line took an hour and 42 minutes. Driving distance between the two cities along Route 146 is approximately 45 minutes to an hour, depending on traffic. Mr. Bono said the goal is to get the train trip reduced to about 70 minutes when the service is launched.
> 
> "It's got to be competitive with a typical commuter's drive time," he said.
> 
> http://www.telegram.com/article/20141207/NEWS/312079972/1237


Is it really a good idea to serve alcohol when those people will most likely get in their cars at the station and drive home?

The guy trying to get this train service started said Worcester-Providence are the most viable cities. Are there a lot of people who live in Worcester and work in Providence? I would have thought people in Worcester would mostly go to Boston.

He's right when he says the commute time needs to be competitive with driving time. Right now, this train would be a step down for most people.


----------



## Nexis

goldbough said:


> Is it really a good idea to serve alcohol when those people will most likely get in their cars at the station and drive home?
> 
> The guy trying to get this train service started said Worcester-Providence are the most viable cities. Are there a lot of people who live in Worcester and work in Providence? I would have thought people in Worcester would mostly go to Boston.
> 
> He's right when he says the commute time needs to be competitive with driving time. Right now, this train would be a step down for most people.


They had a bar car on the Metro North New Haven for over 40 years without any major problems. The Long Island Railroad has bar carts on the platforms during rush hr. These carts are not allowed during certain events and during the Holidays. There is a bus service that runs between the cities that ive heard does very well. Woonsocket to Providence would do very well...


----------



## jonasry

Nexis said:


> They had a bar car on the Metro North New Haven for over 40 years without any major problems. The Long Island Railroad has bar carts on the platforms during rush hr. These carts are not allowed during certain events and during the Holidays. There is a bus service that runs between the cities that ive heard does very well. Woonsocket to Providence would do very well...


And here's an video from the last service with the bar car last May. They take away all the nice things in a commuters life =/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIs4PBWucSU


----------



## Rodalvesdepaula

Are there any project for a real HSR in Illinois?

I found this website about a plan to improve the railroad between Chicago and St. Louis to make possible a 110-mph service with conventional Amtrak trains (GE Genesis + Horizont cars): http://www.idothsr.org/

But, I think this corridor should be modernized with electrification, dedicated line for freight services (1 for freight trains + 2 for Amtrak trains) and top speed at 150 mph using trainsets such as _Acela Express_. 

Nowadays, _Lincoln Service_ trains makes 5 hours and 30 minutes from Chicago to St. Louis in four daily round-trips. With a real electric HSR at 150 mph (and *110 mph in average speed*), travel time could be reduced to three hours. This could make cities like Springfield and Lincoln can be places for that commuters that work in Chicago can live with their families.


----------



## Nexis

> *More information coming on Plaistow commuter rail station Wednesday​* ADAM SWIFT
> Union Leader Correspondent
> 
> PLAISTOW — Residents and town officials could have a lot more information about a potential commuter rail station and layover facility this week.
> 
> On Wednesday, the New Hampshire Department of Transportation will host a public information meeting on the Plaistow Commuter Rail Extension Study at 7 p.m. at Plaistow Town Hall.
> 
> During the meeting, the NHDOT will present a draft recommended alternative for a potential station and layover facility for extended commuter rail service.
> 
> Over the past year, consultants have been undertaking a $667,000 study on bringing MBTA commuter rail service to New Hampshire.
> 
> Three potential alternatives have been brought forward for stations and layover facilities, with the NHDOT expected to make its recommendation for one site on Wednesday night.
> 
> One of the alternatives includes a layover facility in Haverhill and a station in Plaistow, and two others are for a combined layover and rail station in Plaistow in locations off Main Street.


http://www.newhampshire.com/article/20150127/NEWHAMPSHIRE05/150129212/0/newhampshire08


----------



## Nexis

> *Northeast Rail Corridor to get new New Jersey stop with its own transit village​*
> By Hank Kalet
> New Jersey commuters wanting easy access to the Northeast rail corridor could have a whole new neighborhood to consider.
> 
> On the grounds of the former Johnson and Johnson plant in North Brunswick construction is underway on a major transit village that, if all goes well, will have its own train station on the Northeast corridor.
> 
> The project is called Main Street North Brunswick, which is on Route 1 between Princeton and New Brunswick. When finished it will boast 1,875 housing units, a hotel and spaces for offices and retail stores. All this will be anchored by the new NJ Transit station.
> 
> But the billboards celebrating Main Street North Brunswick may seem curious to some, given that they share space with recently opened Costco and Target stores – big-box stores not normally associated with successful downtown areas – and because North Brunswick lacks a traditional downtown. The township, like many in central New Jersey, is dotted with housing subdivisions and shopping centers, along with a large industrial zone.


http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/new-jersey/77647-northeast-rail-corridor-to-get-new-new-jersey-stop-with-its-own-transit-village


----------



## Nexis

> *Plans for Renovated Nostrand Avenue LIRR Station Revealed​*By Camille Bautista on January 15, 2015 3:59pm
> BEDFORD-STUYVESANT — Nostrand Avenue’s Long Island Rail Road station may soon get a facelift, according to MTA officials.
> 
> LIRR representatives revealed rehabilitation plans for the Atlantic Branch’s two-track elevated station at a community meeting Tuesday during which they detailed new staircases and glass canopies.
> 
> The proposal includes security cameras, improved LED lighting fixtures, new platforms and pedestrian overpasses composed of stainless steel to prevent rusting.
> 
> “The project will modernize the station and make it very attractive,” said Javier Toro, senior project manager for the agency.


http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20150115/bed-stuy/plans-for-renovated-nostrand-avenue-lirr-station-revealed


----------



## Nexis

> *Local lawmakers push to upgrade Danbury, New Canaan rail lines​*Posted: Friday, February 13, 2015 8:15 pm | Updated: 9:45 pm, Fri Feb 13, 2015.
> 
> By ROBERT KOCH
> Hour Staff Writer
> "Commuters have suffered under unacceptable conditions as unnecessary obstacles are thrown before the workforce we depend on as the engine of our state economy," O'Dea said. "These bills will take us through the critical first steps of changing those conditions, and providing the necessary investments which will ensure safety, reliability and efficiency."
> 
> In 2006, ConnDOT launched the "the Danbury Branch Electrification Feasibility Study" to evaluate the feasibility of electrifying the Danbury Line as well as other alternatives to improve service. The alternatives ranged from electrifying the line from South Norwalk to Wilton to extending and electrifying the line to New Milford. Estimated costs in 2010 dollars ran from $237 million to $495 million.


http://www.thehour.com/news/norwalk/local-lawmakers-push-to-upgrade-danbury-new-canaan-rail-lines/article_f7e0afc2-14fb-5264-8f76-4a58f84b2ed6.html


----------



## Nexis

> *Officials tout benefits of Danbury line extension​*Dirk Perrefort
> Updated 9:05 pm, Friday, February 13, 2015
> DANBURY -- A proposal to provide passenger trains from Danbury to Massachusetts is gaining traction and experts now say the service could bring millions of dollars in economic benefits to the region.
> 
> While passenger service along the Housatonic Railroad's existing freight line -- from Danbury through to New Milford and Kent -- was proposed more than five years ago, the plans have sparked renewed interest in recent months as more officials throw their support behind it.


Read more at http://www.newstimes.com/business/article/Officials-tout-benefits-of-Danbury-line-extension-6080522.php


----------



## Nexis

> *Plans for train station on Pawtucket, Central Falls line are picking up steam​* By Patrick Anderson Posted Feb. 1, 2015 @ 12:01 am
> 
> PAWTUCKET, R.I. — Supporters of restoring commuter rail service to Pawtucket and Central Falls say a decade of planning work has brought them “halfway there” to the goal of a new train station serving the two cities.
> 
> “We are at the halfway point … and we understand that it seems like a snail’s pace,” said Natasha Velickovic, project manager with consultants VHB at a recent information session at the Blackstone Valley Visitors Center. “But that is just the federal process, and we have to get through it.”
> If all goes well, state, Pawtucket and Central Falls leaders believe a new station could be ready to host trains in five years, which would represent a surge of progress from the current pace.


http://www.providencejournal.com/news/government/20150201-plans-for-train-station-on-pawtucket-central-falls-line-are-picking-up-steam.ece


----------



## Nexis

So the State of Connecticut is planning on pumping tens of billions into its infrastructure over the next few decades. Here's a list of Projects that were included in the plan which i'm sure will grow aswell.


CONNECTICUT’S BOLD VISION FOR A TRANSPORTATION FUTURE



> *Rail *
> 
> *Metro North / Western Connecticut ​*
> *ELECTRIC FLEET REPLACEMENT*
> Future life-cycle replacement of existing electric fleet for use on New Haven Line
> (NHL), Connecticut’s share.
> $1,250,000,000
> 
> *DIESEL FLEET REPLACEMENT*
> Replace existing diesel locomotives and coaches for use on New Haven Line (NHL).
> $300,000,000
> 
> *MAINTENANCE FACILITY AND YARD IMPROVEMENTS*
> Rehab and improve existing rail maintenance facilities and yards on New Haven Line
> (NHL), including New Haven, Bridgeport and Stamford (finish catenary replacement).
> $1,460,000,000
> 
> *COMMUNICATIONS AND SIGNAL UPGRADES*
> Upgrade rail communications and signals on New Haven Line (NHL) to reach state
> of good repair. Upgrades include positive train control (PTC), network infrastructure
> upgrades, communication and signal system replacements and rail communications and
> signal improvements for mainline and branch lines.
> $1,120,200,000
> *
> CATENARY REPLACEMENTS AND POWER UPGRADES*
> Life-cycle replacement of superstructures and wiring (includes substations) due to age
> and condition. Danbury Dock Yard is also included.
> $700,000,000
> 
> *FIXED RAIL BRIDGES - STATE OF GOOD REPAIR*
> Rehab and or replace all fixed rail bridges on New Haven Line (NHL) to attain state of
> good repair. This includes all fixed rail bridges on mainline and branch lines.
> $2,175,000,000
> 
> *MOVABLE RAIL BRIDGES - STATE OF GOOD REPAIR*
> Rehab and or replace all movable rail bridges on New Haven Line (NHL) to attain state
> of good repair.
> $2,825,000,000
> 
> *RAIL TRACK PROGRAM*
> Improvements and upgrades to existing tracks on New Haven Line (NHL) including
> concrete tie repair, interlocking, drainage, track, ties, rail and road bed.
> $1,680,000,000
> 
> *EXISTING STATION AND PARKING IMPROVEMENTS*
> Improvements and upgrades to existing stations and parking on New Haven Line (NHL),
> including mainline and branch line improvements.
> $1,500,000,000
> 
> *ELECTRIC FLEET EXPANSION*
> Expansion of existing electric fleet for use on New Haven Line (NHL).
> $265,000,000
> 
> *DIESEL FLEET EXPANSION*
> Expansion of existing diesel locomotives and coaches for use on New Haven Line
> (NHL), including mainline and branch lines.
> $230,000,000
> 
> *NEW RAIL MAINTENANCE FACILITIES AND YARDS
> ON BRANCH LINES*
> Construction of new rail maintenance facilities and yards on New Haven Line (NHL)
> branch lines will allow for expanded branch line rail service to and from mainline.
> $100,000,000
> 
> 
> *NEW RAIL MAINTENANCE FACILITY AND YARD FOR
> INTERCITY RAIL SERVICE*
> A new intercity maintenance facility and storage yard in New Haven will allow for the
> expansion of existing inter-city rail service to and from Washington, DC.
> $500,000,000
> *
> NEW CANAAN BRANCH LINE IMPROVEMENTS*
> Significant improvements on New Canaan branch line service between Darien and
> New Canaan to increase frequency and enhance service to and from mainline.
> Improvements include Springdale siding, platform, and station improvements.
> $45,000,000
> 
> *ELECTRIFY DANBURY BRANCH LINE*
> Electrification of existing Danbury branch line service between South Norwalk and
> Danbury would allow for extended one–seat ride service on New Haven Line (NHL).
> $400,000,000
> 
> *EXTEND RAIL SERVICE FROM DANBURY TO NEW MILFORD*
> This includes all of the estimated capital costs associated with extending rail service
> from Danbury to New Milford without electrification.
> $450,000,000
> 
> *ELECTRIFY EXTENDED RAIL SERVICE FROM DANBURY*
> TO NEW MILFORD
> This includes just the estimated electrification costs associated with extending rail
> service from Danbury to New Milford.
> $540,000,000
> 
> *WATERBURY BRANCH LINE IMPROVEMENTS*
> Improvements to Waterbury branch line service between Bridgeport and Waterbury to
> increase frequency and enhance service to and from mainline. Improvements include
> completion of signalization, grade crossings, sidings, and station improvements.
> $350,000,000
> 
> *TRACK IMPROVEMENTS BETWEEN MILFORD AND NEW HAVEN*
> Restore four–track capacity between Milford and New Haven to increase capacity and
> enhance service on New Haven Line (NHL).
> $300,000,000
> 
> *FULL CAPACITY NEW HAVEN LINE SERVICE*
> Realign Connecticut’s existing tracks and stations between New Haven and New York
> to provide significant frequency and speed enhancements on New Haven Line (NHL).
> This project would result in a two–track local and two–track express service on the
> mainline, with center island platforms at key locations between New Haven and New
> York. It includes communications and signal enhancements.
> $2,000,000,000
> 
> *NEW STATIONS AND PARKING*
> Construction of new stations and parking on New Haven Line (NHL). Includes
> construction of new stations in Bridgeport (Barnum), Orange, and a new parking garage
> in New Haven with pedestrian connections.
> $200,000,000
> *
> 
> Hartford Line / Central Connecticut ​
> BERLIN-WATERBURY RAIL IMPROVEMENTS*
> Upgrade existing freight rail line (includes track, bridges, and Terryville tunnel).
> Preserve option for future passenger rail service.
> $200,000,000
> 
> *DIESEL FLEET REPLACEMENT (Hartford Line)*
> Future life-cycle replacement of Hartford Line Fleet.
> $325,000, 000
> 
> *MAINTENANCE FACILITY AND YARD IMPROVEMENTS*
> Upgrade and maintain state of good repair of existing rail maintenance facility in
> New Haven to service Hartford Line and Shore Line East (SLE), including facility
> improvements to accommodate longer locomotives.
> $50,000,000
> 
> *REHABILITATION OF CONNECTICUT RIVER RAILROAD BRIDGE*
> This bridge is located over the Connecticut River between Windsor Locks and Enfield.
> Major rehabilitation and replacement of the center span is needed due to age and
> condition. Improvements will allow for higher load ratings and increased speeds.
> $80,000,000
> 
> *EXISTING STATIONS AND PARKING IMPROVEMENTS*
> Improvements and upgrades to existing stations and parking on Hartford Line to
> maintain state of good repair.
> $250,000,000
> 
> *DIESEL FLEET EXPANSION for Hartford Line*
> Expand diesel fleet to accommodate increase in future service on Hartford Line from
> 17 round trips per day to 25 round trips per day.
> $120,000,000
> 
> *TRACK IMPROVEMENTS to Hartford Line*
> Hartford Line improvements from Windsor to Springfield; includes double-tracking.
> This improvement would allow for increased rail service from 17 round trips per day to
> 25 round trips per day.
> $500,000,000
> 
> *NEW STATIONS ON HARTFORD LINE*
> Construction of new stations and parking on the Hartford Line. Proposed locations
> include North Haven, Hamden, Newington, West Hartford, Windsor, Windsor Locks,
> and Enfield.
> $250,000,000
> 
> *Shore Line East / Eastern Connecticut *​
> *ELECTRIC FLEET MIDLIFE OVERHAUL*
> Critical systems replacement to maintain state of good repair of recently purchased M8
> cars for use on Shore Line East (SLE).
> $20,000,000
> 
> *ELECTRIC FLEET REPLACEMENT*
> Future life-cycle replacement of recently purchased M8 cars for use on
> Shore Line East (SLE).
> $120,000,000
> 
> *REPLACEMENT OF CONNECTICUT RIVER RAILROAD BRIDGE*
> Replacement of the Amtrak moveable bridge in Old Saybrook. This project will allow
> for increased load ratings, greater reliability, and higher speeds for both Shore Line East
> (SLE) commuter rail and Amtrak inter-city regional rail service.
> $220,000,000
> 
> *EXISTING STATION AND PARKING IMPROVEMENTS*
> Improvements and upgrades to existing stations and parking to maintain state of
> good repair.
> $250,000,000
> 
> *ELECTRIC FLEET EXPANSION*
> Purchase of additional M8 cars for future expansion of Shore Line East (SLE) service,
> allowing for more one-seat rides to and from New Haven Line (NHL) and New York.
> $40,000,000
> *SHORE LINE EAST (SLE) IMPROVEMENTS*
> New sidings in Waterford, new interlocking in Clinton, and new lay-over facility in New
> London. These improvements will allow for greater flexibility and increased capacity of
> SLE service and Amtrak inter-city regional rail service.
> $250,000,000
> 
> *CATENARY IMPROVEMENTS AND POWER UPGRADES*
> Enhance capacity of Shore Line East (SLE) service to New York by upgrading Amtrak’s
> existing catenary system and power.
> $100,000,000
> 
> *NEW STATION IN NIANTIC*
> Construction of new station and parking on Shore Line East (SLE) in Niantic.
> $30,000,000
> 
> *EXTEND RAIL SERVICE TO RHODE ISLAND*
> Includes estimated capital costs to extend Shore Line East (SLE) rail service from New
> London to Westerly, Rhode Island.
> $200,000,000
> 
> *FREIGHT RAIL IMPROVEMENTS IN EASTERN CONNECTICUT*
> Includes estimated capital costs to improve the existing NECR and P&W rail freight
> lines in Eastern Connecticut from New London north to Massachusetts, preserving
> options for future passenger rail service. Improvements include tracks, bridges, sidings
> and grade crossings.
> $200,000,000


----------



## Nexis

> *Governor Cuomo Announces Final Design for Revitalized Hicksville Station​*By Long Island News & PRs -- Published: February 24 2015
> 
> Hicksville, NY - February 23rd, 2015 - Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the final design for a new Long Island Rail Road station in Hicksville. The project is a $120 million investment meant to revitalize the region’s busiest transit hub and kick-start residential and commercial development in the hamlet's downtown. Renderings of the project can be viewed here.
> 
> “By renovating the Hicksville station, we’re moving ahead with much-needed upgrades at one of the LIRR’s busiest outlets and breathing new economic life into the community,” Governor Cuomo said. “This rehabilitation is designed to fundamentally improve riders’ experiences at Hicksville while also setting the stage for expanded service through the East Side Access project, and I am pleased to see it moving forward.”
> 
> .


http://www.longisland.com/news/02-24-15/cuomo-final-design-for-revitalized-hicksville-station.html


----------



## Nexis

> *Bound Brook to renovate train station platform, waiting room, report says​*
> By Dave Hutchinson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
> on March 13, 2015 at 11:15 AM, updated March 13, 2015 at 3:30 PM
> 
> BOUND BROOK — In January, nighttime one-seat rides to New York started on the Raritan Valley Line.
> 
> As a result, many municipalities with train stations are looking to use the one-seat ride as a catalyst for downtown redevelopment plans, including Bound Brook, which is looking to upgrade the eastbound platform of its train station, according to a report on mycentraljersey.
> 
> The project would also include reopening the historic 100-by-50-foot brick building as a waiting room -- train passengers currently must wait outside -- and the restoration of a staircase from South Main Street by the rotary.


http://www.nj.com/somerset/index.ssf/2015/03/bound_brook_to_renovate_train_station_perform.html#incart_river


----------



## Nexis

> *Clarkstown aims to create transit village in Nanuet​*
> *Clarkstown is studying the idea of relocating the Nanuet train station closer to the hamlet's business district and new shopping mall.*
> 
> Khurram Saeed, [email protected] 12:02 p.m. EST January 16, 2015
> 
> Clarkstown is studying the idea of relocating the Nanuet train station closer to the hamlet's business district and new shopping mall.
> 
> At the very least, officials say the station — currently little more than a platform and heated shelter — needs to be overhauled, such as adding a coffee shop or eatery, to take full advantage of its prime location while helping to transform Nanuet into a quaint transit village.
> 
> "The train station is a tremendous opportunity to really make Nanuet not just a better walkable community but also a destination," said Clarkstown Town Board member Stephanie Hausner, who cited Metro-North Railroad's station in Rye and NJ Transit's station in Park Ridge, New Jersey, as success stories.


http://www.lohud.com/story/news/transit/2015/01/15/nanuet-train-station/21834693/


----------



## Nexis

> *Newark Penn Station to Celebrate 80th Anniversary on Monday​*Friday, March 20, 2015
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Newark Penn Station will turn 80 this Monday, and New Jersey Transit is planning a celebration. The station, which is located in Downtown Newark, serves PATH trains, New Jersey Transit trains, the Newark Light Rail, Amtrak trains, and local buses. It is the busiest train station in New Jersey, with an average of over 27,000 (Commuter Rail) weekday New Jersey Transit train riders. Newark Penn Station was designed by McKim, Mead and White, and was dedicated on March 23, 1935. Rail service began the following day.
> 
> A variety of activities will take place throughout the morning and afternoon. From 9:30am to 2:00pm, the New Jersey Transportation Heritage Center, of Phillipsburg, will present a historical bus display in front of the station on Raymond Plaza West. Buses from the 1950s will be on display. In addition, there will be musical performances by Brian Miguel at 10:00am, Rachel Menconi at 11:20am, and Susyn Timko at 12:00pm. Plus, the Newark Arts High School Jazz Ensemble will perform at 1:00pm and 2:00pm.
> 
> 35-minute long tours of Newark Penn Station will be offered at 11:00am at 12:00pm, starting at the information booth. Participants will learn about the history of the station and the Pennsylvania Railroad, tour the concourses, see architectural design features, and learn about future projects. A question and answer session will follow, and a speaking program is scheduled for 1:30pm.
> 
> Partners include the Greater Newark Convention and Visitors Bureau, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, the Newark Museum, and the Ironbound Business Improvement District.


http://www.placenj.com/2015/03/newark-penn-station-to-celebrate-80th.html

I will be giving this station a full photo review tomorrow during the event...the PATH , Underground LRT , Bus Bays , Commuter Rail , DOCK Bridges and approaches...


----------



## Nexis

> *Region lays rail plans for the future​*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The Wolverine Amtrak train travels east from Chicago to Niles, Mich., through the Porter Junction. The $74 million Indiana Gateway project includes separating tracks at Porter Junction, where 14 Amtrak trains and 90 freight trains per day now cross paths.
> 
> 20 hours ago • By Keith Benman [email protected]
> 
> Amtrak passenger rail and the South Shore commuter railroad also continue to plan and secure funding for their plans in the region.
> 
> The $74 million Indiana Gateway project, which will help speed Amtrak trains into Chicago, is already underway and should be complete within a couple of years. A key part of the project involves separating tracks at Porter Junction, where 14 Amtrak trains and 90 freight trains per day now cross paths.
> 
> - edit: keep quoting to a minimum, thanks


http://www.nwitimes.com/business/local/region-lays-rail-plans-for-the-future/article_ff0e5c57-a0c9-5eea-a62f-2cace693e593.html


----------



## Nexis

> *New Castle fighting for a safer rail crossing​**New Castle officials said concerns about the Roaring Brook Road crossing in Chappaqua and last month's horrific train-car crash in Valhalla are making them take action to make that crossing safer.*
> 
> CHAPPAQUA – The safest way for cars to cross railroad tracks is via a bridge or a tunnel because cars and trains never intersect.
> 
> Although there are efforts at the federal level to provide communities with funding to build such costly infrastructure, one Westchester town isn't waiting to make its Metro-North grade crossing safer. New Castle officials said there are too many concerns about the Roaring Brook Road crossing in Chappaqua and last month's horrific train-car crash in nearby Valhalla — which took the lives of two town residents — has served as a painful call to action.


http://www.lohud.com/story/news/transit/2015/03/22/making-chappaqua-crossing-safer/25191055/


----------



## Nexis

> *Metro-North: Bill requires safety messages on trains​*
> Metro-North Railroad would have to make announcements about what to do in an emergency aboard all of its trains every 20 minutes under a proposed bill in Albany.
> 
> The messages would cover evacuation procedures, how to open emergency exits and the location of survival equipment.


http://www.lohud.com/story/news/transit/2015/03/19/metro-north-safety-briefings/25032223/


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## Nexis

> *MTA Officials Consider Elevated Tracks At LIRR Crossings​*
> The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is considering several measures to improve safety at Long Island Rail Road crossings, including elevating tracks.
> 
> The issue is receiving more attention after two LIRR trains struck vehicles this week.
> 
> “If they were elevated, that would be a better alternative,” one rider told WCBS 880 Long Island Bureau Chief Mike Xirinachs. “Now you’re not going to have any cars crossing through the crossings.”


http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2015/03/04/mta-officials-consider-elevated-tracks-at-lirr-crossings/


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## Nexis

*Metro North M8​*


> Top Speed : 100 mph (161 km/h) (Design) & 80 mph (129 km/h) (Service)
> Electrification systems : 750 V DC (Third rail) ,12.5 kV 60 Hz AC (Catenary) & 25kV 60 Hz AC (Catenary)
> Power Supply : 3rd Rail & Catenary
> Weight : 144,850 pounds (65,700 kg) (A car) &143,780 pounds (65,220 kg)(Bcar)
> Build Date : 2010-2014
> Entered Service : March 1, 2011


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M8_%28railcar%29


New Haven bound M8 Train departing East Norwalk by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


Metro North M8 by Camera-junkie, on Flickr


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## Nexis

*New Jersey Transit ALP45DP​*



> Top Speed : Diesel mode: 161 km/h (100 mph) & Electric mode: 201 km/h (125 mph)
> Electrification systems : 12.5 kV 25 Hz AC Catenary , 12.5 kV 60 Hz AC Catenary , 25 kV 60 Hz AC Catenary
> Power Supply : Catenary
> Fuel Type : Diesel
> Weight : 130.6 t (128.5 long tons; 144.0 short tons)
> Build Date : 2010-2012
> Entered Service : May 30,2012


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ALP-45DP


NJT ALP-45 DP by Pechristener, on Flickr


ALP 45DP @ Secaucus JCT Lower Level by Nexis4Jersey09, on Flickr


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## Nexis

*Metro North M7A & Long Island Railroad M7​*


> Top Speed : 100 mph (161 km/h) (Design) & 80 mph (129 km/h) (Service)
> Electrification systems : 750 V DC
> Power Supply : 3rd Rail Top Contact (LIRR M7) & 3rd Rail Bottom Contact (MNRR M7A)
> Entered Service : October 30, 2002 (LIRR M7) & April 2004 (MNRR M7A)
> Number Built : 1,172 cars


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M7_%28railcar%29

*LIRR M7*


IMG_0384.CR2 by lzcdome, on Flickr


LIRR M7 7260 7669 by bigdan034, on Flickr

*MNRR M7A​*

approaching White Plains, NY by grumpyff, on Flickr


M7 Train by Matt G.2007, on Flickr


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## Nexis

*New Jersey Transit Arrow III​*


> Top Speed : 100 mph (161 km/h)
> Electrification systems : 12 kV 25 Hz AC Catenary & 12 kV 60 Hz AC Catenary or 25 kV 60 Hz AC Catenary
> Entered Service : 1977
> Number Built : 230 cars


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrow_%28railcar%29#Arrow_III


Arrow III #1392 by pgengler, on Flickr


090901_0346200 by cmrowell, on Flickr


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## M-NL

Nexis said:


> *New Jersey Transit ALP45DP​*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ALP-45DP


Now imagine a six axle version of this thing with a 75 to 85 mph top speed. Wouldn't that be perfect for freight service? Electric where it can be (with twice the horsepower!), diesel everywhere else.
Simply start building overhead wires starting with the locations where most tractive or braking effort is needed.
It's exactly what's happening in Europe right now, except that in Europe they only use small diesels, because they're only intended to run on diesel while on yard duty.


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## XAN_

M-NL said:


> Now imagine a six axle version of this thing with a 75 to 85 mph top speed. Wouldn't that be perfect for freight service? Electric where it can be (with twice the horsepower!), diesel everywhere else.
> Simply start building overhead wires starting with the locations where most tractive or braking effort is needed.
> It's exactly what's happening in Europe right now, except that in Europe they only use small diesels, because they're only intended to run on diesel while on yard duty.


Well, you can't have both good diesel loco and good AC loco in one for free. Something should be sacrifice - either electric performance, or diesel one, or a bit of both.


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## M-NL

Maybe, but in this case that wouldn't matter:
Considering that the ALP45DP has 3600hp diesel and 4,4 MW(5900hp) electric, you could conclude both it's diesel and electric performance are sub-par for a passenger loco. However, if you were to scale these number by a factor of 6/4, that would give you a 5400hp diesel and 6.6MW (8850hp) electric loco, far superior to a current standard 6 axle US freight locomotive (yes, I know more powerful diesels do exist). Given that it's weight would be similar to a regular diesel freight loco there is no reason a similar tractive effort could not be achievable.


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## MarcVD

Does a prime mover with that power output (5400 HP) exist today ?


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## M-NL

Yes, for instance the one used in the Chinese HXN3 (6300hp), but that may not be able to meet the latest emission standard requirements.
The ALP45DP already has 2 smaller diesels instead of 1. You could enlarge those to 2700hp gensets, but they may not fit in the engine bay side by side any more.
Bombardier has already gone more extreme with the TRAXX DE ME, which has 4 small gensets. 1350 hp diesel engines exist for sure. As your total locomotive may weigh up to 195 tons, weight shouldn't be an issue.


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## MarcVD

M-NL said:


> Yes, for instance the one used in the Chinese HXN3 (6300hp), but that may not be able to meet the latest emission standard requirements.


Ah yes, you mean that engine : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMD_265
A failure, and since then, all diesel locos proposed by GM and EMD are
somewhat 30% less powerful. There is certainly a reason for that...



M-NL said:


> The ALP45DP already has 2 smaller diesels instead of 1. You could enlarge those to 2700hp gensets, but they may not fit in the engine bay side by side any more.
> Bombardier has already gone more extreme with the TRAXX DE ME, which has 4 small gensets. 1350 hp diesel engines exist for sure. As your total locomotive may weigh up to 195 tons, weight shouldn't be an issue.


Weight may be not, but volume ? I know the US loading gauge is quite
generous, but I don't think they want to come back to monsters like the
EE60 or DDA40X...


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## M-NL

I'm still convinced it could be done, but I do realise this discussion is purely theoretical anyway. Unless a major overhaul of the regulations happens, I don't see any US freight or even further passenger railroads switching to dual mode locomotives any time soon. As long as the ground taxation rules that differentiate between the built up height (a catenary system is 'high' and therefore taxed extra) do not change, there is just to little track fitted with overhead wires and to little incentive to extend that.


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## Nexis

*Metro North P32AC-DM*


> Top Speed : 110 mph (177 km/h) & 60 mph (96.6 km/h) in electric mode
> Electrification systems : 750V DC 3rd Rail
> Fuel Type : Diesel


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GE_Genesis#P32AC-DM


Tappan Zee fog by echo_release, on Flickr


Metro-North New Haven P32AC-DM No. 231 by Camera-junkie, on Flickr


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## Nexis

> *LIRR to get improvements in Brooklyn, part of Barclays deal​*
> By ALFONSO A. CASTILLO March 22, 2015
> 
> The $100 million real estate deal that led to the Barclays Center being built over a century-old rail yard is beginning to pay dividends for the Long Island Rail Road and its Brooklyn commuters, officials said.
> 
> Seven years into the construction of a state-of-the-art new storage facility to replace the original Vanderbilt Yards, workers will soon punch through a 171-year-old rail tunnel to provide trains, for the first time, a direct path between the yard and Atlantic Terminal.


http://www.amny.com/transit/lirr-to-get-improvements-in-brooklyn-part-of-barclays-deal-1.10105478


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## Nexis

*Tickets At Metro-North Railroad Crossings Already Surpass Last Year's Total*

http://mountpleasant.dailyvoice.com/news/tickets-metro-north-railroad-crossings-already-surpass-last-years-total


----------



## dimlys1994

From Rail Journal:



> http://www.railjournal.com/index.ph...-oregon-service-under-threat.html?channel=535
> 
> *Amtrak's Oregon service under threat*
> Tuesday, April 07, 2015
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _AMTRAK's Cascades service between Portland and Eugene will end if Oregon's state legislature enacts the budget adopted by its Joint Ways and Means Committee last week, which proposes slashing funding for the daily state-backed service on the corridor_
> 
> The Oregon Department of Transportation (Odot) estimates that it will cost $US 10.4m to continue operation over its next bi-annual funding period which runs from June 30 to June 30 2017, which was negotiated down from the $US 20m requested by Amtrak. Former Oregon governor Mr John Kitzhaber included a $US 10.5m allocation in his budget request before his resignation on February 18 following a misconduct charge
> 
> ...


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## Tower Dude

Ugh well this isn't good


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## Nexis

> *Commuter rail could extend all the way to Haymarket​*
> By Canaan Merchant
> April 7, 2015
> Greater Greater Washington
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Map of the proposed extension and station locations. (Image courtesy of Greater Greater Washington).
> 
> “Northern Virginia's commuter rail service, VRE, is taking the first steps to extend its Manassas Line 11 miles farther west, to Haymarket.
> 
> The extension would bring commuter rail to three new stations in Prince William County, which is growing quickly. It would split off as a spur from the Manassas Line, with some trains going on to Broad Run on the existing line, and some trains going to Haymarket...”


http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/26302/commuter-rail-could-extend-all-the-way-to-haymarket/


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## jchernin

The first SMART train set makes it debut in Cotati earlier today

Service will start next year


----------



## Nexis

That Horn sounds terrible...


----------



## krnboy1009

Don't look like that train has any steps for low level platform. But where is the elevated platform there?


----------



## Nexis

krnboy1009 said:


> Don't look like that train has any steps for low level platform. But where is the elevated platform there?


They use high level platforms...


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## Nexis

Long Island Railroad M9's Factory Debut









(Source from facebook , the photo was taken down for some reason...but is still viewable on the sites it was posted on...)


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## 00Zy99

The M9's out?!?! I wasn't even aware they had ordered the contract! How long was I asleep?


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## Nexis

*Metropark Station - Northeast Corridor Line​*


> Opened : 11 November 1971
> Daily Passengers : 7,447
> Type : Elevated
> Service Type : Every 15-30mins


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropark_%28NJT_station%29


Northeast Corridor at Metropark Station in Edison,NJ by Corey Best, on Flickr


Northeast Corridor at Metropark Station in Edison,NJ by Corey Best, on Flickr


Northeast Corridor at Metro Park Station in Edison,NJ by Corey Best, on Flickr


Northeast Corridor at Metropark Station in Edison,NJ by Corey Best, on Flickr


Northeast Corridor at Metropark Station in Edison,NJ by Corey Best, on Flickr


Northeast Corridor at Metropark Station in Edison,NJ by Corey Best, on Flickr


Northeast Corridor at Metropark Station in Edison,NJ by Corey Best, on Flickr


Northeast Corridor at Metropark Station in Edison,NJ by Corey Best, on Flickr


Northeast Corridor at Metropark Station in Edison,NJ by Corey Best, on Flickr


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## flierfy

^^ Are these markers in the wires speed limit signs?


----------



## Nexis

flierfy said:


> ^^ Are these markers in the wires speed limit signs?


Yes


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## Nexis

*Some Metro North - New Haven Line - Walk Bridge Replacement estimates and diagrams...*

http://walkbridgect.com/assets/public-information-ppt_fa__0301-0176_022715-alternativesolutions.pdf


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## Nexis

> * Meg Baker and her trusty Speed-O-Meter to the rescue! *
> Tuesday, May 19, 2015
> Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-Chief
> 
> “First, Baker and her crew tested the equipment by calibrating and checking the technology. Baker tested the Speed-O-Meter app she was using for accuracy alongside the speedometer in a car—and found it to be pretty accurate. Using the app and a radar gun along multiple routes, CBS2’s Baker went out to test the rails of NJ Transit, following complaints. She clocked a 72 mph train zooming through Secaucus Junction, and a 69 mph train speeding through South Orange—a smaller station.”


Read this the rest here : http://www.railwayage.com/index.php/blogs/william-vantuono/meg-baker-and-her-trusty-speed-o-meter-to-the-rescue.html

Typical US Fear Mongering reporting....

The Video


----------



## Nexis

> *Commuters lash into NJ Transit at first hike meeting*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> NJ Transit employees and members of the Amalgamated Transit Union demonstrate against NJ Transit's proposed 9 percent fare hike and service cuts at a public hearing in Freehold Township Monday night. (Larry Higgs | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)
> 
> By Larry Higgs | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
> on May 19, 2015 at 7:53 AM, updated May 19, 2015 at 7:55 AM
> 
> A young homeowner told NJ Transit officials that a proposed 9 percent fare increase would drive his family out of the state.
> 
> Ken Ramsey of Matawan said he and his wife commute to New York, where they work for non-profits. They lived in an apartment, and saved their money to buy a modest house in which to raise their two-year-old son, he said.
> 
> The fare increase that the couple would pay would be a staggering blow to the young family's tight budget, Ramsey said, adding they live paycheck-to-paycheck.
> 
> "It's a struggle to commute this way. The fare is my highest monthly expense after my mortgage," Ramsey said. "It could be the final nail in the coffin. After doing everything right, we can't afford to live in New Jersey."


Read more Here : http://www.nj.com/traffic/index.ssf/2015/05/commuters_lash_into_nj_transit_at_first_hike_meeting.html


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## Nexis

> *Transforming Mobility on Long Island Requires the 'Third Track'*
> 
> Nancy Rauch Douzinas
> President, Rauch Foundation
> Posted: 05/14/2015 8:32 am EDT Updated: 05/14/2015 10:59 pm EDT
> 
> Mobility is the key to revitalizing Long Island's economy: mobility within Long Island as well as to and from New York City and beyond. That includes far better reverse commuting -- to Long Island in the morning and back to New York City at night.
> 
> Despite being the birthplace of the magnetic levitation train, which just set a world speed record in Japan at 375 miles per hour, Long Island is served in the 21st century by a railroad whose system of tracks is essentially the same as it was when it was laid out in the 19th century. Long Island's population was 50,000 then; it's now 3 million.


Read More Here : http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nancy-rauch-douzinas/transforming-mobility-on_b_7282376.html?fb_action_ids=10205947692466812&fb_action_types=og.likes


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## Nexis

*How transit agencies are trying to attract millennial riders*

http://www.progressiverailroading.com/passenger_rail/article/How-transit-agencies-are-trying-to-attract-millennial-riders--44402


----------



## Nexis

*Valhalla Damaged Car at the Bridgeport Yard*


Valhalla Damaged Car at the Bridgeport Yard by Corey Best, on Flickr


----------



## Nexis

*Metro North's New Haven Yard​*

Metro North's New Haven Yard by Corey Best, on Flickr


Metro North's New Haven Yard by Corey Best, on Flickr


Metro North's New Haven Yard by Corey Best, on Flickr


Metro North's New Haven Yard by Corey Best, on Flickr


Metro North's New Haven Yard by Corey Best, on Flickr


Metro North's New Haven Yard by Corey Best, on Flickr


Metro North's New Haven Yard by Corey Best, on Flickr


Metro North's New Haven Yard by Corey Best, on Flickr


Metro North's New Haven Yard by Corey Best, on Flickr


----------



## Nexis

*Scenes around Stamford on the New Haven Line*


Metro North's New Haven Line in Stamford,CT by Corey Best, on Flickr


Metro North's New Haven Line in Stamford,CT by Corey Best, on Flickr


Metro North's New Haven Line in Stamford,CT by Corey Best, on Flickr


Stamford Rising - South End / Harborpoint by Corey Best, on Flickr


Stamford Rising - South End / Harborpoint by Corey Best, on Flickr


Metro North's New Haven Line in Stamford,CT by Corey Best, on Flickr


Metro North's New Haven Line in Stamford,CT by Corey Best, on Flickr


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## Nexis

*Will commuter trains ever roll on the West Trenton Line? Ask @Commuting Larry finds out*

http://www.nj.com/traffic/index.ssf/2015/05/will_commuter_trains_ever_roll_on_the_west_trenton_line_ask_commutinglarry_finds_out.html


----------



## Nexis

* Bourne Voters On Board With Commuter Rail *

http://www.capenews.net/bourne/news/bourne-voters-on-board-with-commuter-rail/article_b955d55a-008e-11e5-b734-03f4a0be0c0f.html


----------



## Nexis

*St. Augustine drivers might be getting a cure for their commuting woes*

http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2015/05/20/st-augustine-drivers-might-be-getting-a-cure-for.html


----------



## Nexis

*SEPTA plans to spend $154 million on new locomotives*

http://www.philly.com/philly/business/transportation/20150528_SEPTA_plans_to_spend__154_million_on_new_locomotives.html

Cities Sprinters with Bilevel trains that will be an interesting site to see on the SEPTA network.


----------



## Tower Dude

What kind of Bilevels do you think?Bombardier MLVs or Kawasaki Bilevels?
Or Hyundai Rotem because they have the relationship from the EMUs


----------



## mrsmartman

*Hoboken Terminal Exterior with Ferry 3*


----------



## Nexis

*New Haven Line over the Norwalk River Bridge*


Metro North Norwalk River Bridge in Norwalk,CT by Corey Best, on Flickr


Metro North Norwalk River Bridge in Norwalk,CT by Corey Best, on Flickr


Metro North Norwalk River Bridge in Norwalk,CT by Corey Best, on Flickr


New Haven Line trains in South Norwalk by Corey Best, on Flickr


168 by Corey Best, on Flickr

*SoNo Switching Tower*


157 by Corey Best, on Flickr


South Norwalk Switching tower by Corey Best, on Flickr

*Under the New Haven Line Underpass*


152 by Corey Best, on Flickr


SONO Sign by Corey Best, on Flickr


SONO Sign by Corey Best, on Flickr


----------



## Nexis

*New Haven Line over the Saugatuck River Bridge*


Saugatuck River in Westport,CT by Corey Best, on Flickr


Metro North - New Haven Line - Saugatuck River Bridge in Westport,CT by Corey Best, on Flickr


Eastbound train crossing the Saugatuck River Bridge by Corey Best, on Flickr


Eastbound train crossing the Saugatuck River Bridge by Corey Best, on Flickr


Eastbound train crossing the Saugatuck River Bridge by Corey Best, on Flickr


126 by Corey Best, on Flickr


139 by Corey Best, on Flickr


----------



## SounderBruce

*Sounder North Line stations*

Seattle has a small, two-line commuter rail service named "Sounder" (after the Puget Sound) that began operating in 2000 after voter approval in 1996. Running on leased BNSF tracks, it is split into two lines at King Street Station in Seattle: the South Line serving Lakewood, Tacoma and the Green River valley; and the North Line serving Everett, Mukilteo and Edmonds.

The North Line has only 4 daily roundtrips and has been criticized for its high cost and low ridership, which can be blamed on the low accessibility of its stations on the coast and the number of canceled runs in the winter because of mudslides. The trains are often beaten in travel time by Community Transit and Sound Transit Express commuter buses that terminate at the Sounder stations and are more desirable for workers who don't want to transfer at King Street Station (located at the southern end of downtown).

Despite all of its faults, I love taking the 7:15 am run whenever I need to go down to Seattle (for photography, soccer or other reasons). It's a very scenic ride where you can see the open waters of the Puget Sound while enjoying the comforts of a train (free WiFi and charging ports are a huge advantage over buses).

*Everett*

Opened: February 2002
Other Trains: Amtrak Cascades, Amtrak Empire Builder
Other Services: Swift bus rapid transit, Community Transit, Everett Transit, Sound Transit Express, Skagit Transit, Greyhound, Northwest Trailways

Full album


Everett Station by SounderBruce, on Flickr


Everett Station by SounderBruce, on Flickr


Sounder 905 at Everett Station by SounderBruce, on Flickr


Amtrak Cascades & Sounder by SounderBruce, on Flickr


Sounder 902 at Everett Station by SounderBruce, on Flickr

*Mukilteo*

Opened: May 2008
Other Trains: _None_
Other Services: Washington State Ferries, Community Transit, Everett Transit

Full album


Mukilteo Station north platform by SounderBruce, on Flickr


Mukilteo Station from SR 525 by SounderBruce, on Flickr


Mukilteo Station bridge construction by SounderBruce, on Flickr

*Edmonds*

Opened: January 1957
Other Trains: Amtrak Cascades, Amtrak Empire Builder
Other Services: Washington State Ferries, Community Transit

Full album


Edmonds Station by SounderBruce, on Flickr


Edmonds Station platform by SounderBruce, on Flickr


Edmonds Station platform by SounderBruce, on Flickr

*Seattle (King Street)*

Opened: May 1906
Other Trains: Sounder South Line (terminus), Amtrak Cascades, Amtrak Empire Builder (terminus), Amtrak Coast Starlight (terminus), Rocky Mountaineer (terminus)
Other Services: King County Metro, Link Light Rail, Sound Transit Express, Community Transit

Full album


Seattle & King Street Station by SounderBruce, on Flickr


CenturyLink Field & King Street Station platform by SounderBruce, on Flickr


King Street Station and the Seattle skyline by SounderBruce, on Flickr


Rush hour at the Sounder stairs by SounderBruce, on Flickr


BNSF tracks approaching King Street Station by SounderBruce, on Flickr


Seattle from King Street platform by SounderBruce, on Flickr


----------



## Nexis

I heard that Everett station has some crime problems?


----------



## SounderBruce

Nexis said:


> I heard that Everett station has some crime problems?


It's kind of over-exaggerated by the media here. It's in the middle of a warehouse district without any amenities around it, so the atmosphere is already kind of sketchy. Lots of smokers ignoring the near-hourly announcements from the intercom to stop smoking and the transit police can't really do much. Some homeless sleeping in the shaded/covered areas, but they generally don't bother you.

Overall, it's a fairly safe place from my perspective, but I'm not sure if other people get harassed more.


----------



## Robi_damian

^^ Beautiful infrastructure, but at 4 round trips that is not regional/commuter rail. No wonder low ridership is an issue. The FRA needs to get its act together and allow more fuel-efficient trains such as










2 tph during rush hour and possibly one every hour outside that timeframe are probably the necessary to get the system to a minimally acceptable level of service. Also, stations need to be connected. Unless these measures are taken, I am afraid there is a risk of a backlash against spending on commuter lines due to poor ridership figures...


----------



## phoenixboi08

Robi_damian said:


> ^^ Beautiful infrastructure, but at 4 round trips that is not regional/commuter rail. No wonder low ridership is an issue. The FRA needs to get its act together and allow more fuel-efficient trains such as
> 
> 2 tph during rush hour and possibly one every hour outside that timeframe are probably the necessary to get the system to a minimally acceptable level of service. Also, stations need to be connected. Unless these measures are taken, I am afraid there is a risk of a backlash against spending on commuter lines due to poor ridership figures...


I thought those FRA stipulations only matter for passenger lines that share tracks with freight trains (or, likely, cross state lines)...? I've never _truly_ figured out when it's at play.


----------



## M-NL

SounderBruce said:


> *Everett*
> 
> Opened: February 2002
> Other Trains: Amtrak Cascades, Amtrak Empire Builder
> Other Services: Swift bus rapid transit, Community Transit, Everett Transit, Sound Transit Express, Skagit Transit, Greyhound, Northwest Trailways


Why the huge station building for just 3 tracks, 2 platforms and just a handful of trains a day? The maintenance of the building alone, no wonder trains operate at a loss.


----------



## SounderBruce

Robi_damian said:


> ^^ Beautiful infrastructure, but at 4 round trips that is not regional/commuter rail. No wonder low ridership is an issue. The FRA needs to get its act together and allow more fuel-efficient trains such as.
> 
> 2 tph during rush hour and possibly one every hour outside that timeframe are probably the necessary to get the system to a minimally acceptable level of service. Also, stations need to be connected. Unless these measures are taken, I am afraid there is a risk of a backlash against spending on commuter lines due to poor ridership figures...


It's still commuter rail, since it carries rush hour traffic into the city center. It is by no means regional rail (which is commonly defined as all-day bi-directional service). Note that Seattle has almost no experience with running rail transit, since we've relied almost entirely on our very strong bus system since the 1940s, and that the rail system as a whole only began in 2000.

The corridor itself is highly congested, with only a single track bounded to the west by open water and to the east by high (and mudslide-prone) cliffs that have very wealthy residents living on top of them. BNSF gives preference to their freight trains, more often than not carrying crude oil from North Dakota or refined oil from Anacortes, WA to the ports of Seattle and Tacoma. In addition, the train only has one stop in Seattle, so most office workers opt for a bus that gets them closer to their workplace and avoids backtracking through downtown.



M-NL said:


> Why the huge station building for just 3 tracks, 2 platforms and just a handful of trains a day? The maintenance of the building alone, no wonder trains operate at a loss.


The building is also the regional bus station (which gets quite a bit more use) for local and intercity express buses. It also houses some social programs (unemployment services and classrooms) as well as a public meeting space on its top floor.


----------



## 00Zy99

phoenixboi08 said:


> I thought those FRA stipulations only matter for passenger lines that share tracks with freight trains (or, likely, cross state lines)...? I've never _truly_ figured out when it's at play.


FRA regulations apply to all systems where trains run on tracks shared by freight trains or that connect to the national rail network. The only exception if there is a VERY strict time separation (with derails and the like installed) between the non-standard stock and everything else.

There was a time-separation code for the Newark Subway (light rail) for a few years until freight service on the line ended. There is currently a time-separation in place for the Camden-Trenton River Line. 

Caltrain is applying for a waiver for their new EMU stock to operate alongside some diesel equipment with PTC installed, and looks likely to get it. Freight would be restricted to the very late night.

Interestingly, the PATH service between North Jersey and Manhattan also is subject to FRA rules despite not actually being connected to the network. This is a legacy of the fact that it used to share trackage with the PRR until about 1967 and that it continues to run alongside the NEC for some distance with virtually no separation.



M-NL said:


> Why the huge station building for just 3 tracks, 2 platforms and just a handful of trains a day? The maintenance of the building alone, no wonder trains operate at a loss.


It is a major bus hub, as can be seen.

Also, it houses a cafe on the first floor (iirc), and offices for either the transit authority or the city on the upper floors.


----------



## SounderBruce

00Zy99 said:


> Also, it houses a cafe on the first floor (iirc), and offices for either the transit authority or the city on the upper floors.


The station does not have offices for the city or transit authority. The city is based in downtown within the county government campus, while the transit authorities have their offices next to their bus garages (Everett Transit is a few blocks east, Community Transit is close to the Boeing plant).


----------



## 00Zy99

I stand corrected. 

In fact, I sit corrected.

I sit corrected preemptively by the post before mine.


----------



## Infospona

All photo on this page is fantastic


----------



## Nexis

*Seeing an old Syracuse rail service in a new way: Is there renewed hope for the Ontrack corridor?*

http://www.syracuse.com/kirst/index.ssf/2015/06/ontrack_and_downtown_syracuse_and_eric_ennis_and_passenger_rail.html


----------



## Nexis

*North Jersey Coast Line at South Amboy*



> Number of Tracks : 2
> Electrification : 12 kV 25 Hz AC
> Type : At Grade
> Daily Usage : 1,050 Passengers
> Opened : 1938
> Rebuilt : 2005 - 2010 (2 Phases)
> Service Type : Every 30 Minutes



North Jersey Coast Line at South Amboy Station by Corey Best, on Flickr


North Jersey Coast Line at South Amboy Station by Corey Best, on Flickr


North Jersey Coast Line at South Amboy Station by Corey Best, on Flickr


North Jersey Coast Line at South Amboy Station by Corey Best, on Flickr


North Jersey Coast Line at South Amboy Station by Corey Best, on Flickr


North Jersey Coast Line at South Amboy Station by Corey Best, on Flickr


North Jersey Coast Line at South Amboy Station by Corey Best, on Flickr


North Jersey Coast Line at South Amboy Station by Corey Best, on Flickr


North Jersey Coast Line at South Amboy Station by Corey Best, on Flickr


North Jersey Coast Line at South Amboy Station by Corey Best, on Flickr


North Jersey Coast Line at South Amboy Station by Corey Best, on Flickr


North Jersey Coast Line at South Amboy Station by Corey Best, on Flickr


North Jersey Coast Line at South Amboy Station by Corey Best, on Flickr


North Jersey Coast Line at South Amboy Station by Corey Best, on Flickr


North Jersey Coast Line in South Amboy,NJ by Corey Best, on Flickr


North Jersey Coast Line in South Amboy,NJ by Corey Best, on Flickr


----------



## Fan Railer




----------



## Nexis

*Long Island Railroad - Belmont Park Upgrade​*
Refurbished Belmont Park Station by Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York, on Flickr


Refurbished Belmont Park Station by Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York, on Flickr


Refurbished Belmont Park Station by Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York, on Flickr


----------



## Fan Railer

A little bit of fruit from my NEC Arrow III trip yesterday evening:


----------



## Nexis

Planned SEPTA Regional Rail Station upgrades over the next 5 yrs


*9th Street / New Station*


> ( Lansdale/Doylestown Line ) Work includes construction of a new ADA Accessible Regional Rail Station with high level platforms, passenger shelters, bicycle amenities, and parking lot.
> 
> - Number of Tracks : 1
> 
> - Budget: $3.8M
> 
> - Design Complete
> 
> - Construction Start: Spring 2015
> 
> - Construction Complete: Fall 2015


*Ardmore Station*


> (Thorndale Line) SEPTA is proposing several improvements to Ardmore Station, including a new station building, high level platforms, modifications to the existing pedestrian tunnel, new canopies and passenger shelters, and site and circulation improvements.
> 
> - Number of Tracks : 4
> 
> - Budget: $29.9M
> 
> - Design Ongoing
> 
> - Construction Start: Spring 2016
> 
> - Construction Complete: Fall 2019


*Secane Station *


> (Media/Elwyn Regional Rail Line)
> 
> Work includes a complete renewal of station facilities including a new station building with canopy, new high level platforms, pedestrian tunnel and significant parking facility expansion. Project also includes ADA enhancements.
> 
> - Number of Tracks : 2
> 
> - Budget: $21.3 M
> 
> - Design Ongoing
> 
> - Construction Start: Summer 2015
> 
> - Construction Complete: Spring 2017


*Levittown *


> (Trenton Regional Rail Line)
> 
> Work includes station improvements construction of high level platforms, elevators, pedestrian overpass, improved inter-modal service connections and parking expansion. Project also includes ADA enhancements.
> 
> Number of Tracks : 4
> 
> - Budget: $35.5 M
> 
> - Design Complete
> 
> - Construction Start: Summer 2015
> 
> - Construction Complete: Spring 2018


*
East Falls Station*


> (Manayunk/Norristown Regional Rail Line)
> 
> Work includes modernization of station facilities and ADA accessibility improvements. Project also includes ADA enhancements.
> 
> - Number of Tracks : 2
> 
> - Budget: $19.5 M
> 
> - Design Start: Winter 2017
> 
> - Construction Start: Winter 2019
> 
> - Construction Complete: Winter 2021



*Exton Station and Inter-Modal Improvements*


> (Paoli/Thorndale Regional Rail Line)
> 
> SEPTA and Amtrak are partnering to implement overall station improvements to Exton Station. The project improvements will include the construction of high-level boarding platforms, ramps and stairs, a new station building, new canopies, and open air shelters. Upon completion of the improvements, Exton Station will be fully upgraded and ADA complaint. The new high-level platforms will also allow for more efficient operations.
> 
> - Number of Tracks : 3
> 
> - Budget: $23.4 M
> 
> - Design Complete
> 
> - Construction Start: Summer 2015
> 
> - Construction Complete: Spring 2017



*Conshohocken Station*


> (Manayunk/Norristown Regional Rail Line)
> 
> Work includes accessibility improvements. Project Budget $15M. Project also includes ADA enhancements.
> 
> - Number of Tracks : 2
> 
> - Budget: $15.0 M
> 
> - Design Start: Winter 2017
> 
> - Construction Start: Winter 2019


*Yardley Station*


> (West Trenton Line)
> 
> Work includes a complete renewal of station facilities including high level boarding platform, ADA compliant ramp and stairs, two open air shelters and a complete signage, site accessory and lighting upgrade.
> 
> - Number of Tracks : 3
> 
> - Budget: $5.5M
> 
> - Design: Complete
> 
> - Construction Start: Summer 2016
> 
> - Construction Complete: Fall 2017
> 
> 
> - Construction Complete: Fall 2020


Source : http://septa.org/rebuilding/station/overview.html


----------



## Nexis

*Catenary Replacements*

*Media/Elwyn Regional Rail Line Catenary Replacement*



> Work includes replacing 17 miles of 80+ year old overhead catenary wire. Also includes construction of new catenary support poles.
> 
> 
> Budget: $10.7 M
> 
> 
> Design Complete
> 
> 
> Construction Start: Spring 2014
> 
> 
> Construction Complete: Winter 2017



*30th St. West Catenary Replacement*



> This project will replace and modernize the SEPTA overhead contact (catenary) system from 30th Street Station westbound to K and Zoo interlockings, an area that includes SEPTA's Powelton Yard. The work being performed also includes repairs to aging catenary support structures, foundations, retaining walls, tunnels, and site drainage.
> 
> Budget: $77.0 M
> 
> Design Start: Winter 2015
> 
> Construction Start: Winter 2018
> 
> Construction Complete: Fall 2020


Source : http://septa.org/rebuilding/power-infrastructure/overview.html


----------



## Nexis

*SEPTA Bridge replacements / Overhauls*

*Media/Elwyn Regional Rail Line Crum Creek Viaduct (M.P 11.87)*



> Work will replace this 925-foot-long, 100-foot-high bridge, which was originally constructed in 1895 and repaired in 1983.
> 
> Budget: $89.9M
> 
> Design Complete
> 
> Construction Start: Winter 2015
> 
> Construction Complete: Summer 2017
> *Construction Update: The contractor continues to construct the access road and stream crossings for the project.*



*Media/Elwyn Regional Rail Line Bridge Repairs*



> Work will replace the timbers, complete superstructure and substructure steel repairs and reinforcement, and painting for the Cobbs Creek, Darby Creek, and Ridley Creek Viaducts. Work will be progressed in 2 phases. Phase 1 construction at Cobbs Creek and Darby Creek Viaducts included the replacement of existing timber ties, trackwork, and walkways with new materials and new safety railings. The top flange of the steel girders were also repaired and painted during the tie replacement process.
> 
> Phase 2 construction will include the same work as in Phase 1, for the Ridley Creek Viaduct, as well as structural repairs, painting, retaining walls, embankment stabilization and stream scour protection for all three Viaducts.
> 
> 
> Budget: $35 M
> 
> Design Complete
> 
> Construction Start, Phase 2: Summer 2015
> 
> Construction Complete: Fall 2016
> *Construction Update: The construction contact has been awarded. Notice to proceed was issued on May 7, 2015.*



*Chestnut Hill West Regional Rail Line Bridge Repair*



> Work will rehabilitate Bridge 0.35, constructed in 1916, spanning over the four track Main Line.
> 
> Budget: $10.3 M
> 
> Design Complete
> 
> Construction Start: Winter 2015
> 
> Construction Complete: Winter 2016
> 
> *Construction Update: The contractor has begun demolishing concrete on the underside of the bridge. This will allow the contractor to repair the deteriorating gusset plates.*



*Regional Rail Stone Arch Bridge Rehabilitation Program*


> *Package No. 1:* Bridge restoration and repair work will continue through the fall. The contractor is active at Bridge 16.88 (Norristown Transportation Center) on the Manayunk/Norristown Line and Bridge 13.10 (North Hills) on the Lansdale/Doylestown Line. The contractor recently mobilized to Bridge 22.93 (North Wales Station), also on the Lansdale/Doylestown Line. Work includes the stabilization, repair, and rebuilding of existing stone masonry.
> 
> *Package No. 2:* Bridge restoration and repair work will continue through the fall. The contractor is active at Bridge 12.38 (Rydal Station) and 20.21 (Trevose Station) on the West Trenton Line. The contractor is preparing to mobilize to Bridge 12.12 (Wallingford Station) on the Media/Elwyn Line. Work includes the stabilization, repair, and rebuilding of existing stone masonry and installation of steel arch liners.
> 
> *Package No. 3:* Bridge restoration and repair work will continue through the fall. The contractor is active at Bridge 9.41 (Ivy Ridge Station) and 9.93 (Miquon Station) on the Manayunk/Norristown Line. The contractor is preparing to mobilize to Bridge 4.61 (Allegheny Station) on the Manayunk/Norristown Line later this summer. Work includes the stabilization, repair, and rebuilding of existing stone masonry and installation of steel arch liners.
> 
> 
> Budget: $8.3 M
> 
> Design Complete
> 
> Construction Start: Fall 2014
> 
> Construction Complete: Winter 2016
> 
> *Construction Update:* Work continues on bridges on the Manayunk/Norristown, Lansdale/Doylestown and West Trenton Lines. The Contractors have been active repairing brick and stone masonry and clearing debris from the waterway. Moving forward, the work shall include further masonry restoration and the installation of steel arch liners to reinforce the existing stone arches.


Source : http://septa.org/rebuilding/bridge-rehab/overview.html


----------



## Nexis

*Substation Program | Regional Rail & Transit*

The Substation Program will replace the major power components of the Regional Rail and Transit Traction Power Substations such as transformers, transformer breakers, trolley breakers, feeder switches, substation switchgears and protective relaying. The Regional Rail program work will focus on many substations originally built 80+ years ago. These projects will take place over the first 5 years of the Rebuilding for the Future Program, with budgets ranging from $3.4-50 million.

*Lenni Substation (Media/Elwyn Regional Rail Line)*



> Work includes new transformers, transformer breakers, trolley breakers, feeder switches, substation switchgear and protective relaying. This project will replace the major power components of the substation originally built in the 1920's.
> 
> 
> Budget: $9.1 M
> 
> Design in Progress
> 
> Physical Construction Start: Winter 2015
> 
> Construction Complete: Summer 2016



*Woodbourne Substation (West Trenton Line)*



> This substation facility does not presently exist and will be a completely new design that will be located in/near the existing Woodbourne passenger station.
> 
> Budget: $27.5 M
> 
> Design Start: Winter/Spring 2017
> 
> Construction Start: Spring/Summer 2019
> 
> Construction Complete: Fall 2020



*Morton Substation (Media/Elwyn Regional Rail Line)*



> Work includes new transformers, transformer breakers, trolley breakers, trolley and feeder switches, substation switchgear and protective relaying. This project will replace the major power components of the substation originally built in the 1920's.
> 
> 
> Budget: $9 M
> 
> Design in Progress
> 
> Physical construction start Fall 2015
> 
> Construction Complete: Fall 2016



*Jenkintown Substation (Main Regional Rail Line)*


> Work includes construction of a new Traction Power Substation with new transformers, indoor switchgear, state-of-the-art industry standard safety, protective relaying, and communications systems. In addition to the substation work, a new road will be constructed for improved access to the site.
> 
> Budget: $34 M
> 
> Design: Complete
> 
> Construction Start: Summer 2014
> 
> Construction Complete: Fall 2016
> *
> Current Update: Utilities, including PECO and stormwater lines, are being relocated. Site clearing is complete.*



*Ambler Substation (Lansdale/Doylestown Regional Rail Line)*



> Work includes new transformers, trolley breakers, feeder breakers, substation switchgear and protective relaying. This project will replace the major power components of an 80+ year old substation.
> 
> Budget: $10.87 M
> 
> Design Complete
> 
> Phsyical construction start Fall 2015
> 
> Construction Complete: Fall 2016



*Lansdale Substation (Lansdale/Doylestown Regional Rail Line)*



> Work includes new transformers, trolley breakers, feeder breakers, substation switchgear and protective relaying. This project will replace the major power components of an 80+ year old substation.
> 
> 
> Budget: $10.1 M
> 
> Design Start: Winter 2015
> 
> Construction Start: Winter 2016
> 
> Construction Complete: Summer 2017



*Wayne Junction Static Frequency Converters (Main Regional Rail Line)*


> This project is rehabilitating the existing three cycloconverter type static frequency converters that are located in a facility adjacent to SEPTA's Wayne Junction Substation. It is also adding a fourth frequency converter to the facility. The frequency converters change the 60 Hz power provided by PECO to the 25 Hz power used by the Regional Rail lines. The first phase of the project, currently underway, involves a condition assessment of the existing facilities, an evaluation of available converter upgrade technologies, and a cost benefit analysis of the rehabilitation alternatives. Subsequent phases will include final design and construction.
> 
> Budget: $55.8 M
> 
> Design Start: Winter 2015
> 
> Construction Start: Winter 2016
> 
> Construction Complete: Fall 2021






*Bethayres Substation (West Trenton Regional Rail Line)*



> Work includes new transformers, trolley breakers, feeder breakers, substation switchgear and protective relaying. This project will replace the major power components of an 80+ year old substation.
> 
> Budget: $11.5 M
> 
> Design Start: Winter 2016
> 
> Construction Start: Spring 2017
> 
> Construction Complete: Spring 2018



*Chestnut Hill East Substation (Chestnut Hill East Regional Rail Line)*



> Work includes new transformer, trolley breakers, feeder breakers, substation switchgear and protective relaying. This project will replace the major power components of an 80+ year old substation.
> 
> 
> Budget: $7.2 M
> 
> Design Start: Winter 2016
> 
> Construction Start: Winter 2018
> 
> Construction Complete: Summer 2018



*Hatboro Substation (Warminster Regional Rail Line)*



> Work includes a new transformer, a new transformer breaker, and protective relaying. This project will replace the major power components of an 80+ year old substation.
> 
> Budget: $7.2 M
> 
> Design Start: Winter 2016
> 
> Construction Start: Summer 2019
> 
> Construction Complete: Winter 2020



*Neshaminy Substation (West Trenton Regional Rail Line)*



> Work includes new transformers, trolley breakers, feeder breakers, substation switchgear and protective relaying. This project will replace the major power components of an 80+ year old substation.
> 
> Budget: $9.8 M
> 
> Design Start: Winter 2016
> 
> Construction Start: Summer 2018
> 
> Construction Complete: Summer 2019



*Yardley Substation (West Trenton Regional Rail Line)*



> Work includes new transformers, trolley breakers, feeder breakers, substation switchgear and protective relaying. This project will replace the major power components of an 80+ year old substation.
> 
> Budget: $9.8 M
> 
> Design Start: Winter 2016
> 
> Construction Start: Fall 2019
> 
> Construction Complete: Fall 2020





Source : http://septa.org/rebuilding/substation/overview.html


----------



## Nexis

*SEPTA announces Fortuna rail station will stay open, as talks slated on nearby housing project*

http://www.thereporteronline.com/general-news/20150615/septa-announces-fortuna-rail-station-will-stay-open-as-talks-slated-on-nearby-housing-project?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter


----------



## dumbfword

Cop pulls drunk driver to safety after crashing into a grade crossing.


----------



## mrsmartman

*MTA in line for federal positive train control loan*


----------



## Nexis

Westbound New Jersey Transit Atlantic line train passing Woodcrest PATCO station


NJ Transit Atlantic City Line by ExactoCreation, on Flickr


----------



## Nexis

* MTA seeks $58 million for new MARC engines *

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-marc-locomotives-20150807-story.html


----------



## Nexis

Meet on the fly by Ian Martin, on Flickr


----------



## Tower Dude

Looks like MARC has decided to say screw Amtrak in having anything to do with electric locomotives.


----------



## Fan Railer

Tower Dude said:


> Looks like MARC has decided to say screw Amtrak in having anything to do with electric locomotives.


Nothing new here at all. There've been rumblings for years about MARC ditching electric power for an all diesel fleet.

On another note, NJT's electric fleet is still going strong lol:


----------



## Tower Dude

Fair enough though I'll just chalk that up to Maryland and they seeming contempt they have for transit


----------



## 00Zy99

The really sad thing is that SEPTA just announced an order for new ACS-64 Sprinters. It would have been easy to piggyback on that and get a good deal.


----------



## Tower Dude

Ya but SEPTA owns most of their electric trackage MARC does not


----------



## Fan Railer

00Zy99 said:


> The really sad thing is that SEPTA just announced an order for new ACS-64 Sprinters. It would have been easy to piggyback on that and get a good deal.





Tower Dude said:


> Ya but SEPTA owns most of their electric trackage MARC does not


Precisely. MARC only has one electrified line, the Penn Line, which is basically commuter service on Amtrak owned Northeast Corridor trackage. MARC has complained that Amtrak charges exorbitant prices for electric power supply, and also, MARC doesn't want to maintain two separate fleets (diesel & electric). Under the current set up, Amtrak does most of the maintenance on the MARC fleet, but with the fleet pretty much falling apart (the toasters barely work, and the HHP-8s being the sole remaining members of their class), and Amtrak's reluctance to continue maintaining MARC's electric fleet coupled with MARC's reluctance to continue paying Amtrak's electricity fees, it makes more sense to convert to an all-diesel fleet of locomotives. Remember that if MARC were to purchase ACS-64s, they would have to do the maintenance on the electrics themselves; something that MARC doesn't want to do.

Now SEPTA is a completely different system. 100% of the track that Regional Rail runs on is electrified, and only a portion of that track is Amtrak owned. In addition, SEPTA wishes to expand push-pull operations, so it makes sense for them to order new electric locomotives to replace the aging AEM-7s and ALP-44 still in service now.


----------



## 00Zy99

I was unaware that the toasters were dying.

I DO know that the long-term plan for the Penn Line called for a "subway-like service" from DC to Baltimore, and I seem to recall that they were discussing electrification up to Camden Yards (and through to Mount Royal).


----------



## Fan Railer

00Zy99 said:


> I was unaware that the toasters were dying.
> 
> I DO know that the long-term plan for the Penn Line called for a "subway-like service" from DC to Baltimore, and I seem to recall that they were discussing electrification up to Camden Yards (and through to Mount Royal).


The MARC toasters have been a MESS for a while now (ever since their failed rebuild a number of years back). There's a reason MARC never runs the three remaining toasters separately. You'll always see MARC toasters run as pairs.


----------



## Fan Railer




----------



## Nexis

*One Dead, One Injured After Plane Crashes On LIRR Tracks*

http://gothamist.com/2015/08/16/long_island_lirr_plane_crash.php

Some Photos from the MTA 


LIRR Plane Crash Track Repairs by Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York, on Flickr


LIRR Plane Crash Track Repairs by Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York, on Flickr


LIRR Plane Crash Track Repairs by Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York, on Flickr


LIRR Plane Crash Track Repairs by Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York, on Flickr


----------



## Nexis

> * Metro-North's New Haven Line Breaks Ridership Record *
> 
> NEW HAVEN — With a 1.6 percent gain over 2013, Metro-North's New Haven line carried more riders in 2014 than in any year of its history, the railroad reported Monday.
> 
> Fairfield County riders going to Manhattan jobs are still the largest single piece of the customer base, but the growth is coming from Connecticut and Westchester County, N.Y., workers commuting to jobs in Stamford, Norwalk and Greenwich, along with off-peak riders to New York City.


Read More Here : http://www.ctnow.com/hc-metro-north-record-ridership-0428-20150427-story.html


----------



## Nexis




----------



## Nexis

*New Haven Line at the Mianus River Bridge in Greenwich,CT​*


> Built : 1904
> Number of Tracks : 4
> Type : Deck Girder,Bascule
> To be replaced



Metro North - Mianus River Railroad Bridge by Corey Best, on Flickr


Metro North - Mianus River Railroad Bridge by Corey Best, on Flickr


Metro North - Mianus River Railroad Bridge by Corey Best, on Flickr


----------



## Nexis

> *Litchfield County municipal officials debate importance of rail travel*
> 
> By Kaitlin McCallum, [email protected]
> Posted: 02/11/15, 5:38 PM EST | Updated: on 02/12/2015
> 
> Request for support of a study into passenger service between Waterbury and Torrington met with similar concern, with some skepticism.
> 
> While state Department of Transportation officials have said the line has insufficient ridership to upgrade, Richard Lynn said there has never been any supporting data. A study — of unknown cost — would provide the data and let the DOT and area officials know how to proceed.
> 
> “There are also maintenance issues [regarding the line] ... but it also has significant potential to enhace our transporation infrastructure,” Lynn said.
> 
> The old commuter station in Torrington has been torn down, and Timothy Waldron, assistant to Torrington Mayor Elinor Carbone, said the mayor, on the whole, is in favor of the proposal, though she, too, is interested in seeing dollar amounts for the project.


Read More here : http://www.registercitizen.com/general-news/20150211/litchfield-county-municipal-officials-debate-importance-of-rail-travel


----------



## Nexis

*$4M Norwalk dock yard work intended to enhance rail service*

https://www.nancyonnorwalk.com/2015/07/4m-dock-yard-work-intended-to-enhance-rail-service/


----------



## Nexis

> *Metrolink examining safety of state-of-the-art rail cars in wake of Oxnard crash *
> 
> *By Dan Weikel *
> 
> The evaluation marks a setback in the regional passenger railroad's campaign to employ advanced safety technology to help rebuild public confidence after a 2008 head-on collision in Chatsworth killed 28 and injured 135.
> 
> 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.
> 
> The use of such “cab cars” is common practice among the nation's commuter railroads when trains reverse direction at the end of a line.


Read More at : http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-metrolink-safety-20150903-story.html

So much for tank trains being safer then UIC trains....


----------



## zaphod

Metrolink sure has been handy as a real world testbed for rail crash tech, hasn't it 

Is the network cursed?


----------



## Rodalvesdepaula

Are there demand to a NJ Transit commuter train between New York - Penn Station and Philadephia - Jefferson Station, to operate only in rush hours and calling at all stations bewteen these two cities?


----------



## Nexis

Rodalvesdepaula said:


> Are there demand to a NJ Transit commuter train between New York - Penn Station and Philadephia - Jefferson Station, to operate only in rush hours and calling at all stations bewteen these two cities?


Not really , Amtrak covers the Intercity portion...and they'll block any attempt at that... They used to have an Amtrak service that did run that route but NJT took over the service in 2005... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clocker_%28train%29


----------



## Rodalvesdepaula

Ah, the Clockers... These commuter-regional trains were operated by PRR and Amtrak during many decades. 

This train should never have ceased to operate. Nowadays, Clocker cloud be an option for NJ Transit trains and a cheaper way to travel from Philly and NY, competing with Chinatown buses. A "new" Clocker service could be operated in a partnership between Amtrak, NJ Transit and SEPTA, with an Amtrak locomotive pulling NJT Comet V cars and NJT/SEPTA staff between Penn Station and 30th Street Station (or Philadelphia Airport).


----------



## Nexis

Rodalvesdepaula said:


> Ah, the Clockers... These commuter-regional trains were operated by PRR and Amtrak during many decades.
> 
> This train should never have ceased to operate. Nowadays, Clocker cloud be an option for NJ Transit trains and a cheaper way to travel from Philly and NY, competing with Chinatown buses. A "new" Clocker service could be operated in a partnership between Amtrak, NJ Transit and SEPTA, with an Amtrak locomotive pulling NJT Comet V cars and NJT/SEPTA staff between Penn Station and 30th Street Station (or Philadelphia Airport).


Its only slightly faster...its 75mins to Trenton from NYP and 45mins to Center City Philly by connecting SEPTA train.


----------



## Rodalvesdepaula

Yes, but a "new" Clocker would provide a cheaper and fast service between NY and Philly without change of trains in Trenton. 

The distance from Penn Station to 30th Street Station is 95 miles. At average speed at 55 mph, Clocker trains would run from NY to Philly in 103 minutes. It is slower than NE Regional and Acela (of course...), but it is faster than NJT plus SEPTA trains. For those who commute in this corridor, it is a great advantage. Slower trains are cheaper to maintain.

Clocker could operate only in rush hour. There is a suggestion of a schedule:

*Departures from 30th Station:* 05:00 06:00 07:00 16:00 17:00

*Departures from Penn Station:* 05:30 06:30 16:30 17:30 18:30 22:30 (only in Friday)


----------



## Nexis

Rodalvesdepaula said:


> Yes, but a "new" Clocker would provide a cheaper and fast service between NY and Philly without change of trains in Trenton.
> 
> The distance from Penn Station to 30th Street Station is 95 miles. At average speed at 55 mph, Clocker trains would run from NY to Philly in 103 minutes. It is slower than NE Regional and Acela (of course...), but it is faster than NJT plus SEPTA trains. For those who commute in this corridor, it is a great advantage. Slower trains are cheaper to maintain.
> 
> Clocker could operate only in rush hour. There is a suggestion of a schedule:
> 
> *Departures from 30th Station:* 05:00 06:00 07:00 16:00 17:00
> 
> *Departures from Penn Station:* 05:30 06:30 16:30 17:30 18:30 22:30 (only in Friday)


Its 15$ to Trenton & 8$ to Center City... There really isn't a demand for a slow service , True HSR is in demand...and more infill stations for SEPTA would be nice. But a return of Clocker service isn't...


----------



## Nexis

*Cab Ride. USA. Fox Lake - Chicago*


----------



## Rodalvesdepaula

Nexis said:


> Its 15$ to Trenton & 8$ to Center City... There really isn't a demand for a slow service , True HSR is in demand...and more infill stations for SEPTA would be nice. But a return of Clocker service isn't...


I understood. Passengers can buy NJT tickets for Northeast Corridor Line in 30th Street Station?

I saw in a website that Jefferson Station could be the HSR station for Philly. But, I believe Amtrak will use 30th Street for HSR in Philadelphia.

How much cost a NE Regional ticket from Philly to NY? Acela Express is much more expensive, of course.


----------



## Nexis

Rodalvesdepaula said:


> I understood. Passengers can buy NJT tickets for Northeast Corridor Line in 30th Street Station?
> 
> I saw in a website that Jefferson Station could be the HSR station for Philly. But, I believe Amtrak will use 30th Street for HSR in Philadelphia.
> 
> How much cost a NE Regional ticket from Philly to NY? Acela Express is much more expensive, of course.


Yes you can buy a Philly Ticket at any NJT station...its for the connecting SEPTA service which is usually right across the platform in Trenton. Amtrak tickets vary depending on when you buy , same with Bus. Its an average of 35$ for a one way. So the local service is cheaper... Well the True HSR Services would shift to Market East...while Intercity and more Regional Service would use 30th Street.


----------



## 00Zy99

Given the capacity constraints at Penn Station and the desire to avoid redundancy, I would put the best run as being Hoboken-Philly Airport via West Trenton and Jenkintown. Of course, I'm somewhat biased given that Jenkintown is a five minute walk from my house....

However, this WOULD tap the more affluent suburbs located inland along the SEPTA West Trenton Line. It would also avoid paying more fees to Amtrak than absolutely necessary. And by going to Hoboken, you can connect to PATH for Midtown and Downtown access.

On the other hand, following the Pennsylvania/NEC line would tap Cornwells Heights, which is a major Park-and-Ride, and would enable commuting from Princeton and New Brunswick to Philadelphia (a tiny but growing market).


----------



## Nexis

*Advocates, former govs urge Baker to take up Boston rail link *


> By Lauren Dezenski 5:00 a.m. | Sep. 9, 2015
> 
> The finished tunnel, bored beneath the central artery running through the city’s core, could include between two and four rail lines and is estimated to cost anywhere between $2 billion and $8 billion dollars.
> [.....]
> “With the current building boom in Boston, if we don’t act now, it will be the death of rail unification,” Bellows said, noting key parcels of land necessary for the rail expansion are being carved up and developed, including the Cambridge’s North Point, Widett Circle in South Boston, and the Hook Lobster property in the Financial District.


Read More Here : http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/null/2015/09/8576269/advocates-former-govs-urge-baker-take-boston-rail-link


----------



## Nexis

00Zy99 said:


> Given the capacity constraints at Penn Station and the desire to avoid redundancy, I would put the best run as being Hoboken-Philly Airport via West Trenton and Jenkintown. Of course, I'm somewhat biased given that Jenkintown is a five minute walk from my house....
> 
> However, this WOULD tap the more affluent suburbs located inland along the SEPTA West Trenton Line. It would also avoid paying more fees to Amtrak than absolutely necessary. And by going to Hoboken, you can connect to PATH for Midtown and Downtown access.
> 
> On the other hand, following the Pennsylvania/NEC line would tap Cornwells Heights, which is a major Park-and-Ride, and would enable commuting from Princeton and New Brunswick to Philadelphia (a tiny but growing market).


I would love to see restored service between Hoboken & Philly via West Trenton.... They could buy a dozen RDC Budd trains for a starter service...servicing the following stops for limit service and rush hr service. It would not stop at every station nor would it be fully electrified due to CSX and NJT...You would just have to upgrade a few things like Waterfront Connection , build a Flying JCT for Raritan Valley x NEC in Newark and Double track the West Trenton line.

Local Service -- 10 Roundtrips 

Hoboken Terminal
Newark Penn Station
Union
Cranford
Westfield
Plainfield
Bound Brook
Hillsborough 
Belle Mead
Hopewell
Pennington
Hopewell - I-95
West Trenton
Woodbourne 
Langhorne
Somerton
Philmont
Bethayres
Jenkintown-Wyncote
Elkins Park
Fern Rock TC
Wayne Junction
Tempe University 
Market East Station
Suburban Station
30th Street Station

Express Service -- 2 Round Trips during rush hr

Hoboken Terminal
Newark Penn Station
Cranford
Westfield
Plainfield
Hopewell - I-95
West Trenton
Woodbourne 
Langhorne
Jenkintown-Wyncote
Wayne Junction
Tempe University 
Market East Station
Suburban Station
30th Street Station


----------



## 00Zy99

Actually, you'd need dual-mode locos if you wanted to go in the Center City Commuter Tunnel-SEPTA removed the diesel fans (against complaints) from the designs.

So an ALP-45DP and seven bi-levels (SEPTA can't handle longer trains and you need as much capacity as possible).

I'd also add a Crusader-like service:

30th St
Suburban
Market East
Temple University
Fern Rock (maybe)
Jenkintown
West Trenton
Cranford
Newark Penn
Hoboken

If you did some upgrades to the tracks, you could possibly get a trip time of ~75-90 minutes. That's competitive with almost anything else on the market.


----------



## phoenixboi08

...is there some sort of primer on transit service [planning]...?
I try to wrap my head around some of the stuff going on here, but sometimes it doesn't quite "click."

Just curious to be able to understand some basic assumptions at hand when these ideas are brought up.


----------



## Nexis

phoenixboi08 said:


> ...is there some sort of primer on transit service [planning]...?
> I try to wrap my head around some of the stuff going on here, but sometimes it doesn't quite "click."
> 
> Just curious to be able to understand some basic assumptions at hand when these ideas are brought up.


There is the NJT West Trenton Commuter Rail Project...that would restore service between West Trenton and New York/Hoboken.... But that project is stalled due to lack of capacity on the NEC. Although Hoboken Terminal is under capacity...so they do have the room for a few more lines to feed into them. The Waterfront connection would need grade separation along with the South Newark Raritan Valley merge.


----------



## 00Zy99

Both the Waterfront and Raritan Valley junction improvements are being planned.


----------



## Nexis

00Zy99 said:


> Both the Waterfront and Raritan Valley junction improvements are being planned.


Its in within the Gateway Project...which is inching along.


----------



## Rodalvesdepaula

Nexis said:


> I would love to see restored service between Hoboken & Philly via West Trenton.... They could buy a dozen RDC Budd trains for a starter service...servicing the following stops for limit service and rush hr service. It would not stop at every station nor would it be fully electrified due to CSX and NJT...You would just have to upgrade a few things like Waterfront Connection , build a Flying JCT for Raritan Valley x NEC in Newark and Double track the West Trenton line.
> 
> Local Service -- 10 Roundtrips
> 
> Hoboken Terminal
> Newark Penn Station
> Union
> Cranford
> Westfield
> Plainfield
> Bound Brook
> Hillsborough
> Belle Mead
> Hopewell
> Pennington
> Hopewell - I-95
> West Trenton
> Woodbourne
> Langhorne
> Somerton
> Philmont
> Bethayres
> Jenkintown-Wyncote
> Elkins Park
> Fern Rock TC
> Wayne Junction
> Tempe University
> Market East Station
> Suburban Station
> 30th Street Station
> 
> Express Service -- 2 Round Trips during rush hr
> 
> Hoboken Terminal
> Newark Penn Station
> Cranford
> Westfield
> Plainfield
> Hopewell - I-95
> West Trenton
> Woodbourne
> Langhorne
> Jenkintown-Wyncote
> Wayne Junction
> Tempe University
> Market East Station
> Suburban Station
> 30th Street Station


This commuter service could be operated in a partnership between SEPTA, NJT and Port Authority, using NJT Arrow EMU's with NJT/SEPTA staff. The ticket could include a one-way ride on PATH. In the other hand, some PATH stations (WTC, Christopher St, 9th St and 33rd St) would have NJT tickets machines with an option to buy tickets to Philly via PATH.


----------



## 00Zy99

Rodalvesdepaula said:


> This commuter service could be operated in a partnership between SEPTA, NJT and Port Authority, using NJT Arrow EMU's with NJT/SEPTA staff. The ticket could include a one-way ride on PATH. In the other hand, some PATH stations (WTC, Christopher St, 9th St and 33rd St) would have NJT tickets machines with an option to buy tickets to Philly via PATH.


The problem is that the line isn't electrified from West Trenton to Aldene (where it joins the NEC near Newark).


----------



## Rodalvesdepaula

00Zy99 said:


> The problem is that the line isn't electrified from West Trenton to Aldene (where it joins the NEC near Newark).


In this case, ALP-45 dual-mode locomotives could be operated in the line. By the way, a NJT commuter train via West Trenton and Roselle Park could help to reduce NJT commuter bus traffic in the overcrowded PABT, with an intermodal ticket*. 

But, I believe that a rush service between 30th Street and Hoboken via NEC could have a good ridership too. This service would make stops at all NEC stations from 30th Street to Newark.





*Good for a city bus ride + NJT commuter train to Hoboken or Penn Station (free change in Newark).


----------



## 00Zy99

Rodalvesdepaula said:


> In this case, ALP-45 dual-mode locomotives could be operated in the line. By the way, a NJT commuter train via West Trenton and Roselle Park could help to reduce NJT commuter bus traffic in the overcrowded PABT, with an intermodal ticket.


I suppose that you'd be diverting Route 1 buses over to the new stations and having people ride the train to PATH and/or ferries?



> But, I believe that a rush service between 30th Street and Hoboken via NEC could have a good ridership too. This service would make stops at all NEC stations from 30th Street to Newark.


Not every station. You could probably skip a few stops like Linden and Metropark along the NJ side. And there TONS of minor stations with small numbers of commuters in PA that you wouldn't bother to stop at.


----------



## Nexis

The Route 1 buses service all those corporate offices and retail jobs along the corridor. So diverting them to lessen ridership wouldn't do much. You might be able to shift some NEC riders over to the West Trenton line...since half of them drive. Where the Route 1 bus users mainly come from the college areas or poorer cities...


----------



## Rodalvesdepaula

00Zy99 said:


> I suppose that you'd be diverting Route 1 buses over to the new stations and having people ride the train to PATH and/or ferries?


Not all buses. 

Some city buses from Somerset and Hunterdon Counties could operate only for NJT Plainfield Station, with increase of local schedule. Commuter lines 113 and 114 (for example) would change for integrated lines with NJT Raritan Valley and "West Trenton" lines. The ticket would allow a intermodal ride between city bus, train (with a free change to NEC trains in Newark, at request), PATH and/or ferries to Lower Manhattan. 

As an option, a commuter rush-hour express bus from Plainfield region to PABT could be created.


----------



## Rodalvesdepaula

00Zy99 said:


> Not every station. You could probably skip a few stops like Linden and Metropark along the NJ side. And there TONS of minor stations with small numbers of commuters in PA that you wouldn't bother to stop at.


I agree. 

This rush-hour service from 30th Street to Hoboken could stop in these stations:

North Philadelphia
Trenton
Princeton Junction
New Brunswich
Metropark
Linden
Elizabeth
Newark Liberty Airport
Newark
Hoboken


----------



## 00Zy99

I would add Cornwell Heights and drop Linden and Elizabeth (probably). 

I would also route it through 30th Street upper level and terminate service at Suburban Station.


----------



## Rodalvesdepaula

Suburban Station? I think Jefferson Station is a better choice...


----------



## Nexis

Rodalvesdepaula said:


> Suburban Station? I think Jefferson Station is a better choice...


Jefferson replaced Market East ...not Suburban...


----------



## Rodalvesdepaula

^^No... I said Jefferson Station is a better station to terminate this service than Suburban.


----------



## Nexis

Rodalvesdepaula said:


> ^^No... I said Jefferson Station is a better station to terminate this service than Suburban.


Suburban is closer to the Financial heart of Philly...Market East is closer to the tourist areas.


----------



## 00Zy99

There ARE a fair amount of businesses and other draws at Market East. The problem is that the system is NOT set up for terminating trains there. If you stop at Market East, you basically have to continue on to Temple University, and then dead-head to Wayne Junction (there's not much traffic for such an operation there and the best yard spot is just south of the platforms). The tracks aren't really set up to allow anything else, as I can tell from personal experience with watching SEPTA operations.

Of course, you COULD simply continue back around through Jenkintown and West Trenton, running the trains in a loop, but I don't know if that's the best idea.


----------



## Nexis




----------



## Nexis




----------



## Nexis

> *Valley residents left waiting at the station*
> By Michael P. Mayko Updated 12:03 am, Tuesday, September 22, 2015
> 
> Which, according to Ansonia Mayor David Cassetti, means more trains traveling from Bridgeport to Waterbury.
> 
> “We need at least three more trains,” the mayor said. “We’re trying to build more apartments in our downtown. Those residents are going to need the train to get to and from work.”
> 
> [.....]
> At the Bridgeport train station, Murphy made a pitch for $2 billion to repair, refurbish and increase service on the line, which carries at least 1,000 commuters a day between Bridgeport, Derby, Ansonia and Waterbury.


Read Full Article Here : http://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Valley-residents-left-waiting-at-the-station-6519712.php


----------



## jchernin

"SMART Cars 103 & 104 made their first trip over the Haystack Bridge in Petaluma

Photo Credit: SMART Junior Engineer Jadine Otero"









https://m.facebook.com/sonomamarint...1028397555/1186357888060525/?type=3&source=48


----------



## jchernin

More pics and info:









(pics Alvin Jornada / The Press Democrat)






























> *SMART marks first crossing on new Petaluma River bridge *
> 
> BY DEREK MOORE
> THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
> October 7, 2015, 6:15PM
> 
> A Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit rail car crossed the Petaluma River for the first time Wednesday over a recently installed bridge, another major milestone in bringing passenger train service to the North Bay.
> 
> With train officials and SMART board member Jake Mackenzie looking over his shoulder, engineer Matt Shiffrar piloted the sleek two-car train toward the bridge near the Highway 101 overpass at Lakeville Highway. Once on the span, Shiffrar laid on the horn as cheers erupted from the cabin.
> 
> ...
> 
> Mackenzie predicted “hundreds of thousands” of train passengers will make the same journey in the future.
> 
> ...
> 
> Next week, work will begin on building platforms and installing ticket machines at rail stations, starting at the San Rafael site.
> 
> Engineers will be conducting high-speed tests of the rail cars on a section of track north of the Redwood Landfill in Novato, ahead of what is expected to be a full test run of the passenger line starting next summer. The 80-ton commuter trains are set to reach top speeds of 79 mph outside of cities, and SMART officials said the service is still on track to make its debut to the public late next year.
> 
> The Petaluma River bridge replacement was one of the largest single infrastructure projects for SMART in its bid to overhaul more than 42 miles of railroad in Sonoma and Marin counties. The $4.2 million replacement span, after being dismantled in Galveston, Tex., was brought by rail to the Bay Area and mostly re-assembled at Mare Island.
> 
> ...
> 
> Farhad Mansourian, the rail authority’s general manager, said board members initially thought train planners were “crazy” for wanting to replace the existing Haystack Bridge with another one brought in from halfway across the country.
> 
> ...
> 
> SMART is planning to operate seven two-car units along the route. The slope-nosed cars, called Diesel Multiple Units, run in pairs, with the ability to have a third car added in between to increase capacity. Each car has 79 seats, with standing room available for about 80 people. The cars also feature space for bicycles, Wi-Fi service and, in some cases, snack and beverage bars.
> 
> ...
> 
> While SMART remains on track to debut service next year, funding for a planned link from downtown San Rafael to the Larkspur ferry terminal still is in doubt. A congressional feud over a federal road and highway spending bill threatens $20 million the rail agency is seeking for the project.
> 
> Mansourian on Wednesday remained confident the funding will be approved.
> 
> “In the unlikely event we don’t get the funding this year, there’s always next year,” he said. “But I feel confident we’ll be in good shape.”
> 
> You can reach Staff Writer Derek Moore at 521-5336 or [email protected]. On Twitter @deadlinederek.


http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/4585798-181/smart-marks-first-crossing-on?gallery=4587515


----------



## Rodalvesdepaula

Trinity Railway Express (Fort Worth - Dallas)






In my opinion, TRE could create a rush-only express service between Fort Worth Intermodal Center and Dallas Union Station with only two stops: DFW Airport and Victory Station.


----------



## Electricron

Rodalvesdepaula said:


> Trinity Railway Express (Fort Worth - Dallas)
> 
> In my opinion, TRE could create a rush-only express service between Fort Worth Intermodal Center and Dallas Union Station with only two stops: DFW Airport and Victory Station.


I would also like to see express services too. Believe it or not, Amtrak already provides that service once each way today.

The TRE trains taking an hour to travel 34 miles within the DFW metroplex isn't too long, considering how low the TRE fares are. Amtrak's daily non-stop service with higher fares is scheduled for an hour as well. So the truth is that having fewer stop express trains doesn't save any time without track improvements to support it.

For the TRE to provide more express services it will have to at least double track the entire corridor; less than half the 34 mile long TRE corridor is double track today. And that's the rub, the TRE is half owned by DART (Dallas transit agency) and half owned by FWTA (Fort Worth transit agency). While DART may be able to easily afford double tracking the TRE corridor in Dallas County, FWTA will continue to struggle to do so in Tarrant County.


----------



## hammersklavier

Rodalvesdepaula said:


> ^^No... I said Jefferson Station is a better station to terminate this service than Suburban.


Suburban has stub tracks. Market Ea--err--Jefferson doesn't.


----------



## SounderBruce

*Tacoma Dome Station, Tacoma, WA*

The new Amtrak station at Tacoma Dome Station in Tacoma, WA (already used by Sounder commuter rail) is scheduled to open later this year.

A little update on the Tacoma Dome Amtrak station:


Tacoma Dome Station aerial by SounderBruce, on Flickr


Tacoma Dome Amtrak station by SounderBruce, on Flickr


Tacoma Dome Amtrak construction, May 2017 by SounderBruce, on Flickr


Tacoma Dome Amtrak construction, May 2017 by SounderBruce, on Flickr


Tacoma Dome Amtrak construction, May 2017 by SounderBruce, on Flickr


Tacoma Dome Amtrak construction, May 2017 by SounderBruce, on Flickr


----------



## Tower Dude

This is a single Platform/Single Track Station? If so, it's fairly upsetting we cant allocate the money to double track the station. Or that ST and Amtrak can't share a Damn Station.


----------



## SounderBruce

Tower Dude said:


> This is a single Platform/Single Track Station? If so, it's fairly upsetting we cant allocate the money to double track the station. Or that ST and Amtrak can't share a Damn Station.


It's going to be dual tracked. Not sure about the platform, but I think it's a single. The hill is steep and there's some businesses up there that would be expensive to purchase.

Sound Transit's current station is tiny and has 3 total seats. There's no room for ticket counters, baggage claim or any other Amtrak amenities, since it's right next to an active food court (whose owners nearly jeopardized the Amtrak station deal).


----------



## mrsmartman

*Could New York's Pennsylvania Station actually get rebuilt the way it was?*



treehugger said:


> I usually dislike reproductions and reconstructions, and believe that one can mix new and old. But Penn Station is a different case; it is righting a wrong, giving us back something that should never have been taken away. I wonder what Ada Louise Huxtable would have thought. What do you think?












Read More: https://www.treehugger.com/green-ar...-station-actually-get-rebuilt-way-it-was.html


----------



## mrsmartman




----------



## Hudson11

*$1.6 billion Penn Station expansion plan is a done deal*



> The Cuomo administration announced Friday afternoon it has completed a $1.6 billion deal with a group of private developers to transform the Farley Building into a western annex of Penn Station. It will house train halls for Amtrak and Long Island Railroad along with retail and commercial space.
> 
> A partnership between the Related Cos., Vornado Realty Trust and construction giant Skanska will build it and pay $630 million of its cost in return for the right to operate and collect income from the 700,000 square feet of office and retail to be created in the Farley Building.
> [...]
> The transportation facility, which will connect below ground to a recently-opened western concourse in Penn Station that provides access to 17 of the facility's 21 tracks
> [...]


----------



## Fan Railer

Leased MARC cars entered service on LIRR yesterday; will be run on trains 613/664 for the foreseeable future. Will also be expanded to a 7-car consist starting Monday. Enjoy:





Other LIRR action from yesterday:


----------



## Nexis

> New Jersey Transit Penn Station Concourse at Rush Hour


..


----------



## mrsmartman




----------



## 00Zy99

That film is mis-titled.

There's a lot from the '60s and maybe even the '70s in it.


----------



## zaphod

That Emery Gulash guy must have been a very prolific railroad photographer.

He took a lot of pictures of trains in my neck of the woods back in the 50's too.


----------



## 00Zy99

I'm looking around, and I noticed that the Santa Fe had several local stops between Chicago and Joliet that were still served by the _Grand Canyon_ until Amtrak arrived. I was wondering if anyone might have the exact locations of these stops, and possibly pictures of them?


----------



## Woonsocket54

*Carlinville, Illinois - update on new railroad station*

*"Train station on track for August opening"*

http://enquirerdemocrat.com/train-station-track-august-opening/


----------



## Woonsocket54

*Moline, Illinois - update on new railroad station and new rail service to Chicago*

*"Illinois considers another extension for Q-C rail project"*

http://qctimes.com/news/local/gover...cle_a4122fb7-9c0b-5f87-ae5c-70c72321d068.html


----------



## Woonsocket54

*Roanoke, Virginia - new rail station (opens later this year)*










https://twitter.com/JeffSturgeonRoa/status/880906475459293184


----------



## Woonsocket54

*Alton, Illinois - update on new railroad station (expected to open later this summer)*

*"Alton train station building done, site work remains, opening date not set"*










http://thetelegraph.com/news/104842...g-done-site-work-remains-opening-date-not-set


----------



## Woonsocket54

*Schenectady, New York - demolition of old train station and renderings for new one*

*Cuomo unveils new Schenectady train station design*

https://dailygazette.com/article/2017/07/11/cuomo-slated-to-make-announcement-at-proctors


----------



## Woonsocket54

*Rochester, New York - update on construction of new rail station (expected to open later this year)*

https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/video-photos-governor-cuomo-tours-rochester-train-station

Governor Cuomo Tours Rochester Train Station by governorandrewcuomo, on Flickr

Governor Cuomo Tours Rochester Train Station by governorandrewcuomo, on Flickr

Governor Cuomo Tours Rochester Train Station by governorandrewcuomo, on Flickr


----------



## Woonsocket54

Amtrak service to Roanoke, Virginia begins 2017.10.31

http://www.roanoke.com/news/local/r...cle_5aa9dc13-117a-59db-865e-6edde67ce943.html


----------



## webeagle12

Woonsocket54 said:


> *Cuomo unveils new Schenectady train station design*
> 
> https://dailygazette.com/article/2017/07/11/cuomo-slated-to-make-announcement-at-proctors


About time. Used to pass it everyday. It was in need of replacement for a while


----------



## zaphod

Woonsocket54 said:


> Amtrak service to Roanoke, Virginia begins 2017.10.31
> 
> http://www.roanoke.com/news/local/r...cle_5aa9dc13-117a-59db-865e-6edde67ce943.html


This is cool, and the kind of thing AMTK should be focusing on.

I don't know about how Roanoke in particular fares in this respect, but most small cities lack good, cheap airline service. I've flown puddle jumpers out of my city to connecting hubs, but it does add a lot to your ticket price. And because these regional flights might only operate twice a day, whatever time advantage you get from being in a plane is lost to layovers and waiting. A train wouldn't have a whole lot to compete against. Roanoke to DC and beyond is just far enough that riding in a car(even if it was an autonomous one that drove itself) kind of feels inconvenient.

Also it would be beneficial to regional economies if smaller cities had connections to bigger ones.

Another comparable city which I am surprised doesn't have regional train service is Allentown, PA. Not very far from NYC and maybe 3/4 of the route such a train would take already has commuter service on it.


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## Woonsocket54

Woonsocket54 said:


> *"Alton train station building done, site work remains, opening date not set"*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> http://thetelegraph.com/news/104842...g-done-site-work-remains-opening-date-not-set


update on Alton, IL Amtrak station - expected to open next month

http://www.stltoday.com/news/traffi...cle_3a798ae7-de71-5d4a-8562-aaa5ba6bd5c6.html









St Louis Post-Dispatch


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## Woonsocket54

zaphod said:


> Another comparable city which I am surprised doesn't have regional train service is Allentown, PA. Not very far from NYC and maybe 3/4 of the route such a train would take already has commuter service on it.


Persistent efforts to bring rail service to Allentown, PA and Manchester, NH (similar population and proximity to global business centers) have thus far been unsuccessful.


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## Woonsocket54

http://www.idothsr.org/info_center/


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## Woonsocket54

*Newly opened Rochester, NY Amtrak station*

Governor Cuomo, Congresswoman Slaughter and Amtrak Open New Rochester Rail Station by governorandrewcuomo, on Flickr

Governor Cuomo, Congresswoman Slaughter and Amtrak Open New Rochester Rail Station by governorandrewcuomo, on Flickr

Governor Cuomo, Congresswoman Slaughter and Amtrak Open New Rochester Rail Station by governorandrewcuomo, on Flickr

Governor Cuomo, Congresswoman Slaughter and Amtrak Open New Rochester Rail Station by governorandrewcuomo, on Flickr

Governor Cuomo, Congresswoman Slaughter and Amtrak Open New Rochester Rail Station by governorandrewcuomo, on Flickr


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## Woonsocket54

A renovated rail station opened in a small village in rural Illinois.


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## Woonsocket54

Renovated *Macomb, IL* Amtrak station opened this week
http://www.mcdonoughvoice.com/news/20171207/city-cuts-ribbon-on-renovated-train-station

Grand opening of new *Carlinville, IL* Amtrak station is next week
http://enquirerdemocrat.com/train-station-grand-opening-monday/


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## Woonsocket54

*Regional rail in the Pacific Northwest*

A new schedule on Amtrak Cascades goes into effect on 2017.12.18

Main changes:

2 additional daily round trips between Portland and Seattle
shorter travel time between Tacoma and Olympia due to the straight route being put into service (shared with Sounder commuter trains)

Northbound old:










Northbound new:










Southbound old:










Southbound new:


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## Woonsocket54

Woonsocket54 said:


> Grand opening of new *Carlinville, IL* Amtrak station is next week
> http://enquirerdemocrat.com/train-station-grand-opening-monday/


photos:









http://foxillinois.com/news/local/carlinville-opens-new-amtrak-station-12-11-2017









http://www.wandtv.com/story/37042998/new-carlinville-train-station-opened


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## Woonsocket54

The first Amtrak over the new routing derailed this morning near Olympia, Washington. Three deaths have been reported.




























https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/train-derails-from-bridge-onto-interstate-5-near-olympia/


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## skyridgeline

Aerial images suggest the lead car jumped the curve ( literally straight over! ). The rest of the train then buckled and derailed. And it does not looked like an 80 mph curve ( last known speed of the train) .


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## BoulderGrad

skyridgeline said:


> Aerial images suggest the lead car jumped the curve ( literally straight over! ). And it does not looked like an 80 mph curve ( last known speed of the train) .


New operator forgot/didn't acknowledge control panel warnings to slow down for the curve?


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## Sunfuns

Unbelievable if that is indeed the reason. Don't they do several weeks of driver training on any new routes?


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## M-NL

If that's the reason PTC would have prevented it from happening. Originally there was a deadline that all rail lines carrying passengers or dangerous goods had to have PTC installed before december 15, 2015. We're at the end of 2017 now and a lot of railroads aren't even close to compliance (Like Metra that estimates 2019).

Do US train drivers have to acquire proper 'route knowledge' before they can drive a route, like in the UK and the Netherlands, or can they basically be sent anywhere when they are licensed to drive a train?


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## Woonsocket54

Remains of one of the locomotives










overhead view





































https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/train-derails-from-bridge-onto-interstate-5-near-olympia/


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## sacto7654

Another thing they need to check is the possibility of sabotage. Here's why: the rail line in question is used by the military to move equipment in and out of nearby (and very active) Fort Lewis US Army base--and there are a *LOT* of anti-American _Antifa_ members and sympathizers in the Puget Sound region.


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## BoulderGrad

Sunfuns said:


> Unbelievable if that is indeed the reason. Don't they do several weeks of driver training on any new routes?


Pure speculation on my part. 

It does happen: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...before-california-crash-idUSN0152835520081002

But no indication yet if that was the case here.


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## [atomic]

That looks like the derailment a few years ago in in Santiago de Compostella, Spain. You have a straight track (that was just renovated in 2016) and right after that a tight curve. Location, disable 3D 
Also Positive Train Control was not activated according to Amtrak President and Co-CEO Richard Anderson. (Source)


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## mhays

sacto7654 said:


> Another thing they need to check is the possibility of sabotage. Here's why: the rail line in question is used by the military to move equipment in and out of nearby (and very active) Fort Lewis US Army base--and there are a *LOT* of anti-American _Antifa_ members and sympathizers in the Puget Sound region.


Please keep your right-wing propaganda out of this. 

If sabotage is a possibility, the left wing is about the last place history would point us to.


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## skyridgeline

It's very likely that the bend where the train derailed has a T30/P30 (mph) limit. Last known speed of the train was 81 mph.


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## Woonsocket54

cross-post from Seattle forum re: accident between Olympia and Tacoma, WA



MichaelJSea said:


> There are reports it struck something on the tracks.


----------



## wgerman

skyridgeline said:


> It's very likely that the bend where the train derailed has a T30/P30 (mph) limit. Last known speed of the train was 81 mph.


That was the via GPS, and could have been the speed a minute or two prior to the curve.


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## skyridgeline

wgerman said:


> That was the via GPS, and could have been the speed a minute or two prior to the curve.


It does not looked like a 30 mph derailment. Also ...

_The speed limit at the curve where the train crosses Interstate 5 is 30 miles per hour, said state transportation department spokeswoman Barbara LaBoe, while the speed limit on most of the track is 79 mph. She said speed-limit signs are posted two miles before the lowered speed zone and then just before the zone....
Daniel Konzelman, who was driving on I-5 south parallel to the train, said he was traveling at 60 mph or more and watched the train pass his vehicle about a half-mile before the crash. _

- https://www.seattletimes.com/seattl...iled-in-washington-has-speed-limit-of-30-mph/


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## embassyofaudrey

*Amtrak Train on New Route Hurtles Off Bridge in Fatal Crash*
source : Link











> _Cars from an Amtrak train that derailed lie spilled onto Interstate 5, Monday, Dec. 18, 2017, in DuPont, Wash. An Amtrak train making the first-ever run along a faster new route hurtled off an overpass south of Seattle on Monday and spilled some of its cars onto the highway below, killing at least three people, injuring more than 100 and crushing two vehicles, authorities said. Bettina Hansen/The Seattle Times via AP_













> Lights illuminate cars from an Amtrak train that derailed above Interstate 5, Monday, Dec. 18, 2017, in DuPont, Wash. Seventy-seven passengers and seven crew members were aboard when the train derailed and pulled 13 cars off the tracks. Authorities said there were three confirmed deaths and more than a dozen people with critical or serious injuries. AP Photo/Elaine Thompson













> _Emergency crews respond after an Amtrak train derailed Monday, Dec. 18, 2017, in DuPont, Wash. The Amtrak train making the first-ever run along a faster new route hurtled off the overpass Monday near Tacoma and spilled some of its cars onto the highway below, killing several people, authorities said. Joshua Bessex/The News Tribune via AP_













> *Police officials walk over tracks near a curve at the back of where an Amtrak train derailed above Interstate 5, Monday, Dec. 18, 2017, in DuPont, Wash. A website that maps location and speed using data from Amtrak's train tracker app shows the train was going 81.1 mph (129 kph) about one-quarter mile from the point where it derailed, where the speed limit is significantly lower. AP Photo/Elaine Thompson*













> _Cars from an Amtrak train lay spilled onto Interstate 5 below alongside smashed vehicles as some train cars remain on the tracks above Monday, Dec. 18, 2017, in DuPont, Wash. The Amtrak train making the first-ever run along a faster new route hurtled off the overpass Monday near Tacoma and spilled some of its cars onto the highway below, killing some people, authorities said. Seventy-eight passengers and five crew members were aboard when the train moving at more than 80 mph derailed about 40 miles south of Seattle before 8 a.m., Amtrak said. AP Photo/Elaine Thompson_













> _Cars from an Amtrak train that derailed above lie spilled onto Interstate 5, Monday, Dec. 18, 2017, in DuPont, Wash. The Amtrak train making the first-ever run along a faster new route hurtled off the overpass Monday near Tacoma and spilled some of its cars onto the highway below, killing several people, authorities said. Bettina Hansen/The Seattle Times via AP_


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## skyridgeline

BoulderGrad said:


> New operator forgot/didn't acknowledge control panel warnings to slow down for the curve?





Sunfuns said:


> Unbelievable if that is indeed the reason. Don't they do several weeks of driver training on any new routes?





M-NL said:


> If that's the reason PTC would have prevented it from happening. Originally there was a deadline that all rail lines carrying passengers or dangerous goods had to have PTC installed before december 15, 2015. We're at the end of 2017 now and a lot of railroads aren't even close to compliance (Like Metra that estimates 2019).
> 
> Do US train drivers have to acquire proper 'route knowledge' before they can drive a route, like in the UK and the Netherlands, or can they basically be sent anywhere when they are licensed to drive a train?





[atomic] said:


> That looks like the derailment a few years ago in in Santiago de Compostella, Spain. You have a straight track (that was just renovated in 2016) and right after that a tight curve. Location, disable 3D
> Also Positive Train Control was not activated according to Amtrak President and Co-CEO Richard Anderson. (Source)



The point and call protocol could have saved thousands of lives if it was more wide spread ...


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## The Polwoman

embassyofaudrey said:


> *Amtrak Train on New Route Hurtles Off Bridge in Fatal Crash*
> source : Link


This curve in the railway doesn't seem to be anywhere close to be able to carry the (reported) actual speed of the train (129kph). The location of the locomotive also confirms this for a part. Luckily the bridge is strong though, otherwise, the damage on the bridge would have been big as well (sure thing that in Germany such an accident would have been even more fatal and close the railway for a decade or so).


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## aquaticko

We can all only hope that this doesn't result in the (inevitable) retraction of even more funding from rail, and instead points out the need for more.

Let's all bear in mind, too, that death rates for rail are far, far lower per passenger mile than for cars. I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir, here, but...just trying to spiritually fend off the dangerous nonsense bound to ensue in our universe, here.


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## General Huo

But this train, I counted about 10 coaches, 2 locomotives, just carried 70 passengers, which are ridiculously low. Even a single tour bus usually carries more passengers than that.



aquaticko said:


> We can all only hope that this doesn't result in the (inevitable) retraction of even more funding from rail, and instead points out the need for more.
> 
> Let's all bear in mind, too, that death rates for rail are far, far lower per passenger mile than for cars. I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir, here, but...just trying to spiritually fend off the dangerous nonsense bound to ensue in our universe, here.


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## Gusiluz

^^ It was the inaugural trip.

The 501 train, in which 78 passengers traveled, including those responsible for the Amtrak operator and railroad enthusiasts testing the new service, and five crew members, was on the route of the inaugural route of the improved line, in which they had invested eight hundred million dollars, some 678 million euros, in the last ten years to increase their commercial speed.


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## Woonsocket54

General Huo said:


> But this train, I counted about 10 coaches, 2 locomotives, just carried 70 passengers, which are ridiculously low. Even a single tour bus usually carries more passengers than that.


That's actually pretty crowded by Amtrak standards.


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## SounderBruce

Let me lay down some facts:

This train (501) was the inaugural trip on the *new bypass* (not the first trip in the corridor, not the first with this trainset, not even the first with the new engine). It was less than full because the train was scheduled to leave at 6 am, on a new trip that hasn't been well advertised.

The curve has a speed limit of 30 mph, with a warning signal two miles ahead. The NTSB's preliminary findings show that the train was indeed traveling at 80 mph as it crashed.

The improvement project cost $181 million. The $800 million figure comes from the entire corridor's improvement (stretching from Vancouver to Eugene, or over 400 miles). Amtrak Cascades is funded primarily by the state governments of Washington and Oregon. The new bypass was built by Washington's State Department of Transportation and is owned by Sound Transit, the regional transit operator (who has run commuter trains on half of the corridor since 2012).

Positive train control was not activated, and was scheduled to be fully implemented by the end of next year.


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## The Polwoman

Woonsocket54 said:


> That's actually pretty crowded by Amtrak standards.


Depends on location of course. Outside of the Northeast it is not busy at all, but even then the Silver Meteor I once took between Orlando and Miami was filled pretty good, but that's pure for the following reasons:

- there are no other trains
- big catchment areas with lots of inhabitants
- it is during the afternoon, which is a comfortable time to travel
- it surely is cheaper than flying: $37 vs $83 2 weeks in advance
- and more comfortable

But if this service is at less comfortable times, crossing less urban areas and there's better airline competition, Amtrak loses. And with the Brightline in sight, the question is for how long Amtrak would survive in Florida, even if Democrats would come back to power by an impossible DC siege in 2018.


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## Bobdreamz

The Polman said:


> Depends on location of course. Outside of the Northeast it is not busy at all, but even then the Silver Meteor I once took between Orlando and Miami was filled pretty good, but that's pure for the following reasons:
> 
> - there are no other trains
> - big catchment areas with lots of inhabitants
> - it is during the afternoon, which is a comfortable time to travel
> - it surely is cheaper than flying: $37 vs $83 2 weeks in advance
> - and more comfortable
> 
> But if this service is at less comfortable times, crossing less urban areas and there's better airline competition, Amtrak loses. And with the Brightline in sight, the question is for how long Amtrak would survive in Florida, even if Democrats would come back to power by an impossible DC siege in 2018.


Well Brightline needs to get to Orlando first in order to compete with Amtrak and that wont happen until 2020 at the earliest.
The Amtrak route between Orlando & Miami takes close to 6 hours while Brightline promises to make it in 3 hours so I don't see how they are going to compete in the future.


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## Woonsocket54

Amtrak route is downtown Orlando to Miami airport
Brightline route will be Orlando Airport to downtown Miami

totally different markets


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## Ginkgo

*"Brief History" of the Point Defiance Bypass*

Courtesy of the Seattle Transit Blog.

The bypass has been mocked when mention is made of the ten minute gain in travel time between Seattle and Portland.

The current on-time record is poor because of freight interference. The bypass section of the route is almost all passenger only, with a very small number of occasional local freights. So the actual increase in travel time between the two cities should normally be more than the ten minutes. Of even greater importance is the fact that the inland line is allowing two additional Cascades trips between Seattle and Portland. We all know that frequency, rather than just travel time, can be a game-changer as whether a passenger route will be successful or not.


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## phoenixboi08

Ginkgo said:


> Courtesy of the Seattle Transit Blog.
> 
> The bypass has been mocked when mention is made of the ten minute gain in travel time between Seattle and Portland.
> 
> The current on-time record is poor because of freight interference. The bypass section of the route is almost all passenger only, with a very small number of occasional local freights. So the actual increase in travel time between the two cities should normally be more than the ten minutes. Of even greater importance is the fact that the inland line is allowing two additional Cascades trips between Seattle and Portland. We all know that frequency, rather than just travel time, can be a game-changer as whether a passenger route will be successful or not.


Sure, most of us do, but news media are generally bad about framing the point of these types of projects...or they don't care to try.

It's the equivalent of saying that new bathroom you added to your house saves you 30secs on every trip from your bedroom...when that was never the point: You _needed_ a second bathroom.


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## Woonsocket54

Looks like Michigan passenger rail services will speed up a little next week.

Detroit-Chicago travel time is currently in the range of 5h15m-5h40m.
Next week this will be reduced to 4h59m-5h22m.

existing schedule:









https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/...etables/Michigan-Services-Schedule-062617.pdf

upcoming schedule:









https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/...etables/Michigan-Services-Schedule-012218.pdf


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## Fan Railer

MARC testing their Siemens Chargers:





Additional Amtrak & MARC trains:


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## Woonsocket54

Stating the Obvious by Jonathan Lee, on Flickr


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## Basincreek

https://www.ntsb.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/mr20180125.aspx

The NTSB seems to think that the engineer just got confused and thought he was at milepost 17 when he was actually at milepost 19.

Incredible.


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## wgerman

Woonsocket54 said:


> Stating the Obvious by Jonathan Lee, on Flickr


Cool Pic of the yard at CUS.


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## Woonsocket54

2018.02.19 - faster service on Pere Marquette (Chicago-Grand Rapids)

https://csanders429.wordpress.com/2018/01/30/pere-marquette-to-run-faster/


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## Woonsocket54

In the Northeastern megalopolis, it is possible to get by commuter rail from Spotsylvania, VA to Perryville, MD (changing in Washington, DC) and from Newark, DE to New London, CT (changing in Philadelphia, Trenton, New York and New Haven). But there is a gap between Perryville, MD and Newark, DE.

Beginning 2018.04.30, this gap will be bridged by a bus service. 

https://patch.com/maryland/perryville/cecil-transit-launches-new-commuter-connection

schedule is available here:

http://www.ccgov.org/home/showdocument?id=27833


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## lmshertz

Woonsocket54 said:


> In the Northeastern megalopolis, it is possible to get by commuter rail from Spotsylvania, VA to Perryville, MD (changing in Washington, DC) and from Newark, DE to New London, CT (changing in Philadelphia, Trenton, New York and New Haven). But there is a gap between Perryville, MD and Newark, DE.
> 
> Beginning 2018.04.30, this gap will be bridged by a bus service.
> 
> https://patch.com/maryland/perryville/cecil-transit-launches-new-commuter-connection
> 
> schedule is available here:
> 
> http://www.ccgov.org/home/showdocument?id=27833


Hopefully MARC will be bridging that gap with permanent rail service soon. Newark de is building a new train station and once it's done I believe the plan is for MARC to run service from Washington union to Newark's new station instead of the current terminus at Perryville.


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## wgerman

wgerman said:


> Cool Pic of the yard at CUS.


Whats ironic about this pic, the new Amtrak CEO Anderson wants to replace the old Horizon cars and Genesis locomotives with DMUs. And less Long Distance trains, so one will see less Superliners too. Change is necessary, and it will be interesting to compare it again five or 10 years from now. The Yard will look quite different.


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## Woonsocket54

cross-post from Raleigh-Durham forum



Woonsocket54 said:


> A fourth daily Raleigh-Charlotte train begins 2018.06.04, the same day Raleigh Union Station opens for passenger service.
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## Woonsocket54

I created a list of the longest commuter/regional rail one-seat journeys that may be taken, interlaced with the shortest Amtrak end-to-end runs:



AMTRAK Downeaster full (Boston North-Brunswick) - 145 miles
AMTRAK Capitol Corridor (Sacramento-San Jose Diridon) - 133 miles
AMTRAK Pacific Surfliner (Los Angeles Union-San Diego) - 128 miles
AMTRAK Capitol Corridor (Auburn-Oakland Jack London Square) - 125 miles
AMTRAK Cascades (Portland Union-Eugene) - 123 miles
LIRR: Penn Station-Montauk - 117 miles
AMTRAK Downeaster (Boston North-Portland) - 116 miles
LIRR: Jamaica-Montauk - 106.2 miles
AMTRAK Keystone: Philadelphia 30th-Harrisburg (104 miles)
Metrolink (San Bernardino Downtown-Oceanside) - 100.1 miles
NM Rail Runner: Belen-Santa Fe (97 miles)
AMTRAK Capitol Corridor (Sacramento-Oakland Coliseum) - 95 miles
Metro North (Hoboken-Port Jervis) - 95 miles
AMTRAK Capitol Corridor (Sacramento-Oakland Jack London Square) - 90 miles
South Shore Line (Chicago Millennium-South Bend) - 90 miles
Shore Line East (Stamford-New London) - 89.8 miles
UTA Front Runner - 88 miles [will be less in August 2018 after Pleasant View station closes]
Metrolink: Oceanside-Los Angeles Union - 87.2 miles
AMTRAK Hiawatha - 86 miles
Metrolink: South Perris-Los Angeles Union - 83.8 miles
Metro North: Grand Central-Wassaic - 82 miles
Caltrain: San Francisco-Gilroy - 77.4 miles
MARC: Washington Union-Perryville - 77 miles
Metrolink: Lancaster-Los Angeles Union - 76.6 miles
Metro North: Grand Central-Poughkeepsie - 74 miles
MARC: Washington Union-Martinsburg - 74 miles
Metro North: Grand Central-New Haven State Street - 73 miles
Tri-Rail: Miami Airport-Mangonia Park - 70.9 miles
Metrolink: East Ventura-Los Angeles Union - 70.9 miles
Brightline: Miami-West Palm Beach – 66.5 miles
Metro North: Grand Central-Danbury - 65 miles
Metra: Chicago Union-Harvard - 63.2 miles
MBTA: Boston South-Wickford Jct - 62.9 miles
AMTRAK/Hartford Line: New Haven-Springfield - 62 miles


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## FM 2258

Woonsocket54 said:


> I created a list of the longest commuter/regional rail one-seat journeys that may be taken, interlaced with the shortest Amtrak end-to-end runs:
> 
> 
> 
> AMTRAK Downeaster full (Boston North-Brunswick) - 145 miles


I didn't realize this was a commuter train. I took this line last year and loved it. Brunswick to Boston North.


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## Woonsocket54

FM 2258 said:


> I didn't realize this was a commuter train. I took this line last year and loved it. Brunswick to Boston North.


It's more probably classified as an Amtrak regional route rather than a commuter train, although the sector between Portland and Boston North is often used by daily commuters (they have "extreme commutes").


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## Nexis

FM 2258 said:


> I didn't realize this was a commuter train. I took this line last year and loved it. Brunswick to Boston North.


Its a longest Distance Commuter Corridor , similar to the LIRR Montauk line or MNRR Port Jervis branch..


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## dysharmonica

Connecticut just inaugurated their Hartford Line between New Haven, CT and Springfield, MA. This one is fascinating as it returns service to disused line in a rail-heavy par of the country and runs at up to 110mph in doing so! 

Have big hopes this will explode in demand as it gets established 

https://www.railwayage.com/passenger/connecticut-dot-opens-hartford-line/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hartford_Line


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## Woonsocket54

There are proposals to run passenger rail from Sapulpa, OK (near Tulsa) to Del City, OK (near Oklahoma City), in one of the most transit-hostile regions of the developed world.

https://www.progressiverailroading....-Oklahoma-passenger-rail-line-operator--54958


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## wgerman

What changed, Amtrak has served this line for years? Back in the 80s SPV cars ran this line.


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## Woonsocket54

wgerman said:


> What changed, Amtrak has served this line for years? Back in the 80s SPV cars ran this line.


It's a substantial increase in amount of service, as well as the possibility of traveling from Hartford to downtown New Haven by train (Amtrak only serves NH Union Station, while Hartford Line also serves NH State Street Station downtown).


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## Woonsocket54

A rail station in a dilapidated old town in upstate New York had a ceiling collapse and was closed as a result. 










http://romesentinel.com/public-safe...ling-collapses/QBqrgd!x37EvT9O9ziHodb17wetFA/


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## Rodalvesdepaula

dysharmonica said:


> Connecticut just inaugurated their Hartford Line between New Haven, CT and Springfield, MA. This one is fascinating as it returns service to disused line in a rail-heavy par of the country and runs at up to 110mph in doing so!
> 
> Have big hopes this will explode in demand as it gets established
> 
> https://www.railwayage.com/passenger/connecticut-dot-opens-hartford-line/
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hartford_Line


In this new service, Brazilian-built Mafersa coaches are being used?


----------



## krnboy1009

Wow. High level platform in Raleigh. That is a incredibly rare sight outside Northeast corridor.


----------



## Nacre

Woonsocket54 said:


> There are proposals to run passenger rail from Sapulpa, OK (near Tulsa) to Del City, OK (near Oklahoma City), in one of the most transit-hostile regions of the developed world.


As much as I would like to blame this on local stupidity (Boo Thunder! Go Sonics!), it is important that we never forget the issue of population density.

*Population Density: Residents/Square Kilometer*
_England_: 424.3
_Japan_: 336
_China_: 145
_France_: 116
_Oklahoma_: 21.3

It's hardly surprising that people in Middle America are less supportive of mass transit than people in Europe or East Asia since the cost/benefit ratio of mass transit projects is much worse in Middle America than it is in Europe or East Asia.

I will be happy if this project is a success, though.


----------



## Aaraldi

Sweden 22/km²

Doesn't stop them from running public transit?


----------



## aquaticko

And you really have to look at subnational, and even sub/inter-state contexts. 

If you include places like Idaho and Nevada and Wyoming, then of course the U.S. is going to have low population density, but that's really not so different from tossing in Russia to throw off the numbers for European population density. The Northeastern Megalopolis, where 1/6 Americans live, is perfectly suited to transit ridership--or it would be, if it wasn't so autocentric, and of course that's acknowledging that transit is still a magnitude better than other parts of the country. Many parts of the country could be far better served if we weren't hinged on our suburban settlement patterns.

Also, looking at Sapulpa and the Tusla metro area is a fantastic example of how misleading those density numbers for large areas can be. Wikipedia quotes Sapulpa's population density at 330.6 people per square Km, and Tulsa's at 801 people per square Km, so if we're going to be talking about dense, populated areas (and that Tulsa number is for the heart of a metro area of over 1 million people) as those deserving good transit, then it becomes stupidly obvious that the many, many spots in the U.S. could be better served if it were developed along transit, instead of automotive, lines.

O/T


----------



## JohnDee

aquaticko said:


> And you really have to look at subnational, and even sub/inter-state contexts.
> 
> If you include places like Idaho and Nevada and Wyoming, then of course the U.S. is going to have low population density, but that's really not so different from tossing in Russia to throw off the numbers for European population density. The Northeastern Megalopolis, where 1/6 Americans live, is perfectly suited to transit ridership--or it would be, if it wasn't so autocentric, and of course that's acknowledging that transit is still a magnitude better than other parts of the country. Many parts of the country could be far better served if we weren't hinged on our suburban settlement patterns.
> 
> Also, looking at Sapulpa and the Tusla metro area is a fantastic example of how misleading those density numbers for large areas can be. Wikipedia quotes Sapulpa's population density at 330.6 people per square Km, and Tulsa's at 801 people per square Km, so if we're going to be talking about dense, populated areas (and that Tulsa number is for the heart of a metro area of over 1 million people) as those deserving good transit, then it becomes stupidly obvious that the many, many spots in the U.S. could be better served if it were developed along transit, instead of automotive, lines.
> 
> O/T


Most people like their space in America. They like living in houses, not apartments. Deal with it. They will never stop being suburban. People are wasting their time wish casting that USA will turn into Europe or Asia and have this transit dominated high density living environment. The culture is not interested overall, they value space more than having crowded streets and that kind of NYC or Tokyo style lifestyle.

NYC would need to demolish their sprawling low-density suburbs and build high density towns like in England in order to increase rail ridership. LA would have to densify rapidly and demolish all those houses that go on for miles and miles, instead forcing people to live in high density nodes connected to each other by rail. But this is not China, the government can't do much to change it and people will not give up their space, they are too used to having a nice house with a yard and a dog and driveway.


----------



## zaphod

People like different things. There are actually many regions and cities in the US where rail and urban transit are useful and plays an important purpose.

I don't think anyone has to be 'forced' to live in cities either. There are enough pull factors to make some people choose them over the suburbs. The fastest growing American cities today are growing both up and out - lots of suburban expansion but also significant increases in urban residential projects and downtown high rises. Look at Austin, Denver, etc. If that wasn't true, then why is urban real estate so valuable and why does gentrification exist?

If anything we force people to live in the suburbs through zoning and building codes. That creates a bunch of inertia in the development industry towards cookie cutter subdivisions. If it was easier to build urban housing and you gave individuals that option, it would expand people's freedom to live in the kinds of communities they want.

Public funding for infrastructure should respect the variations in local geography. We can't exclusively fund only highways or only transit. Instead different places should be able to go with different approaches.


----------



## JohnDee

They should never have allowed the suburbanization pattern in the first place. The England or German approach, with small high density towns linked to major cities by rail, was the better thing to do. They curtailed sprawl and didn't allow low desnity suburbs to carpet the countryside. Well, you can't change it now because those suburbs will not be destroyed due to property rights. Transit can't be as high as Europe if people are living that low density around the cities, ever. The Automatic car will have to be the mode of the future in America more so than building more rail in the suburbs which isn't cost effective because the ridership is low. 

Ideally you'd want to totally demolish the suburbs, return them to nature, and move people into high density towns linked by rail, but this isn't China.


----------



## Aaraldi

The main issue with public transit usage in the US is CBD parking. Compare Midwest CBDs with their counter-parts in Australia or Canada. Almost half the area is wasted on parking. Look at Calgary very high rate of suburbanization but no free Downtown parking makes people flock to public transit.


----------



## zaphod

Those parking lot riddled downtowns are starting to fill in as more people find urban living attractive. This is also why we don't have to "destroy suburbia" and start over. Instead what's happening is that people who want to live in a city are going to move to central areas that are densifying, while people who want to live in the suburbs can go move to a suburb. 

Likewise self driving cars won't necessarily be a panacea for urban neighborhoods. Cars still take up space, and if everyone leaves for work or orders something on amazon at the same time you will still experience congestion.


----------



## aquaticko

So, basically, Americans are entitled to consume _n_ multiples of the amount of resources other people consume because...we want to?

I know that that issue is going to be true of people in developed countries vs. those in developing countries generally, and that automobile usage in the U.S. is say, only one magnitude more than that in most other developed countries as opposed to multiple magnitudes, but we could at least admit that we're wrong to do so.

And if the U.S. opioid crisis is indicative of anything beyond the issue of their usage in healthcare--and I'm inclined to believe that it is--it's that people don't fair best when they're in the physically isolative situations that suburbanization promulgates. 

This is all quite off-topic.


----------



## Nacre

Aaraldi said:


> Sweden 22/km²
> 
> Doesn't stop them from running public transit?


I didn't say that mass transit is impossible with lower population densities. I said it was _unpopular_. 

People are selfish jerks and it is hard to get them to vote for stuff that they don't benefit from personally. 

Sweden has invested in mass transit for a long time (such as Stockholm's metro system starting in the 1950's), and while the overall population density of the country is low, Stockholm is nicely dense and walkable. As a result lots of people commute with mass transit and an expansion of mass transit benefits enough of the population to attract a large number of voters. Even in Sweden, though, mass transit to low density areas requires a heavy government subsidy. Rail transit can only be profitable in dense areas like Japan and Western Europe.

The USA (foolishly) went in the opposite direction from Japan and Europe. We chose sprawl and cars. As a result few people use mass transit for their commutes. And expansion of mass transit does not benefit the large majority of people who will still be commuting by car. Since our mass transit system offers poor linkage few of these car drivers use the services. And since they don't benefit from mass transit projects they vote against them.

Like I said, I hope this and other mass transit projects pan out in Oklahoma. But I generally think that density comes before mass transit rather than the other way around.


----------



## Aaraldi

Public transit outside of Stockholm (population similar Oklahoma city) is pretty decent too. Public transit requiring subsidies isn't news either most countries don't have a problem with it (especially Sweden since its debt to GDP ratio is under 50%). Sprawl and low density hasn't stopped Canadian and Australian cities to invest in Public Transit. If down town parking is actually discouraged and freeways are not strangling CBD it can achieve pretty decent ridership numbers. Of cause commutes to workplaces in suburban and rural areas will never see much commuting using PT but CBD and radial corridors leading to it can be decently served.


----------



## Woonsocket54

Plans are afoot to extend Amtrak's Ethan Allen Express (New York City-Rutland, Vermont) north to Burlington, which is the largest city in Vermont. Service to Burlington will not begin before 2021 at the earliest. There may be intermediate stops in Middlebury and Vergennes. Amtrak currently serves the Burlington area through a suburban stop in Essex Junction, but this train (the Vermonter) takes a roundabout route through Massachusetts and Connecticut before reaching New York City, with the only advantage being a one-seat through-ride to Washington, DC. Ethan Allen Express takes a much more direct route south along the Hudson River but terminates at NY Penn Station. Right now, the big debate is over where the train will be stored overnight in Vermont - Amtrak prefers Burlington Union Station, but the neighbors don't want a diesel train stored there.

https://www.sevendaysvt.com/OffMess...ons-union-station-for-overnight-train-storage









https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/...ments/corporate/statefactsheets/VERMONT17.pdf









https://www.constructionequipmentgu...s-allows-vermont-to-extend-rail-service/30805


----------



## aquaticko

^^That seems like a very odd addition to service. Is someone projecting demand for Burlington-DC trips? Is Middlebury College involved somehow? How much is it going to cost to reinstate rail service along this line, and what's the projected ridership/trip time?

I love the idea that I'll soon be able to go from Burlington (pop. ~50k) to Rutland (pop. ~20k) by train, but I still can't take a train from my home town of Manchester (pop. ~100k) to Lowell (pop. ~100k) or Boston (pop. ~690k) or anywhere else in the Boston metro area (pop. ~4.5m)


----------



## Nexis

I would rather see the Vermonter loop and terminate at Burlington. The Proposed Montrealer would replace it for points North.


----------



## Woonsocket54

aquaticko said:


> ^^That seems like a very odd addition to service. Is someone projecting demand for Burlington-DC trips? Is Middlebury College involved somehow? How much is it going to cost to reinstate rail service along this line, and what's the projected ridership/trip time?
> 
> I love the idea that I'll soon be able to go from Burlington (pop. ~50k) to Rutland (pop. ~20k) by train, but I still can't take a train from my home town of Manchester (pop. ~100k) to Lowell (pop. ~100k) or Boston (pop. ~690k) or anywhere else in the Boston metro area (pop. ~4.5m)


Middlebury College is a very small school, but UVM in Burlington attracts folks from all over the Northeast. This is not about Burlington-DC trips as the vast majority of passengers do not travel end-to-end. 

Unlike Vermont, New Hampshire has historically been governed by politicians that are ideologically opposed to expending taxpayer funds for passenger rail, and this is projected to continue, so expect Manchester to continue being New England's largest city without passenger rail for the foreseeable future.


----------



## aquaticko

You have to love publicly-selected stupidity. I can’t wait to leave this state.


----------



## zaphod

There really ought to a train from Concord, NH to Boston North Station as a counterpart to the Downeaster.

Half the route is already MBTA commuter rail to Lowell, the rest is a low traffic branch line that could easily be taken over by passenger trains.


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## aquaticko

^^It's so obvious it hurts my brain, but back in May...


> Deadlocked New Hampshire Senate kills commuter rail study


This state is such a joke.#1 in cities without passenger rail access, #2 in opioid-related deaths and public university tuition cost. I reiterate: I can't wait to get my RN and leave.


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## Nexis

*MTA LIRR East Side Access Update – September 2018*


----------



## Woonsocket54

*Dome placed atop Schenectady's new Amtrak station*

https://dailygazette.com/article/2018/09/13/dome-placed-atop-schenectady-s-new-amtrak-station










Schenectady, New York


----------



## Woonsocket54

Amtrak Downeaster (Massachusetts-New Hampshire-Maine).

Effective 2018.11.12, almost all trains will travel the full route between Boston North and Brunswick. Currently, about half of the trains only travel to and from Portland.

https://apnews.com/521ad7246f8f480d8e762152ca7c956d









http://amtrakdowneaster.com/sites/default/files/schedule/2018_FALLWinterSchedule_8.5x11_1_.pdf


----------



## Woonsocket54

Woonsocket54 said:


> *Dome placed atop Schenectady's new Amtrak station*
> 
> https://dailygazette.com/article/2018/09/13/dome-placed-atop-schenectady-s-new-amtrak-station
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Schenectady, New York


The new station in Schenectady, NY opened 2018.10.17



















Source: https://dailygazette.com/article/20...ilding-new-train-station-opens-in-schenectady


----------



## Nexis

Why didn't they build full length high levels like at the other new stations?


----------



## 00Zy99

Nexis said:


> Why didn't they build full length high levels like at the other new stations?


Many of the other stations lie along the core of the Water Level Route mainline, where there was once four tracks as a BASE, and multiple parallel alignments. There is ample room for new stations to have their own tracks off to the side separate from the freight tracks, especially at sights where there was previously a station or other related structure.

Checking Satellite View on Google Maps, Schenectady is at a choke point, with freight trains passing directly by. As the structures currently stand, there is little room for a bypass. 

The sad thing is that there SHOULD be enough room. Close examination indicates that the viaduct used to be wider. The extra space on the abutments is still there, and remnants of a platform can be seen as well. There was no building standing in the way of reconstructing this extra width. 

So why didn't they do it? Probably something to do with extra expense, complaints from neighbors about trains moving closer, not wanting to increase the "tunnel effect" under the already-wide bridges, not wanting to lose parking, and some vague concerns about track geometry.


----------



## webeagle12

Nexis said:


> Why didn't they build full length high levels like at the other new stations?


Money...

First time they issued a bids, they only got 1-2 bidders for alot higher price that was planned. So they went back and divided bids into demolition and construction separately. What got this project off the ground is Cuomo gave additional state money to fund this project.


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## aquaticko

Still a shame. Building a significantly-new, non-ADA compliant station in 2018 seems like a big misstep.


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## Nexis

I believe thats illegal aswell..


----------



## Khaul

JohnDee said:


> Most people like their space in America. They like living in houses, not apartments. Deal with it. They will never stop being suburban. People are wasting their time wish casting that USA will turn into Europe or Asia and have this transit dominated high density living environment. The culture is not interested overall, they value space more than having crowded streets and that kind of NYC or Tokyo style lifestyle.
> 
> NYC would need to demolish their sprawling low-density suburbs and build high density towns like in England in order to increase rail ridership. LA would have to densify rapidly and demolish all those houses that go on for miles and miles, instead forcing people to live in high density nodes connected to each other by rail. But this is not China, the government can't do much to change it and people will not give up their space, they are too used to having a nice house with a yard and a dog and driveway.


Well, well, Greater Tokyo is not actually that dense. It is of course denser than Tulsa but interestingly less dense than London and a far cry from really packed places like Paris or Barcelona. Most people in Tokyo and other Japanese cities live in individual houses, not apartments. The big difference is in Japan they don't let you leave your private property (your car) lying around in public land. So people walk or ride bicycles to the shops and the railway station.

It would be easy to increase density in places like LA. Just change deregulate the draconian zoning rules and let the market work.


----------



## Nacre

Khaul said:


> It would be easy to increase density in places like LA. Just change deregulate the draconian zoning rules and let the market work.


I think we should create standardized development options that the NIMBY's in local communities are unable to block. With fast-tracked permitting and environmental reviews and no ability for cities to block the projects, it would enable the construction of pre-approved development projects.

This way communities would still have control over unique projects, but would be forced to accept _some_ variety of mixed-use medium density development rather than blocking any and all development.


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## Woonsocket54

"Conscious uncoupling" near Albany.


__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1065411381808246785


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## cheehg

Again? Who is going to take Amtrak trains?


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## Woonsocket54

"*Springfield-Holyoke-Northampton-Greenfield passenger trains a go for summer*"

https://www.masslive.com/business/2...enfield-passenger-trains-a-go-for-summer.html

Two New Haven-Springfield Amtrak trains will be extended to Greenfield, MA in June 2019.


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## Woonsocket54

Indianapolis-Chicago "Hoosier State" train will end service 2019.06.30 after 40 years of service. The Indianapolis-Chicago segment will continue to be served by the thrice-weekly Chicago-New York “Cardinal” train.

https://www.ibj.com/articles/73231-amtrak-suspends-ticket-sales-for-hoosier-state-line-after-june-30


----------



## snot

JohnDee said:


> Most people like their space in America. They like living in houses, not apartments. Deal with it. They will never stop being suburban. People are wasting their time wish casting that USA will turn into Europe or Asia and have this transit dominated high density living environment. The culture is not interested overall, they value space more than having crowded streets and that kind of NYC or Tokyo style lifestyle.
> 
> NYC would need to demolish their sprawling low-density suburbs and build high density towns like in England in order to increase rail ridership. LA would have to densify rapidly and demolish all those houses that go on for miles and miles, instead forcing people to live in high density nodes connected to each other by rail. But this is not China, the government can't do much to change it and people will not give up their space, they are too used to having a nice house with a yard and a dog and driveway.


L.A metro is densifying every day. It can not otherwise because it's surrounded by mountains.
Most American downtowns are also densifying, there is demand for appartements because many Americans prefer to live in a walkable environment.
There are many grey area's between very dense Asian cities, European cities and American sprawl. BTW, Europe has also very sprawled cities.
American cities can improve a lot and densify while keeping a relative suburban character. Look to cities like Vancouver or Sydney. Relatively suburban, some density and a decent rail infrastructure.


----------



## aquamaroon

^^ not to "derail" this thread (_pun intended_) but you're right; as an Angeleno the real estate situation in LA has become untenable. We are no longer able to support single family home construction at a level required to house the entire population affordably; you have blue collar neighborhood houses going for half a million and good luck if you want a place in a good school district. Even IF LA wanted to continue with the status quo (we don't) the fact is we can't, and the future of the city is dense urban living more akin to NYC than the rest of the West. (_again sorry for going OT! feel free to ignore._)


----------



## mgk920

aquamaroon said:


> ^^ not to "derail" this thread (_pun intended_) but you're right; as an Angeleno the real estate situation in LA has become untenable. We are no longer able to support single family home construction at a level required to house the entire population affordably; you have blue collar neighborhood houses going for half a million and good luck if you want a place in a good school district. Even IF LA wanted to continue with the status quo (we don't) the fact is we can't, and the future of the city is dense urban living more akin to NYC than the rest of the West. (_again sorry for going OT! feel free to ignore._)


I do agree that there is nowhere else for the people to go to live, and that if it is not provided for, a black market in residential will be flourishing. I've read 10-20 years ago already of some Los Angeles neighborhoods having such a black market in houses that were zoned and built for one family being shared by as many as five (ECON101 here).

Two questions then start begging:

1 - Will there be the political will to rezone large parts of the metro to legally allow for substantially more residential density? And

2 - Will (and where will) the money be found to extend all of the needed services (utilities, transportation, schools, etc) to handle it all?

Mike


----------



## Woonsocket54

Woonsocket54 said:


> "*Springfield-Holyoke-Northampton-Greenfield passenger trains a go for summer*"
> 
> https://www.masslive.com/business/2...enfield-passenger-trains-a-go-for-summer.html
> 
> Two New Haven-Springfield Amtrak trains will be extended to Greenfield, MA in June 2019.


this has been delayed until end of summer 2019 at the earliest

https://www.recorder.com/Expanded-passenger-rail-this-summer-25245592


----------



## phoenixboi08

mgk920 said:


> I do agree that there is nowhere else for the people to go to live, and that if it is not provided for, a black market in residential will be flourishing. I've read 10-20 years ago already of some Los Angeles neighborhoods having such a black market in houses that were zoned and built for one family being shared by as many as five (ECON101 here).
> 
> Two questions then start begging:
> 
> 1 - Will there be the political will to rezone large parts of the metro to legally allow for substantially more residential density? And
> 
> 2 - Will (and where will) the money be found to extend all of the needed services (utilities, transportation, schools, etc) to handle it all?
> 
> Mike


1 - yes, eventually, whether the city wants to or not.
2 - that's what taxes are for...


----------



## rakcancer

phoenixboi08 said:


> 2 - that's what taxes are for...


.... and as we all know, Americans hate any sort of taxes so that makes things even more complicated and imposible...


----------



## mrsmartman




----------



## Woonsocket54

Woonsocket54 said:


> "*Springfield-Holyoke-Northampton-Greenfield passenger trains a go for summer*"
> 
> https://www.masslive.com/business/2...enfield-passenger-trains-a-go-for-summer.html
> 
> Two New Haven-Springfield Amtrak trains will be extended to Greenfield, MA in June 2019.


The latest published start date (which is likely to be delayed further out) is 2019.08.30

https://trainsinthevalley.org/valley-flyer/


----------



## mrsmartman

> MUSEUM MEMBERS: Tickets for fall tours and excursions go on sale to members-only TODAY at 10am sharp. Please be aware that tour tickets are limited and sell out extremely quickly – be prepared at 10am EST and don’t forget to sign in at the upper right corner of the ticket page to receive your member benefits.
> 
> Tour dates and information are available on our website at nytransitmuseum.org/programs – use the category filters on the left side of the page to sort by members-only tours, excursions, nostalgia rides, and more. Members subscribed to our e-newsletter list have also received an e-mail this morning with direct links to all ticketing pages.
> 
> If you have any questions during the ticket purchase process, ask in the comments below and we’ll be happy to help.













Courtesy of the New York Transit Museum Collection.

*Your Trusted Source of Photographs from New York and Pennsylvania*


----------



## Woonsocket54

Woonsocket54 said:


> The latest published start date (which is likely to be delayed further out) is 2019.08.30
> 
> https://trainsinthevalley.org/valley-flyer/


The schedule has been released. Expanded train service between Springfield, MA and Greenfield, MA begins this Friday.










https://trainsinthevalley.org/valley-flyer/


----------



## M-NL

robbo2k said:


> *– Amtrak preference over
> freight transportation.*


And how often does Amtrak get preference and how often not? Because from what I see around internet it looks like they often don't, but that may not be an accurate representation for the actual situation.


----------



## robbo2k

It probably works like this:
Amtrak: Dear BNSF, we would like to release our Silver Express at 1pm between A and B at a speed of 120mil / h.
BNSF: hmmm, 120mil / h is two hours before your train, we can't run the freight train because you'll catch up with it, so pay the Amtrak road for 2 hours of exclusivity, or 1/12 of the line cost.
Amtrak: Ooooh that's a lot of money then track us BNSF with freight speed so that it only takes 30 minutes.
BNSF: Ok dear Amtrak, we have a speed of 40mil / h for you.
Amtrak: Could you please increase the speed on your tracks
BNSF: Our freight trains are satisfied, you want to pay it faster


----------



## M-NL

You can act by the spirit or by the letter of the rules. 
The spirit of the rules was to give passenger train priority. The reality is that most freight railroads act by the letter (and most big companies, as the freight railroads are, have sizeable legal departments to make sure they find and use every possible loophole to their maximum extend). I bet that back in the days the railroads ran their own passenger trains this problem didn't exist.


----------



## davide84

Well, trying to have passenger trains on freight-owned tracks looks like selling Amazon-competing products through Amazon... good luck with that.

The missing piece here is the separation between infrastructure owner and service provider. Does not prevent shitty infrastructure planning, but at least other operators have a chance.


----------



## Ale84s

The other missing piece is the mandatory priority for passenger trains on freight trains in "The Rail Passenger Service Act".


----------



## SiMclaren

Like hobbo2k demonstrated, what most people miss on this question is about capacity.

Lets look at the Channel Tunnel, for a comparison: The maximum speed is 230 km/h, freight trains and the shuttles travel at 140 km/h, Eurostar trains travels at 160 km/h.

The line capacity (paths) are calculated at 140 km/h. To travel at 160 km/h, Eurostar uses 1,5 paths (they run two trains in tandem to total 3 paths). They could, in theory, run at the maximum tunnel speed (which would be very desirable for them due to the fierce competition with the airplanes), but that would cost more capacity, and therefore be more expensive.

If the line capacity were calculated at the tunnel maximum speed, the freight and shuttles would be the ones using more capacity, and they would be the ones to pay more (or they would need to run at higher speeds, which requires more powerful engines, more fuel and lower tonnage).

European infrastructure owners calculate capacity assuming all railroads are for passengers (even when there is only 1 or 2 passengers trains per day), while American railroads calculate capacity assuming the railroad is a freight railroad which passenger trains are allowed to run.

The result is that the European market share for rail freight is only 11%, while USA has 33%, India 30% and Russia 80%.

My suggestion would be to Amtrak to build new, dedicated passenger lines instead, and leaving the freight railroads alone. No need to copy Europe's mistakes.


----------



## robbo2k

Building new routes in the USA is a fight against thousands of owners who still recognize only the cult of CAR. Apart from the NEC, Amtrak runs one train a day which is ridiculous. I trust Brightline West or Texas Central


----------



## TER200

SiMclaren said:


> The result is that the European market share for rail freight is only 11%, while USA has 33%, India 30% and Russia 80%.


Russian and Indian railways are mostly mixed use, aren't they ?


SiMclaren said:


> If the line capacity were calculated at the tunnel maximum speed, the freight and shuttles would be the ones using more capacity, and they would be the ones to pay more (or they would need to run at higher speeds, which requires more powerful engines, more fuel and lower tonnage).


the reason for that, is that the shuttles make at least three quarters of the traffic. Eurostar uses at most three pasts per hour, and freight trains are rare (and mostly slower than 140 km/h) due to the inefficiency of the railway networks on each side.


----------



## mgk920

For example, how physically possible would it be for the passenger tracks to be properly restored on the former PRR Horseshoe Curve line?


----------



## Stuu

SiMclaren said:


> Lets look at the Channel Tunnel, for a comparison: The maximum speed is 230 km/h, freight trains and the shuttles travel at 140 km/h, Eurostar trains travels at 160 km/h.
> 
> The line capacity (paths) are calculated at 140 km/h. To travel at 160 km/h, Eurostar uses 1,5 paths (they run two trains in tandem to total 3 paths). They could, in theory, run at the maximum tunnel speed (which would be very desirable for them due to the fierce competition with the airplanes), but that would cost more capacity, and therefore be more expensive.
> 
> If the line capacity were calculated at the tunnel maximum speed, the freight and shuttles would be the ones using more capacity, and they would be the ones to pay more (or they would need to run at higher speeds, which requires more powerful engines, more fuel and lower tonnage).


The maximum speed in the Channel Tunnel is 160 km/h. It was originally planned to be higher but cost pressures meant engineering changes so a lower top speed is all that is possible. Increasing the speed would need very significant upgrades to ventilation tunnels and pressure relief tunnels amongst many other things.

The point around capacity is absolutely right though, the highest capacity is by running everything at the same speeds making the same stops

A significant reason for Europe having a lowe share of railfreight is geography, a lot of the population lives relatively near the coast, and short distances are much less efficient for rail transport, hence why it is so much higher in the US and Russia


----------



## Lw25

robbo2k said:


> Building new routes in the USA is a fight against thousands of owners who still recognize only the cult of CAR. Apart from the NEC, Amtrak runs one train a day which is ridiculous. I trust Brightline West or Texas Central


Maybe they could use interstate corridors? Some trams in US used this method. Tbh, High or Higher Speed rail is better suited for use of such than LRT which should run closer to where people live.


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## davide84

SiMclaren said:


> European market share for rail freight is only 11%, while USA has 33%, India 30% and Russia 80%.
> 
> My suggestion would be to Amtrak to build new, dedicated passenger lines instead, and leaving the freight railroads alone. No need to copy Europe's mistakes.


I am not sure about your analysis about how "Europe" calculates capacity. Switzerland has a modal split of 40% with a freight/passenger mixed use, and one of the busiest passenger networks in the world. And no dedicated high speed.
The point is that you can have a successful railroad for both freight and passengers, provided that you have the right framework (and skills) to balance the different needs.
Not saying it's easy, of course...


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## M-NL

SiMclaren said:


> European infrastructure owners calculate capacity assuming all railroads are for passengers (even when there is only 1 or 2 passengers trains per day), while American railroads calculate capacity assuming the railroad is a freight railroad which passenger trains are allowed to run.


The problem is the difference in speed. Freight trains generally operate in the 80..120 km/h range, while passenger trains start at 120 km/h, but are often much faster, with speeds in the 160..200 km/h range not being rare. And when the flat lands stop the speed difference is even more pronounced. In Europe they will happily operate a freight train with several electric locos to maintain speed on steep inclines, while in North America the train will slow down to a crawl. That is a choice. The first one to not be to much in the way of passenger traffic, the second because of the lack of it.


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## Woonsocket54

Brightline (Miami-West Palm Beach) regional rail will reopen in November 2021. It is the last regional railroad that shut down service during the pandemic and hasn't yet reopened. The extension to Orlando is under construction, and an infill station in Boca Raton will open next year.









Brightline to resume train service, add ride sharing to South Florida depots. What to know.


The company will require passengers to wear masks on trains and in stations when service resumes. Workers must be vaccinated against the coronavirus.



www.palmbeachpost.com


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## 00Zy99

mgk920 said:


> For example, how physically possible would it be for the passenger tracks to be properly restored on the former PRR Horseshoe Curve line?


Here, have a study:



http://www.planthekeystone.com/Keystone%20West%20Documents/Keystone_West-Feasibility_Report_And_SDP_August2014.pdf


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## robbo2k

Amtrak 301 paint Day One . ALC-42


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## BoulderGrad

Good little spy shot of Seattle's S700's behind it.


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## Woonsocket54

more service being restored soon in the Northeast











__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1429428178875990016


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## Woonsocket54

more service is being restored in Virginia











__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1442413765601935360


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## Woonsocket54

On 2021.10.18, in California, a train journey will be added between Sacramento and Bakersfield.

And on 2021.10.25, there will be another round trip between San Diego and San Luis Obispo, and southbound departures from Los Angeles along with northbound departures from San Diego will be recalibrated so that they occur at the same amount of minutes after the hour:


















Two California Amtrak corridors to add trains, adjust schedules - Trains


SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Schedule changes are coming later this month for Amtrak San Joaquin and Pacific Surfliner service. Beginning Monday, Oct. 18, the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority will again offer direct Amtrak train service between Sacramento, the state capito,l and Bakersfield, Calif...




www.trains.com


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