March 28, 20232 yr 5 hours ago, Foraker said: Brightline wins again! (So sorry, Hyperloop.) I do think that the successes of Brightline in Florida and Amtrak in NC, VA, and MI compared to the struggles of Texas HSR are an argument in favor of the “start simple and make incremental improvements instead of going direct to HSR” argument. There are many factors so it’s difficult to make a clear definitive comparison, but the former are getting service and the latter looks unlikely. A large caveat on the Texas HSR example: they were planning to put much of the route on viaduct to minimize land battles. That was the main factor in soaring costs. A reminder of the importance of eminent domain and why it’s important to have government entities fully involved. Texas HSR kept making a big deal about how it was fully private and not using tax dollars. The relative lack of power of a private corp (compared to government) is killing that project. When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
March 28, 20232 yr 13 minutes ago, Boomerang_Brian said: I do think that the successes of Brightline in Florida and Amtrak in NC, VA, and MI compared to the struggles of Texas HSR are an argument in favor of the “start simple and make incremental improvements instead of going direct to HSR” argument. I agree, incremental investment is how Europe grew its network so we know it works -- but I need to clarify that I was not talking about the Texas HSR but Elon Musk's plans for Hyperloop -- the train in a vacuum tube -- that was supposed to be up and running already but is still in "prototype" stage, at best.
March 28, 20232 yr 12 minutes ago, Foraker said: I agree, incremental investment is how Europe grew its network so we know it works -- but I need to clarify that I was not talking about the Texas HSR but Elon Musk's plans for Hyperloop -- the train in a vacuum tube -- that was supposed to be up and running already but is still in "prototype" stage, at best. Oh I know. Hyperloop is, and always was, a nonsense proposal very much in the gadgetbahn bucket. Basically, bad ideas that are used to intentionally distract from quality, proven transit modes. Usually they aren’t quite so transparent in their efforts to distract as the hyperloop proposals were. Your comment just made me think about more relevant discussion points regarding passenger rail. When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
April 2, 20232 yr Tulare Lake, which was drained for agricultural purposes 100 years ago, has temporarily reformed in California's Central Valley. At least one high speed rail construction site is currently under water. It looks like they were in the process of building a viaduct over this section, so future flooding of this area shouldn't affect the rail line once it's in operation.
April 4, 20232 yr Author Some cool renders from B'more And the New York-Montréal Adirondack trains returned yesterday after being suspended since the start of COVID "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
April 4, 20232 yr On 3/28/2023 at 4:11 PM, Boomerang_Brian said: I do think that the successes of Brightline in Florida and Amtrak in NC, VA, and MI compared to the struggles of Texas HSR are an argument in favor of the “start simple and make incremental improvements instead of going direct to HSR” argument. There are many factors so it’s difficult to make a clear definitive comparison, but the former are getting service and the latter looks unlikely. A large caveat on the Texas HSR example: they were planning to put much of the route on viaduct to minimize land battles. That was the main factor in soaring costs. A reminder of the importance of eminent domain and why it’s important to have government entities fully involved. Texas HSR kept making a big deal about how it was fully private and not using tax dollars. The relative lack of power of a private corp (compared to government) is killing that project. The TXHSR project also ran into problems because: a) It was a stand alone project with no other revenue - Brightline is as much a real estate venture as it is a transportation project b) High speed rail = high costs. Brightline's top speed on one segment will be 125 mph and will cost about $4 billion to build vs. TX HSR at about $30 billion for 220 mph service. c) TX HSR will not penetrate to city centers of Dallas or Houston, adding to travel time and negating high speed's advantage in overall city center to city center travel times. This will have a negative impact on ridership and revenues
April 4, 20232 yr It looks like CAHSR is much better-protected from a resurgent Tulare Lake than photos from this past week indicate. I did some lunch break research and noticed that the line is being built pretty much exactly along the eastern shoreline of the former lake, and entirely on a berm. That means even if all flood and irrigation diversions fail, the trains will be unaffected. Unfortunately, construction might be affected for a few months since the snow melt from the Sierras will likely keep things soggy in a few areas. The "flood" photo posted above is almost certainly a single soggy field, not the lake itself.
April 5, 20232 yr Also, contrary to popular opinion, a lot of people live in California's Central Valley. How many? More than 20~ U.S. states (two of which are served by the Amtrak Acela). So building the line through the center of the Central Valley (serving Bakersfield, Fresno, and others directly rather than 30~ miles away next to I-5) makes a lot of sense.
April 5, 20232 yr Sacramento is booming in the post-pandemic world now as well! I was just there and there were apartments and condos being built everywhere!
April 5, 20232 yr 50 minutes ago, Lazarus said: Also, contrary to popular opinion, a lot of people live in California's Central Valley. How many? More than 20~ U.S. states (two of which are served by the Amtrak Acela). So building the line through the center of the Central Valley (serving Bakersfield, Fresno, and others directly rather than 30~ miles away next to I-5) makes a lot of sense. There have been many challenges and mistakes in CAHSR planning and execution, but routing through the Central Valley cities rather than along I-5 was NOT one of the mistakes. The cities are the better alignment. The most important thing is getting some section of HSR operating successfully somewhere in the country, so that more Americans get experience with it. Then they go ask for it in other parts of the country. It could very well be the Brightline West from LA(-ish) to Las Vegas becomes that example. When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
April 5, 20232 yr 26 minutes ago, Cleburger said: Sacramento is booming in the post-pandemic world now as well! I was just there and there were apartments and condos being built everywhere! Unfortunately, Sacramento, along with Modesto and Stockton, are part of Phase 2. I'm not a lawyer but it appears to me, having read the original Prop 1A language from 2008, that no construction on Phase 2 can be undertaken by the CAHSR Authority before HSR service commences between SF and LA. It might be legally possible for another state agency to build Phase 2, like ACE or Caltrain. Unfortunately, this pragmatic workaround would likely be challenged in court, like ACE/Caltrain building Phase 2 and operating its own HSR trains between Sacramento and Bakersfield. Also, a really interesting relic of the original Prop 1A language is the inclusion of Merced in Phase 1. Originally, the line's wye was expected to be north of Merced because planners wanted to build a super-long (30+ mile) tunnel directly into San Jose. Instead, after many years of analysis, a longer route (5-10 miles added) with a shorter tunnel (10~ miles) under the Pacheco Pass was selected, but service must by law be established to Merced, even though it will now be a lonely 1-station spur.
April 5, 20232 yr 5 minutes ago, Boomerang_Brian said: It could very well be the Brightline West from LA(-ish) to Las Vegas becomes that example. The Central Valley CAHSR alignment was chosen in part to enable service to Palmdale, where Las Vegas HSR will eventually join the system. CAHSR and Las Vegas will share the 30-mile tunnel under the mountains to Burbank and a three-track trenched mainline from the shared Burbank Airport Station to LA Union Station. The operation will continue on a 4-track mainline, shared with newly electrified LA commuter/regional rail, 20~ miles southeasterly to Anaheim. This means people in Orange County will be able to drive to the Anaheim station (right next to the Angels' stadium) and take a train to San Francisco, Sacramento, Las Vegas, and many other places.
April 5, 20232 yr 1 hour ago, Lazarus said: The Central Valley CAHSR alignment was chosen in part to enable service to Palmdale, where Las Vegas HSR will eventually join the system. CAHSR and Las Vegas will share the 30-mile tunnel under the mountains to Burbank and a three-track trenched mainline from the shared Burbank Airport Station to LA Union Station. The operation will continue on a 4-track mainline, shared with newly electrified LA commuter/regional rail, 20~ miles southeasterly to Anaheim. This means people in Orange County will be able to drive to the Anaheim station (right next to the Angels' stadium) and take a train to San Francisco, Sacramento, Las Vegas, and many other places. Yes, that all makes sense and I’m excited for it. I’m mostly curious if you’re still confident that the tunnel between Palmdale and Burbank is going to get done. Is that part fully funded? Will the other budget and schedule challenges screw it up? It’s hard to parse between the informed criticisms of the project and concerns about its future from the normal anti-rail hitman garbage. When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
April 5, 20232 yr 2 minutes ago, Boomerang_Brian said: Yes, that all makes sense and I’m excited for it. I’m mostly curious if you’re still confident that the tunnel between Palmdale and Burbank is going to get done. Is that part fully funded? Will the other budget and schedule challenges screw it up? It’s hard to parse between the informed criticisms of the project and concerns about its future from the normal anti-rail hitman garbage. The connection between the Central Valley and San Francisco has been prioritized over Bakersfield>Los Angeles. Work is well underway on prepping the peninsula commuter rail corridor to accept HSR trains, but no money has been allocated to build the planned HSR tracks between San Jose and the Central Valley wye. This 120-mile segment will include the 13-mile Pacheco Pass Tunnel. Jerry Brown never had any presidential ambitions but Gavin Newsom does. That's why he just ignored the back-to-back-to-back decabillion (is that a word?) state surpluses and refused to allocate a dime toward CAHSR, back when interest rates were at historic lows. Now the surpluses are gone and interest rates are at 6%. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacheco_Pass_Tunnels
April 7, 20232 yr no news on expanding tap tech yet in nj on the path train, but i noticed work on platform expansions to accommodate 9 car train sets — except where it cant be done at newport (sandy flood remediation) or 33rd st (mta subway, etc.) stations: https://www.nj.com/news/2022/03/paths-1b-improvement-plan-set-to-deliver-longer-trains-new-cars-tap-and-go-fare-payment.html
April 11, 20232 yr Brunswick-Rockland service to be launched this year: Most passenger rail startups consume cash by beginning with a ridership study, but that isn’t happening here. As Midcoast’s Smith puts it, “We can just run the damn service and see if it works!” https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/maine-dot-proposes-3-million-for-pilot-of-brunswick-rockland-rdc-service/
April 13, 20232 yr Nearly every safety concern with Brightline has been caused by private vehicle drivers. I think that if you get hit by a train, you your license should be suspended. It’s inexcusable. When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
April 13, 20232 yr Author Truck should never have pulled on to the crossing if it couldn't clear it. Sadly, this happens a lot along on this section of the Florida East Coast RR, which runs next to major roads (US1, Dixie Highway, etc) with intersecting streets crossing the FEC RR right next to those parallel roads. So people stop their vehicles (last year, another truck carrying luxury cars was wiped out) on the tracks as traffic backs up at the road intersections and are trapped by that traffic, so they can't pull forward or back up. There has been an educational campaign to get motorists to not pull forward onto tracks if they can't clear them in stopped traffic. It's helped, but the real solution is to grade-separate the busiest crossings and close the others. Each grade separation costs $10 million to $20 million and there are dozens of dangerous crossings. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
April 13, 20232 yr the new 20% larger kawasaki path train cars are finally arriving: New trains hit PATH tracks with plans to boost commutes By Stephen Nessen and Clayton Guse Published Apr 13, 2023 … Three of the cars made their debut at Hoboken Terminal, and are the first of 72 the Port Authority ordered for the system from Japan-based manufacturer Kawasaki. By the end of 2024, officials said the new equipment will enable PATH to increase the length of nearly all the trains on the World Trade Center-Newark line from eight cars to nine. … All the new cars are scheduled to arrive by the end of 2023, at which point Port Authority officials said they plan to run PATH trains every three minutes during rush hour, down from current peak headways of five minutes. … The cars cost the Port Authority $172 million, and were originally scheduled to be delivered in the spring of 2021. more: https://gothamist.com/news/new-trains-hit-path-tracks-with-plans-to-boost-commutes
April 21, 20232 yr Nice video segment from the local news on Brightline’s unveiling of the Orlando airport station. Pricing and schedule info. Hourly trains - that’s my dream for Ohio 3C&D When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
April 21, 20232 yr re the redevelopment around and expansion of penn station in manhattan -- there is a new plan to take the walls off msg and make them glass. i think that might be a pretty simple, clever and expedient compromise that would let light in! there are some ASTM Group renders --- Plan B for Fixing Penn Station Would Wrap Madison Square Garden in Glass The previous proposal to help pay for the renovation of the station, which could cost up to $10 billion in state funds, has been shelved. By Dana Rubinstein and Stefanos Chen March 28, 2023 *** The proposal from a subsidiary of the Italian firm ASTM Group calls for the construction of a rectangular glass station around Madison Square Garden. The Garden would be covered in aluminum and steel, and two new light-filled train halls would replace the notoriously cramped and dark station — all of which could be completed by 2030, the firm has said. Ms. Hochul, who has indicated that she is open to alternatives to the state’s partnership with Vornado Realty Trust — the firm expected to lead redevelopment around the station — has not publicly weighed in on the new proposal, but it has piqued the interest of elected officials and local community groups. The governor is not obliged to pick an alternative proposal, and Vornado officials say they hope to continue with their agreement. While the Vornado plan has been abandoned in the short-term, it could be revived if economic conditions improve. *** The new proposal is being spearheaded by two well-connected political operators: Patrick J. Foye, a former chief executive of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and a former executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; and Peter Cipriano, a former senior infrastructure adviser to Elaine Chao, the transportation secretary during the Trump administration. Mr. Foye now works as chief executive of ASTM North America, a subsidiary of the Italian infrastructure firm that specializes in public-private partnerships, and Mr. Cipriano is the group’s senior vice president. Both men have spent much of March marketing their proposal to elected officials and civic leaders in the Penn Station area, and MSG Entertainment, which operates the Garden, said it is open to the plans, according to sources familiar with the talks. “ As we’ve said, we are always open to discussions,” said an MSG spokeswoman. “As invested members of our community, we are deeply committed to improving Penn Station and the surrounding area, and we continue to collaborate closely with a wide range of stakeholders to advance this shared goal.” more: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/28/nyregion/penn-station-hochul-nyc.html western / sunset facing light here across eighth ave --
April 23, 20232 yr On 3/28/2023 at 4:44 PM, Boomerang_Brian said: Oh I know. Hyperloop is, and always was, a nonsense proposal very much in the gadgetbahn bucket. Basically, bad ideas that are used to intentionally distract from quality, proven transit modes. Usually they aren’t quite so transparent in their efforts to distract as the hyperloop proposals were. Your comment just made me think about more relevant discussion points regarding passenger rail. not so fast … china is on it: Has China just finalised the world’s first hyperloop destinations? Chinese version of Elon Musk’s vision could travel up to 1,000km/h, top engineers say Several major cities were considered for mega project, expected to be operational by 2035 Stephen Chen in Beijing Published: 9:00am, 23 Apr, 2023 China is likely to build its first hyperloop train line between Shanghai and Hangzhou, according to the nation’s top engineering and rail design institutes. The 150km-long (93-mile) in-vacuum tunnel will allow maglev trains to travel at speeds of up to 1,000km/h (621mph). more — paywall i think: https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3217912/has-china-just-finalised-worlds-first-hyperloop-destinations
April 24, 20232 yr On 4/5/2023 at 12:37 PM, Lazarus said: Jerry Brown never had any presidential ambitions but Gavin Newsom does. Jerry Brown did run for president, but that was way back in the 1970's when he was dating Linda Ronstadt. He was calling for passenger rail even then.
April 24, 20232 yr Author 22 minutes ago, neony said: Jerry Brown did run for president, but that was way back in the 1970's when he was dating Linda Ronstadt. He was calling for passenger rail even then. It's so easy to fall in love... "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
April 24, 20232 yr 49 minutes ago, neony said: Jerry Brown did run for president, but that was way back in the 1970's when he was dating Linda Ronstadt. He was calling for passenger rail even then. Sorry - I meant he had no presidential ambitions the more recent time he served as governor. His initial tenure is what gave rise to the Dead Kennedy's California Uber Alles, and subsequent decades of hippie-hating by all punk rockers.
April 24, 20232 yr 1 hour ago, neony said: Jerry Brown did run for president, but that was way back in the 1970's when he was dating Linda Ronstadt. He was calling for passenger rail even then. He also ran in the early 90's...I remember because there was a bad rap song about it lol.
April 24, 20232 yr 45 minutes ago, surfohio said: He also ran in the early 90's...I remember because there was a bad rap song about it lol. 1992. He was the subject of a joke Bob Kerrey made to Bill Clinton that got the former in hot water.
April 24, 20232 yr 40 minutes ago, surfohio said: He also ran in the early 90's...I remember because there was a bad rap song about it lol. I always though Jerry Brown's "accent" was pretty comical. He didn't sound like he was from California.
April 24, 20232 yr Author 2 hours ago, Lazarus said: He didn't sound like he was from California. Not many people are. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
April 25, 20232 yr I hope Brightline between Miami and Orlando is a giant success so that 3C+D and other similar distance corridors can point to it (especially being in a red state) and show how it worked there and we can make something similar work here. Once we get the 3C+D built, Florida can go ahead and be consumed by the ocean, but until then we need this to succeed.
April 25, 20232 yr Author "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
April 26, 20232 yr 110mph coming soon for Chicago to Springfield. Same route continues on to St Louis When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
April 26, 20232 yr This is just a curiosity question. I didn't follow the construction of Brightline (Florida) very closely, but is it possible Brightline could ever increase their top speed to 155mph (250Km/hr) to reach the UIC category I high speed rail threshold? Also did Brightline mostly lay new track or update old track?
April 26, 20232 yr 6 hours ago, Ethan said: This is just a curiosity question. I didn't follow the construction of Brightline (Florida) very closely, but is it possible Brightline could ever increase their top speed to 155mph (250Km/hr) to reach the UIC category I high speed rail threshold? Also did Brightline mostly lay new track or update old track? Not unless a fortune is spent to grade separate the Cocoa-Miami portion of the line which has over a hundred highway crossings. It *may* be possible to run at over 125 mph between Cocoa and Orlando since this portion is grade separated, but I don't know if it's engineered for higher speeds. Going faster on this segment might be possible, but would only save a few minutes. Is it worth it? Edited April 26, 20232 yr by neony
April 27, 20232 yr Author 20 hours ago, Ethan said: This is just a curiosity question. I didn't follow the construction of Brightline (Florida) very closely, but is it possible Brightline could ever increase their top speed to 155mph (250Km/hr) to reach the UIC category I high speed rail threshold? Also did Brightline mostly lay new track or update old track? Brightline invested about $2.5 billion for Orlando to West Palm. The section from Cocoa Beach to Orlando is entirely new, built alongside a state highway. From West Palm Beach to Cocoa, Brightline completely rebuilt the Florida East Coast railroad, added nearly 80 miles of second track, and upgraded or replaced its many bridges including some long ones over inlets from the ocean. The section from West Palm Beach to Miami was expanded from single to double track about five years ago. Some of the stations are pretty elaborate but none are more elaborate than Miami's which includes several high rise towers built on top of it. This guy did lots of videos documenting the construction. But here is a summary video of the construction work done just in 2022... "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
April 28, 20232 yr And now Brightline Florida is turning a profit on rail operations, which was never even the goal. (It was always about real estate development.) When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
April 29, 20232 yr Another landslide in Southern California interrupting Surfliner service between LA and San Diego. When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
April 29, 20232 yr Author "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 2, 20232 yr 110mph service between Chicago and St Louis starts tomorrow. When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
May 3, 20232 yr Author A friend of mine worked as the lead service attendant on a Lincoln Service train to St. Louis yesterday and is working a northbound train to Chicago today. Bummer that he's missing the speed increase by just one day! "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 3, 20232 yr The best thing about passenger rail next to highways is video like this When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
May 3, 20232 yr Author 5 hours ago, JB said: How much time is saved with the improved speed? Interesting seeing what @Boomerang_Brianshared. Perhaps they started running at 110 today? I ask because my friend working the first train out of St. Louis this morning said they were early into every single station on the line. So it seems the schedule hasn't been changed yet. But Amtrak and IDOT will look at how the trains perform and then adjust the schedule accordingly. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 4, 20232 yr Author Every Lincoln Service train is arriving at every station 5-15 minutes early! 😁 This is why... "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 4, 20232 yr Here's why: https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/chicago-st-louis-trains-begin-110-mph-running/
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