Our View: Federal rail investments good news for state economy

Providing better transportation alternatives now will pay dividends down the road.

 

It won't help dull the impact of this summer's gas prices, but there was good news in the effort to provide transportation alternatives in the future.

 

Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins jointly announced that the New England Passenger Rail Authority has received an additional $3.4 million for track upgrade between Portland and Brunswick.

 

That follows the $35 million received for the track between Portland and Brunswick last year and the $20.8 million awarded in a competitive grant process to upgrade the tracks between Portland and Boston.

 

Read more at: http://www.pressherald.com/opinion/federal-rail-investments-good-news-for-state-economy_2011-05-26.html

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 26, 2011

 

ATK-11-080

Amtrak Contact: Marc Magliari

312 880.5390

Sedalia Downtown Development Contact: Meg Liston

660 827.7388

 

SEDALIA STATION IMPROVEMENTS CELEBRATED

125-year-old Missouri building made more welcoming, accessible

 

SEDALIA, Mo. - Completion of a decade-long project to stabilize and improve an historic Missouri Pacific Railroad station -- and make it more accessible for passengers with disabilities - is being celebrated today by Amtrak and Sedalia Downtown Development Inc. (SDDI), with Septagon Construction and the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT).

 

Amtrak passengers for the four daily Missouri River Runner trains now can use a platform compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and a just-renovated station waiting room, following a ceremony with Mayor Elaine Horn, SDDI Director Meg Liston and representatives of Amtrak, MoDOT and Septagon.

 

The newly remodeled station on the north side of the Union Pacific Railroad tracks is better able to accommodate all passengers and features a new entrance and parking lot, with a modern waiting room and new restrooms.  While the $1.6 million project was underway for the last three years, Missouri River Runner passengers used a temporary facility across the tracks.

 

The City of Sedalia and its residents contributed nearly a third of the project funds, with more than $810,000 also coming from Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration funds administered by MoDOT.  Other federal, Amtrak and MoDOT funds have also been provided to transform the building into an intermodal facility with OATS transit.

 

The Sedalia station, which also serves the nearby attractions of Katy Trail State Park and the annual Missouri State Fair, has seen significant ridership growth.  For the 12 months ending last September, 11,136 passengers began or ended their trips in Sedalia, a 12 percent increase from the previous year, despite the disruption caused by the construction project.

 

Service by the Missouri River Runner (Trains 311, 313, 314 & 316) is operated by Amtrak under a contract with MoDOT with two daily round-trips between St. Louis and Kansas City and with the support of the Missouri Rail Passenger Coalition, a group representing Sedalia and the nine other communities along the 283-mile route.  Since the beginning of the Amtrak fiscal year on October 2010, Missouri River Runner ridership has risen by 15 percent, with a 20 percent jump last month.

 

Sedalia Background

 

According to the GreatAmericanStations.com website sponsored by Amtrak, the Sedalia station has had a long and interesting history dating back to 1885 and through SDDI's purchase of the property in 2000 from Union Pacific, which merged with Missouri Pacific in 1982.

 

The website describes the improved passenger station portion thusly: "The improved passenger waiting room, lighted by windows on three sides, is bright and welcoming. Outside, it is marked by a bold new metal and glass canopy over the entrance; turning up toward the sky, it protects riders from the rain and snow. Where the structure is anchored to the ground, the pylons frame a long bench consisting of wood slates over a modern concrete base. One pylon graphically spells out "Amtrak" in large letters running down its side, much like the streamlined letters along the canopy and a few of the brick facades that read 'Sedalia.' Street lights similar to those found in downtown have been installed for better illumination."

Illinois to study 220 mph bullet trains

By Jon Hilkevitch

Tribune reporter

4:32 p.m. CDT, June 2, 2011

 

The University of Illinois will lead a study examining the options to build tracks exclusively for 220 mph bullet trains operating initially between Chicago and Urbana-Champaign and eventually carrying passengers the length of the state in about two hours.

 

Gov. Pat Quinn announced the $1.25 million state-funded study today at a meeting in Chicago of the U.S. High Speed Rail Association, whose leaders have questioned the benefits of the federal government and numerous states, including Illinois, investing in train service that tops out at 110 mph.

 

Quinn acknowledged that building a 220 mph network will be costly and likely take up to 50 years. He compared the rail project to the construction of the nation’s interstate highway system, which kicked off in 1956.

 

Read more at: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chibrknews-illinois-to-study-220-mph-bullet-trains-20110602,0,2330947.story

^ $1.25M freakin state money poured into that vs a certain state that gave ist free gubmint $ for such things away! rrrgh...

 

***

 

good news as unlike 20yrs ago today this area is booming with new development:

 

 

2:05 PM

 

Queens Subway Transfer Station 20 Years In The Making

By: NY1 News

 

 

Come winter, riders at the Court Square subway station will be a much happier group thanks to a new underground transfer corridor.

 

NY1's Vivian Lee filed the following report.

 

It took a little more than 20 years from inception, but the new Court Square Subway Station complex in Long Island City is finished, and should make transfers quicker, cheaper and more comfortable.

 

The elevators and escalators complement the moving sidewalks and allow free transfers among the E, M, G and 7 lines, and the Northeast corner of Jackson Avenue and 23rd Street without having to hit the street.

 

"Previously, customers wanting to make this transfer would have to leave the system, use city sidewalks and re-use their Metrocards to enter the system," said New York City Transit President Thomas Prendergast.

 

Some 20,000 riders use the complex each weekday, and many say it's something they've waited years for.

 

"I think it's wonderful, think it's a great idea they had. Gonna be wonderful for all of us especially in the winter time when crossing over across the street," said one straphanger.

 

"It's convenient for me, for the E train, the G train, the 7 train," said another.

 

The project dates back to the 1980s when Citigroup started building its Long Island City headquarters. Improving the subway was part of the deal for building the second office tower that opened a couple of years ago.

 

Citigroup paid for the design and construction of the underground transfer corridor, while the Metropolitan Transportation Authority provided money for the elevator and escalators.

 

"At a time of budget austerity both at city and state levels, it's nice to be able to say we accomplished something like this," said State Senator Michael Gianaris.

 

"Next year is our 200th anniversary, for Citi. We started, opened our doors in 1812 with the City Bank of New York. So we are especially proud of our roots here," said Maria Veltre of Citigroup.

 

Citigroup kicked in nearly $34 million for the passageway connection; the MTA nearly $14 million.

 

Later this month, platforms will be expanded, and tactile warning strips and better signage will be finished.

 

 

http://www.ny1.com/content/top_stories/140321/queens-subway-transfer-station-20-years-in-the-making

mrnyc - We all wish that a certain state had the vision that Illinois and other, progressive states do, but that state doesn't and is just providing one more reason for people in my demographic to move out of said state.

 

Regarding the Court Square Station; that's great news, I was wondering what the construction was for when I was in NYC and used the 7 daily. That reminds me, I need to get my NYC pics posted.

It amazes me that in NYC, Philly, Boston and other East Coast cities with lots of rail, that there aren't as many transfer stations between each line. I realize many of these rail lines were developed by private companies that have since been taken over by public agencies, but that takeover occurred decades ago. It's time they stopped operating like independent, competing services. In many cases, you have travel all the way downtown before you can transfer and head back out the same general direction you came into the city.

 

Look at a map sometime, especially of Philly, and see what I mean. The lack of connections between light rail/rapid transit lines and the regional commuter rail lines is very sad. It was even perpetuated when the RiverLine was built into Camden, with no transfer point to the Atlantic City Line. That's being corrected, but after the fact. And yet it was the same agency, New Jersey Transit, which initiated both rail services.

HBJ readers ready to ride rails to Dallas-Fort Worth

Houston Business Journal - by Christine Hall, Reporter

Date: Friday, June 3, 2011, 9:05am CDT

 

Houstonians are passionate about their transportation.

 

Last month, Texas received $15 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation to develop a high-speed rail corridor between Houston and Dallas.

 

The Houston Business Journal recently asked readers if they would use the proposed high-speed rail link between Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth, and the answer was an overwhelming “yes,” according to the Business Pulse Survey.

 

Seventy-five percent of readers said they would use the rail line, 16 percent said “no” and 8 percent were “not sure.”

 

The poll received more than 1,300 responses and nearly 30 comments.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2011/06/03/hbj-readers-ready-to-ride-rails-to.html

On the South Shore en route from Chicago to Michigan City this afternoon there was an announcement over the PA that due to extreme heat restrictions our speed would not exceed 55 miles per hour. That's the first time I've ever experienced a temperature-related speed restriction on the South Shore; the line has a lot of curves and I didn't think there were very many areas of welded rail on tangent (straight) track that would require restrictions. Overall it made less than ten minutes' difference in our arrival time because of the large number of stops and the urban stretches where operating speeds already are less than that.

 

 

Unfortunately, CSX places a lot of heat-related speed restrictions on passenger trains -- something that railroads operating in the desert southwest don't do.

Indiana DOT is updating its state rail plan. It has posted the following survey questions online....

 

http://www.in.gov/indot/3499.htm

Amtrak called more viable than high-speed rail now

Paddock says it could be decades until a sleek new system comes here.

 

By Christian Sheckler

[email protected] 

With a luncheon to promote high-speed passenger rail scheduled for Friday, one of the city's most persistent advocates for local rail service says he's taking things one step at a time.

 

Before rail supporters set their sights on a sleek, new rail system to Chicago, they should focus on bringing Amtrak back to Fort Wayne for the first time in more than 20 years, said Geoff Paddock, co-founder of the Northeast Indiana Passenger Rail Association.

 

Paddock said the lunch – sponsored by the Indiana High Speed Rail Association – will focus mostly on the ambitious goal of making Fort Wayne one of the stops on a high-speed line between Chicago and Cleveland.

 

 

Read more at: http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110608/NEWS/106080325

Amtrak called more viable than high-speed rail now

Paddock says it could be decades until a sleek new system comes here.

 

By Christian Sheckler

[email protected] 

With a luncheon to promote high-speed passenger rail scheduled for Friday, one of the city's most persistent advocates for local rail service says he's taking things one step at a time.

 

Before rail supporters set their sights on a sleek, new rail system to Chicago, they should focus on bringing Amtrak back to Fort Wayne for the first time in more than 20 years, said Geoff Paddock, co-founder of the Northeast Indiana Passenger Rail Association.

 

Paddock said the lunch – sponsored by the Indiana High Speed Rail Association – will focus mostly on the ambitious goal of making Fort Wayne one of the stops on a high-speed line between Chicago and Cleveland.

 

 

Read more at: http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110608/NEWS/106080325

 

I've known Geoff Paddock for more than twenty years. He's been heavily involved in successful civic improvement efforts in Fort Wayne for as long as I've known him, and he's a solid, rational advocate for passenger rail who understands the importance of a pragmatic approach to restoring service to Fort Wayne. The estimate of a few hundred thousand dollars to restore the former PRR line (PRR > Penn Central > Conrail > CSX/Rail America/Chicago Fort Wayne & Eastern) for 79mph passenger service most likely is a mis-quotation by the News-Sentinel; some of their reporters don't know their posterior from a hole in the ground. The correct figure more likely is a few hundred thousand dollars per mile, and that's on the conservative side. Most, if not all, of that line has been single-tracked and de-signaled. Amtrak prefers not to operate on single-track lines and wouldn't be able to approach 79mph without signals. I speculate that a million dollars per mile would be closer and even that might be conservative.

 

The commenter, Mr. Schwinn, appears to be in the camp of impassioned foamers who want bullet trains and want them now, and who have no comprehension of the the financial and logistical complexities of the undertaking, and aside from lacking any sense of what's attainable in the near term, he doesn't have his facts straight. The 1990 discontinuation of Amtrak service on the line was not because Amtrak was the only user of the entire line. Amtrak was the only user of a 19-mile segment in Northwest Indiana, and Conrail offered Amtrak two choices; either assume all the maintenance costs for that segment, or discontinue service thru Lima, Fort Wayne, and Warsaw so that Conrail could shut down the segment. To sweeten the pot, Conrail offered Amtrak a substantial lump-sum payment to reroute its trains off the line. The line through Fort Wayne has always continued to carry freight traffic; if there had been no freight revenue, I doubt if either Norfolk Southern or CSX would have wanted it when Conrail was broken up. CSX leased the line to Rail America, and currently it is operated by Rail America's wholly-owned subsidiary, Chicago Fort Wayne & Eastern.

The commenter, Mark Schwinn, is the assistant director of the Midwest High Speed Rail Association and a friend of mine from college more than 20 years ago. Mark understands the issues very well.

 

And you are correct that the cost to upgrade Amtrak service will hundreds of thousands of dollars per mile, not not more. There should be more news about this in the coming weeks.

It amazes me that in NYC, Philly, Boston and other East Coast cities with lots of rail, that there aren't as many transfer stations between each line. I realize many of these rail lines were developed by private companies that have since been taken over by public agencies, but that takeover occurred decades ago. It's time they stopped operating like independent, competing services. In many cases, you have travel all the way downtown before you can transfer and head back out the same general direction you came into the city. 

 

Look at a map sometime, especially of Philly, and see what I mean. The lack of connections between light rail/rapid transit lines and the regional commuter rail lines is very sad. It was even perpetuated when the RiverLine was built into Camden, with no transfer point to the Atlantic City Line. That's being corrected, but after the fact. And yet it was the same agency, New Jersey Transit, which initiated both rail services.

 

Yep.  I'd throw Chicago in there, too... many METRA lines crossing L routes with no connection -- extreme: METRA Kenosha (WI) line with a Ravenswood station 4-5 blocks away from a stop on the parallel Brown (L) line...

 

Philly's absurd in North Philly where 6 commuter rail routes (at North Broad), a Subway/Orange Line stop (N. Phila) and 2 commuter rail + the NEC Amtrak @ N. Phila (I think Amtrak no longer stops there), all within about 3 blocks and zero physical connection!!  Of course Philly's probably the most class-divided big city in America, where City Division riders (subway, bus, subway-surface, trolley) are treated like crap, and where many suburban rail commuters 'wouldn't be caught dead' on a subway train... And also where the commuter tunnel linking the 6 ex-Reading and 6 (now 7) Penn Central lines has been largely a failure to those who hoped SEPTA would convert its rather slow, clunky (though electrified), conductor-controlled, low-platform, low frequency commuter train system, into a frequent, high-capacity, high-platform proof of payment regional Metro a-la Japanese systems and the German S-Bahns.  Train frequency nowadays is even LESS than it was pre-tunnel, which is a joke.  3 SEPTA commuter rail lines are RTA Rapid like (in terms of number of station stops, line length), and terminate w/in Philly's borders -- the 2 Chestnut Hill Lines and the Fox Chase Line -- but have an hourly base and, at best, are only half-hourly at rush hour.  That's crazy...

 

That a city with the gift of one of the most extensive rail networks on the continent has allowed this situation to happen, shows once again, we Americans just don't get it when it comes to transit.

North Philadelphia is probably the most glaring example, but there's a lot more. And yes, Amtrak still stops at North Philly, but only some of AM and PM rush-hour WDC-NYC locals and a couple of the Keystone trains.

Good interview with the Director of the Virginia Department of Passenger Rail & Transit on how Virginia has advanced state-supported passnger rail projects and plans for more:

 

http://www.progressiverailroading.com/passenger_rail/audiovideo/Virginia-DRPTs-Drake-outlines-strategy-to-expand-intercity-passengerrail-service--26869

Good interview with the Director of the Virginia Department of Passenger Rail & Transit on how Virginia has advanced state-supported passnger rail projects and plans for more:

 

http://www.progressiverailroading.com/passenger_rail/audiovideo/Virginia-DRPTs-Drake-outlines-strategy-to-expand-intercity-passengerrail-service--26869

 

She is a Republican native of Elyria, Ohio. So just because someone is from Ohio, and is a Republican, doesn't mean he or she has a problem with public investments in passenger rail. That's the difference between pragmatism and ideology.

North Philadelphia is probably the most glaring example, but there's a lot more. And yes, Amtrak still stops at North Philly, but only some of AM and PM rush-hour WDC-NYC locals and a couple of the Keystone trains.

 

My memories of North Philadelphia Station are faded and scratched with age; just after Christmas, 1964, I rode PRR's General from Fort Wayne to Philadelphia while returning to Dover AFB (Delaware) after a Christmas leave. I don't know if that train even stopped at Penn Station, but North Phila. was where the conductor told me I should get off. I might have had other options to get from there to Dover, but someone at the station told me I had to take a cab to get to Greyhound. It was unseasonably warm and drippy/foggy/hazy, and I hadn't been able to sleep much on the overnight train ride; my accomodation had been a tired and threadbare seat in a tired and rattly P70 coach with litter strewn in the linoleum or rubber-runner aisle, heat set below the comfort level, overhead lights on all night, and the door at the leading end of the coach latched open, letting the vestibule racket pervade the coach. I wasn't sufficiently experienced then to know how to get the door to close. I had to pay fifty cents for the use of a pillow. PRR was working hard to discourage ridership then, and it was working. If that train was ten percent occupied, I don't know where they were hiding the rest of the passengers. It wasn't until after the advent of Amtrak that anyone was able to get me to try train travel again.

You mean 30th Street Station, not Penn Station, in Philadelphia. And, no, PRR's Chicago-New York name trains didn't go to Philly's 30th Street Station. They turned northeast at Zoo Tower and headed straight for Manhattan.

 

And for those who think the private sector is better at doing everything don't know what the private sector did to the passenger train in the 1960s. Yes, the government provided a no-win situation by owning and financing the infrastructure of the railroads' competition. But the private railroads were too insular, myopic and proud to realize that if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Instead they chose suicide over assisted living.

North Philadelphia is probably the most glaring example, but there's a lot more. And yes, Amtrak still stops at North Philly, but only some of AM and PM rush-hour WDC-NYC locals and a couple of the Keystone trains.

 

You are correct.  Amtrak closed their ticket ofice in North Philly, but trains still stop there.

You mean 30th Street Station, not Penn Station, in Philadelphia  ...

 

Duh! I knew better! I've even been to 30th Street Station a few times, and posted photos here.  :bang:

 

Duh! I knew better! I've even been to 30th Street Station a few times, and posted photos here.  :bang:

 

And I knew what you meant! :)

And in one of the most smallest and lightly-populated states....

 

Vermont Reports Rise in Amtrak Rideship

 

Read more at: http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/wireStory?id=13828423

6/16/2011 10:30:00 AM    State of Affairs

 

Virginia DOT lands six-year budget, forms public-private partnership office

 

Yesterday, Virginia’s Commonwealth Transportation Board adopted a six-year improvement program for fiscal years 2012 to 2017, which includes a $10.6 billion construction program, up 36 percent compared with the FY2011-2016 program. The new program’s budget will enable a number of rail, transit, transportation management, pedestrian and highway projects to move forward, according to commonwealth officials.

 

The budget includes $8.3 billion for the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and $2.3 billion for the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT). The program targets more than 900 projects recommended for funding through transportation legislation signed into law in April.

 

Read more at: http://www.progressiverailroading.com/prdailynews/news.asp?id=26960

New Mexico Rail Runner to eliminate weekend service

 

The Rio Metro Regional Transit District Board recently voted to eliminate New Mexico Rail Runner Express weekend service as part of an effort to balance the fiscal-year 2012 budget, which might lose $1.2 million in federal funding.

 

The board initially considered dropping two weekday services, but opted instead to eliminate weekend service to preserve the workday schedule, Rio Metro officials said in a prepared statement. The weekend service will continue through mid- to late August.

 

Read more at: http://www.progressiverailroading.com/prdailynews/news.asp?id=27038

Train officials consider options in Brunswick

By Kelley Bouchard [email protected]

Staff Writer

 

BRUNSWICK - The New England Passenger Rail Authority is considering alternative sites for a proposed Downeaster train layover and maintenance facility that has upset some homeowners in neighborhoods off Route 1.

 

Alternative sites will be discussed at a public forum at 7 tonight in the Town Council chambers at Maine Street Station.

 

"We will be evaluating other sites that have been suggested and considering environmental impacts such as noise, vibration, air and water quality," said Patricia Quinn, executive director of the authority.

 

Read more at: http://www.pressherald.com/news/train-officials-consider-options-in-brunswick-_2011-06-23.html

SOURCE: http://www.fra.dot.gov/roa/press_releases/fp_FRA%2012-11.shtml

 

U.S. Department of Transportation Announces $16 Million Grant for California’s Rail Network

 

U.S.Department of Transportation

Office of Public Affairs

Washington, D.C.

www.dot.gov/affairs/briefing.htm

News

 

 

FRA 12-11

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Contact: Brie Sachse

Tel.: 202-493-6024

 

WASHINGTON – U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) can now begin spending a $16 million grant that will support safety and scheduling improvements on the heavily traveled San Francisco to San Jose corridor. 

 

The money will pay for the design of a positive train control (PTC) technology system that increases railroad safety and efficiency by monitoring and controlling train movements, which will help integrate California’s rail network with high-speed passenger service.

 

“Keeping people safe is our top priority and positive train control technology will ensure California’s rail network transports passengers more safely and efficiently than ever before,” said Secretary LaHood.  “This comprehensive safety technology will improve passenger service along the highly-traveled corridor between San Francisco and San Jose and will ultimately benefit the entire high-speed rail system in California.”

 

The grant will enable the CHSRA and the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board to develop a system that will improve schedule management along the dominant San Francisco-San Jose corridor and by extension, help improve train schedules along the entire California railroad network.  In addition, the grant will be used to design a PTC system that will accommodate the existing 52-mile corridor and provide support for high-speed trains.

 

PTC also keeps passengers and railroad workers safer by maintaining safe train separations preventing non-compliance with train speed limits, protecting roadway workers in authorized work zones and providing protection against train movement over misaligned switches.  Once installed, the San Francisco-San Jose system will meet the congressionally-mandated provisions of the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008.

 

Representative Anna G. Eshoo (D-Palo Alto), who has been working with the Department of Transportation to secure this vital funding, welcomed Transportation Secretary LaHood’s announcement:

 

“This is great news for Peninsula residents.  This technology will improve Caltrain’s safety and efficiency,” said Rep. Anna Eshoo.  "This this is an important first step in making Caltrain a 21st century transportation system.”

 

Other members of the federal working group also released statements of support for this funding:

 

“This $16 million in federal funds means faster commutes for our constituents,” said Rep. Michael Honda. “As a Member of the House Budget Committee and the House Appropriations Committee, I recognize that the only way for America to get back to work is for our nation to invest in a 21st century transportation system that will get us there.  Improving Caltrain and laying the ground work for high-speed rail has a direct, positive impact on my constituents, and these federal funds show that their hard-earned tax dollars are being efficiently and effectively returned to their communities in visible and meaningful ways.” 

 

“As our country’s highways and roads grow more congested, we desperately need to invest in alternative forms of transportation,” noted Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose). “I support the Federal Rail Administration’s efforts to modernize America’s rails, and this is a step towards more efficient, safer, and faster rail travel. It’s investments like these that are going to keep America competitive as the load on our transportation infrastructure continues to grow.”

 

“With this investment, we continue to improve California’s public transportation services, creating good jobs, reducing traffic and pollution, and contributing to the health and vitality of California’s economy,” said Rep. Garamendi. “I thank all those responsible for their valiant work in making this dream a reality.”

 

“The decision of the FRA is the right choice for our time because scarce dollars will be used for the best purpose—increasing safety on the vital Caltrain corridor,” said Rep. Jackie Speier.

 

Thirty-two states across the U.S. and the District of Columbia are currently laying the foundation for high-speed rail corridors to link Americans with faster and more energy-efficient travel options.  The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and annual appropriations have, to date, provided $10.1 billion to put America on track towards providing new and expanded rail access to communities and improving the reliability, speed, and frequency of existing service.  Of that, more than $5.8 billion dollars has already been obligated for rail projects.

 

A strict “Buy America” requirement for high-speed rail projects ensures that U.S. manufacturers and workers will receive the maximum economic benefits from this federal investment. In 2009, Secretary LaHood secured a commitment from 30 foreign and domestic rail manufacturers to employ American workers and locate or expand their base of operations in the U.S. if they are selected for high-speed-rail contracts.

 

####

Pittsburgh to Harrisburg high-speed rail called unlikely

By Tom Fontaine

PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

 

It might not be possible to develop true high-speed rail in the rail corridor between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, a PennDOT official and consultant studying the line said on Monday.

 

"The likelihood of reaching 110 mph in this corridor is unlikely at this point," said Rick Shannon, a project manager with Philadelphia-based consulting engineering firm McCormick Taylor. "What we're really talking about is higher-speed rail."

 

McCormick Taylor is assisting PennDOT in a $1.5 million study of the 244-mile corridor. They are looking for ways to improve frequency and speed of service, although Western Pennsylvania's rugged terrain and freight traffic on the bustling Norfolk Southern-owned line that Amtrak trains travel are impediments.

 

 

Read more: Pittsburgh to Harrisburg high-speed rail called unlikely - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/print_744194.html#ixzz1Qa4pOK2R

Pittsburgh to Harrisburg high-speed rail called unlikely

By Tom Fontaine

PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

 

It might not be possible to develop true high-speed rail in the rail corridor between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, a PennDOT official and consultant studying the line said on Monday.

 

"The likelihood of reaching 110 mph in this corridor is unlikely at this point," said Rick Shannon, a project manager with Philadelphia-based consulting engineering firm McCormick Taylor. "What we're really talking about is higher-speed rail."

 

McCormick Taylor is assisting PennDOT in a $1.5 million study of the 244-mile corridor. They are looking for ways to improve frequency and speed of service, although Western Pennsylvania's rugged terrain and freight traffic on the bustling Norfolk Southern-owned line that Amtrak trains travel are impediments.

 

 

Read more: Pittsburgh to Harrisburg high-speed rail called unlikely - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/print_744194.html#ixzz1Qa4pOK2R

 

Did ya catch the "Capitol Unlimited" gaffe?

Pittsburgh to Harrisburg high-speed rail called unlikely

By Tom Fontaine

PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

 

It might not be possible to develop true high-speed rail in the rail corridor between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, a PennDOT official and consultant studying the line said on Monday.

 

"The likelihood of reaching 110 mph in this corridor is unlikely at this point," said Rick Shannon, a project manager with Philadelphia-based consulting engineering firm McCormick Taylor. "What we're really talking about is higher-speed rail."

 

McCormick Taylor is assisting PennDOT in a $1.5 million study of the 244-mile corridor. They are looking for ways to improve frequency and speed of service, although Western Pennsylvania's rugged terrain and freight traffic on the bustling Norfolk Southern-owned line that Amtrak trains travel are impediments.

 

Maybe the mayor of Harrisburg can  fast and pray for high speed rail.

He needs to pray for the Allegenies to flatten and NS to avail more right of way for fast passenger trains. I think the prospects for the Alleghenies flattening out is more likely.

 

That said, a 90-mph train with tilt-train technologies offering 65-70 mph average speeds over much of the route should be able to cover the 250 miles between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg in less than 4 hours. Now that is very likely.

Vermonter line upgrade Feds offer $72m grant for track improvements

By CHRIS GAROFOLO / Reformer Staff

Posted: 07/05/2011 03:00:00 AM EDT

Tuesday July 5, 2011

 

BRATTLEBORO -- The U.S. Department of Transportation announced this weekend a $72.8 million grant to upgrade Amtrak’s growing Vermonter line.

 

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said the improvements to the Vermonter, which runs from St. Albans through Brattleboro down to Washington, D.C., will upgrade 50 miles of infrastructure in Massachusetts just south of Vermont, cutting nearly 30 minutes from the commute.

 

The project will upgrade 50 miles of track between Springfield, Mass., and East Northfield, Mass.

 

Read more at: http://www.reformer.com/ci_18408522?source=most_viewed

Nice example of how a South Carolina community see's it's old train station as a potential hub for redevelopment.

 

All aboard for Yemassee: Here's why aging hamlet wants to become much more than a whistle stop

By Teresa Taylor

[email protected]

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

 

YEMASSEE -- An aluminum clamp light plugged into an extension cord hangs from the ceiling in front of a portable toilet. Paint curls up from wood like whitecaps on rough seas. Plywood sheets cover windows.

 

Visitors can't miss the old train depot in the center of downtown Yemassee. There are a few surrounding shops and businesses, but the station and the railroad tracks have a commanding spot in this hamlet.

 

Amtrak still makes four stops here daily. Last year, 13,500 passengers boarded or got off in Yemassee. Yet, to a stranger, the landscape might seem like the middle of nowhere.

 

Read more at: http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2011/jul/05/all-aboard-for-yemassee/

Vermonter line upgrade Feds offer $72m grant for track improvements

By CHRIS GAROFOLO / Reformer Staff

Posted: 07/05/2011 03:00:00 AM EDT

Tuesday July 5, 2011

 

BRATTLEBORO -- The U.S. Department of Transportation announced this weekend a $72.8 million grant to upgrade Amtrak’s growing Vermonter line.

 

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said the improvements to the Vermonter, which runs from St. Albans through Brattleboro down to Washington, D.C., will upgrade 50 miles of infrastructure in Massachusetts just south of Vermont, cutting nearly 30 minutes from the commute.

 

The project will upgrade 50 miles of track between Springfield, Mass., and East Northfield, Mass.

 

This takes the trains back onto the original mainline when Amtrak moved to an alignment to the east due to deteriorating conditions. What are the operating speeds for this - since the article states they want to compete with Interstate 91 in terms of speed? Good news all around!

I suspect a big beneficiary of this is the short-line freight railroad in this area. Skip ahead to 1:05 in this video and you'll see why the tracks need upgrading (BTW: I love the fall scenery, hills, fog, etc etc in this scene)....

 

^re Harrisburg-Pittsburgh service -- yeah, the Capital "Unlimited" gaffe is revealing.  It also highlights a continuing issue with the Avg. Joe/Josephine public.  The words "high-speed rail" are as much a curse as they are a blessing.  As was the case here in Ohio with Neanderthal John Kasich and the local anti-rail hitmen, the term can be used to pooh-pooh any service that can't reach (immediately) at lest 110 MPH, let along 125 or 150 MPH, the top speed of which the nation's best, Acela, can only reach in a few stretches NE of New Haven... The anti-rail hitmen know exactly what they're doing: if anyone suggests building a 150 mph service, of course... it's too expensive.... But being slick and not wanting to seem the backwards, anti-rail boobs that they are, they promote the ignorance that the logical, necessary buildup for conventional systems to true high-speed rail produces trains that are too slow/not worth the taxpayer $$ -- and we know, here in Ohio, the whole 35 mph train crap was totally distorted by the dishonest hitmen,... and a phony hypocrite like Kasich seized upon it...

 

But I digress... ramping up the PA corridor west from Harrisburg to something approaching high speed will be challenging, but not impossible.  I think a key strategy for the pro-rail faction is to try and the words "high speed rail" out of the popular vernacular for lines like the Harr-Pitt service or the 3-Cs... Better, I think, to get the public excited about the prospect of frequent, reliable, comfortable reasonably fast passenger service --- certainly the Pennsylvania drawing board is wide open for a workable service between the high-speed Nirvana tossed around vs. the current, slow, once-per-day crap Harrisburg-Pittsburgh riders face today.

7/12/2011 10:00:00 AM    Project Update

 

Florida DOT OKs design of SunRail corridor, locomotives

 

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has authorized MotivePower Inc. to begin designing and manufacturing SunRail’s locomotives, according to a notice posted on the agency’s web site.

 

FDOT also has authorized Archer Western Railworks, a joint venture, to begin final design and maintenance mobilization activities required to start building the SunRail corridor. Construction is scheduled to begin in fall, according to FDOT.

 

Read more at: http://www.progressiverailroading.com/prdailynews/news.asp?id=27232

Virginia, North Carolina ponder SEHSR route   

Tuesday, July 12, 2011 

 

In response to public comment collected last summer, new rail alignments have been developed in two sections in Virginia of the Southeast High Speed Rail project (SEHSR). The two areas affected are in Brunswick County, north of Alberta, Va., between the Nottoway River and Flat Rock Road (project Section D), and south of Alberta, between Millville Road and the Meherrin River (project Section G).

 

The two alignments are part of the Draft Tier II Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Richmond, Va. to Raleigh, N.C., portion of the SEHSR route being advanced by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) and the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT). The two states hope to advance HSR along 162 miles of right-of-way in both states, eventually linking with Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor and extending HSR to Charlotte, N.C.

 

 

Read more at: http://www.railwayage.com/breaking-news/virginia-north-carolina-ponder-sehsr-route-3304.html

Virginia, North Carolina ponder SEHSR route   

Tuesday, July 12, 2011 

 

In response to public comment collected last summer, new rail alignments have been developed in two sections in Virginia of the Southeast High Speed Rail project (SEHSR). The two areas affected are in Brunswick County, north of Alberta, Va., between the Nottoway River and Flat Rock Road (project Section D), and south of Alberta, between Millville Road and the Meherrin River (project Section G).

 

The two alignments are part of the Draft Tier II Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Richmond, Va. to Raleigh, N.C., portion of the SEHSR route being advanced by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) and the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT). The two states hope to advance HSR along 162 miles of right-of-way in both states, eventually linking with Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor and extending HSR to Charlotte, N.C.

 

 

Read more at: http://www.railwayage.com/breaking-news/virginia-north-carolina-ponder-sehsr-route-3304.html

 

This is the abandoned ex-Seaboard railroad main and even if built to 79 mph standards would result in an immediate 45 min to one hour cut in the running time of the Silver Star and Carolinian between Richmond and Raleigh. Trains began running over a circuitous route via Selma NC when the ex-SBD main was abandoned by CSX back in the 1980's. Running at 110 mph would be possible because this is not an active freight railroad line and could cut the current nearly four hour running time to about two hours. This would really be a breakthrough.

26 of the 100 projects are for either freight or passenger rail....

 

CG/LA Infrastructure lists top 100 transportation projects in North America

 

On Tuesday, CG/LA Infrastructure L.L.C. released a preliminary list of the top 100 North American infrastructure projects. The total estimated cost of the projects — many of which involve freight and passenger rail — is $220 billion. The projects could create 3.3 million direct jobs and about 10 million total jobs over the next four to five years, according to CG/LA Infrastructure, an infrastructure project identification and branding firm.

 

The projects cover the following infrastructure sectors: airports (totaling $7.1 billion in costs); electricity ($49.2 billion); high-speed rail/Northeast Corridor ($32 billion); oil and gas ($12.6 billion); ports and logistics ($7.3 billion); renewable energy ($23 billion); surface transportation ($42 billion); urban mass transit ($39.1 billion); and water and wastewater ($8 billion). Projects were selected from a list of 2,000 candidates based on a project's business opportunity, productivity and competitiveness creation, job generation and "green" aspects.

 

 

 

 

Read more at: http://www.progressiverailroading.com/prdailynews/news.asp?id=27258

FTA set to sign SunRail FFGA today

 

Today, the Federal Transit Administration plans to sign a Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA) for the Florida Department of Transportation’s (FDOT) SunRail project.

 

READ MORE AT: http://www.progressiverailroading.com/prdailynews/news.asp?id=27277

Downeaster tops 500,000 for 1st time

DAVID SHARP, Associated Press

Monday, July 11, 2011

 

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Annual ridership on Amtrak's Downeaster has topped 500,000 for the first time, with ridership more than doubling since 2005 on the rail service that connects Portland and Boston, officials said Monday.

 

The milestone was reached in the fiscal year that ended June 30; all told, ridership grew 8 percent and ticket revenue grew 7 percent during the period, said Patricia Quinn, executive director of the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority, which oversees the service.

 

READ MORE AT: http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011110719942

Wisconsin To Borrow 32M to Improve Amtrak Line

Tuesday, July 19, 2011 11:13 a.m. CDT

 

MADISON, Wis. (WHBL) - The state will borrow almost 32-million-dollars to improve the Amtrak high-speed rail system from Milwaukee-to-Chicago.

 

The Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee voted 12-to-2 this morning to renovate Milwaukee’s rail station and cover expenses for the delivery of new trains for the Hiawatha line. Republican Senators Glenn Grothman of West Bend and Joe Leibham of Sheboygan voted no.

 

Democrats approved the borrowing, but they still pointed fingers. They said all but 10-million dollars of the new spending would have been covered by the 810-million-dollar federal grant Governor Scott Walker rejected, because he didn’t want the Amtrak line extended from Milwaukee-to-Madison. Senate Democrat Lena Taylor of Milwaukee called it an example of quote, “Walker math.”

 

Read more at:http://whbl.com/news/articles/2011/jul/19/wisconsin-to-borrow-32m-to-improve-amtrak-line/

Milwaukee Journal Sentinal:

 

Wisconsin taxpayers could wind up paying more to keep existing passenger train service from Milwaukee to Chicago than they would have paid to run new high-speed rail service from Milwaukee to Madison, according to a Journal Sentinel analysis of state figures.

 

The Legislature's budget committee voted 12-2 Tuesday to spend $31.6 million in mostly borrowed state money on Amtrak's Milwaukee-to-Chicago Hiawatha line, costs that could have been paid largely by an $810 million federal grant that would have extended the Hiawatha to Madison.

....

And, like the spending approved Tuesday, all or most of those new costs would have been covered by the federal grant spurned by Gov. Scott Walker last year. That's because the Milwaukee-to-Madison service would have operated as an extension of the Hiawatha, as part of a larger plan to connect Chicago to the Twin Cities and other Midwestern destinations with fast, frequent trains.

 

Taken together, state taxpayers' share of the Hiawatha capital costs that would have been covered by the federal grant could total as much as $99 million, significantly more than the $30 million they would have paid for 20 years of operating costs on the Milwaukee-to-Madison segment, as estimated by former Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle's administration.

...

http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/125810723.html

Michigan to buy rail line for high-speed Amtrak

U.S. to pay for upgrade on 135-mile segment

BY DAVID PATCH

BLADE STAFF WRITER

 

 

Amtrak's route between Detroit and Chicago is among those the Obama Administration has chosen for high-speed rail development, but right now, 135 miles of the line east of Kalamazoo, Mich., is anything but fast.

 

The tracks' owner, Norfolk Southern, has determined that freight traffic along the line no longer justifies maintaining it for the ordinary top speed on many Amtrak routes, 79 mph. Beginning last year, after a maintenance agreement with Amtrak expired, the freight railroad has on several occasions reduced the line's speed limits to the point where most of the track is restricted to 60 mph or slower, with some stretches 25 mph.

 

The slowdown has caused Amtrak's three daily Wolverine Service round trips between Pontiac, Mich., and Chicago, via Detroit and Ann Arbor, to run about 90 minutes late since June 1, Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari said.

Read more at: http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2011/07/21/Michigan-to-buy-rail-line-for-high-speed-Amtrak.html

something you dont really think about, but the revenue-strapped mta should. and you wonder about how other agencies handle this. young farebeaters cost mta millions $$$:

 

 

http://www.ny1.com/content/news_beats/transit/143287/report--young-fare-evaders-costing-mta-millions

 

This morning, we shared news about Michigan speeding up its trains to 110 mph. Now comes this news about our neighbor to the east of Ohio....

 

http://www.fra.dot.gov/roa/press_releases/fp_FRA11-11.shtml

 

U.S. Transportation Secretary LaHood Announces $24.3 Million in Grants to Boost Keystone Corridor Train Speeds to 125 mph

 

U.S.Department of Transportation

Office of Public Affairs

Washington, D.C.

www.dot.gov/affairs/briefing.htm

News

 

 

FRA 11-11

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Contact: Brie N. Sachse

Tel.: (202) 493-6024

 

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced that work can begin on closing the last three highway-rail grade crossings on the Keystone corridor with the signing of $24.3 million in grant agreements between the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.  Eliminating the grade crossings, areas where a highway and a railroad cross at the same level, will improve safety and allow future train speeds to increase from 110 mph to 125 mph.

 

“We are committed to the President’s vision of a world-class rail network providing fast, efficient and affordable service,” said Secretary LaHood.  “Closing these highway-rail grade crossings will allow travelers along the heavily-used Keystone corridor to enjoy a reduction in their trip time with future train speeds boosted to 125-mph.”

 

The Keystone corridor operates between New York, Philadelphia and Harrisburg and is Amtrak’s fourth most heavily traveled route.  Since train speeds along the route were increased to 110 mph in 2006, ridership has grown by more than 37 percent to 1,227,075 passengers in 2010.  The grants announced today will eliminate grade crossings in Mount Joy Borough, Rapho Township and Leacock Township, all in Lancaster County, PA.  The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and Amtrak will also contribute a combined $3.4 million for this project.

 

“Closing highway-rail grade crossings eliminates potential accidents,” said Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph C. Szabo.  “We must keep safety at the forefront in the high-speed and intercity passenger rail program.”

 

Funding also includes engineering and environmental work for the redesign of track crossings and improvements to train control signal systems.

 

A strict “Buy America” requirement for high-speed rail projects ensures that U.S. manufacturers and workers will receive the maximum economic benefits from this federal investment. In 2009, Secretary LaHood secured a commitment from 30 foreign and domestic rail manufacturers to employ American workers and locate or expand their base of operations in the U.S. if they are selected for high-speed-rail contracts.

 

####

This morning, we shared news about Michigan speeding up its trains to 110 mph. Now comes this news about our neighbor to the east of Ohio....

 

http://www.fra.dot.gov/roa/press_releases/fp_FRA11-11.shtml

 

U.S. Transportation Secretary LaHood Announces $24.3 Million in Grants to Boost Keystone Corridor Train Speeds to 125 mph

 

U.S.Department of Transportation

Office of Public Affairs

Washington, D.C.

www.dot.gov/affairs/briefing.htm

News

 

 

FRA 11-11

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Contact: Brie N. Sachse

Tel.: (202) 493-6024

 

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced that work can begin on closing the last three highway-rail grade crossings on the Keystone corridor with the signing of $24.3 million in grant agreements between the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.  Eliminating the grade crossings, areas where a highway and a railroad cross at the same level, will improve safety and allow future train speeds to increase from 110 mph to 125 mph.

 

“We are committed to the President’s vision of a world-class rail network providing fast, efficient and affordable service,” said Secretary LaHood.  “Closing these highway-rail grade crossings will allow travelers along the heavily-used Keystone corridor to enjoy a reduction in their trip time with future train speeds boosted to 125-mph.”

 

The Keystone corridor operates between New York, Philadelphia and Harrisburg and is Amtrak’s fourth most heavily traveled route.  Since train speeds along the route were increased to 110 mph in 2006, ridership has grown by more than 37 percent to 1,227,075 passengers in 2010.  The grants announced today will eliminate grade crossings in Mount Joy Borough, Rapho Township and Leacock Township, all in Lancaster County, PA.  The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and Amtrak will also contribute a combined $3.4 million for this project.

 

“Closing highway-rail grade crossings eliminates potential accidents,” said Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph C. Szabo.  “We must keep safety at the forefront in the high-speed and intercity passenger rail program.”

 

Funding also includes engineering and environmental work for the redesign of track crossings and improvements to train control signal systems.

 

A strict “Buy America” requirement for high-speed rail projects ensures that U.S. manufacturers and workers will receive the maximum economic benefits from this federal investment. In 2009, Secretary LaHood secured a commitment from 30 foreign and domestic rail manufacturers to employ American workers and locate or expand their base of operations in the U.S. if they are selected for high-speed-rail contracts.

 

####

 

While Ohio sleeps...the rest of the world leaves it behind.

 

Despite the fact that Ohio is the Rip Van Winkle state, I'm happy for those in other parts of the country who are progessing. In regard to the Philly-H'burg line, the acceleration to 125 could lead to a big shift to rail. I wonder if Amtrak might run Acela service to Harrisburg in the future, especially since these trains could bypass 30th St Station in Philly, saving up to 30 min.  Couple that with the 125 mph top speed Philly-H'burg and the planned 160 mph top speed between Philly-New York and we could see a thru service that could make the run in as little as 2hr 15 min (the current 8 am run leaves H'burg at 800 am and gets into NY at 1104 am). Thus, a 700 am departure at H'burg could get you to the Big Apple by 915 am, in time for most business.

 

Other states will have real transportation choices while we continue to slog up and down the Interstates. Sweet dreams Ohio...

Does city believe in universal design?

BY JOSEPH J. ALDER

Columbia Daily Tribune Sunday, July 24, 2011

 

The controversy surrounding disability access to the Missouri Star Dinner Train includes a community discussion of the details of technical minimum compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. But this legalistic quibbling and nitpicking is distracting us from a much larger, more fundamental issue. Do we, as a community, and do these new business startup entrepreneurs, truly aspire to fulfill the spirit of the ADA? President George H.W. Bush signed the act into law in 1990. It is just one in a long list of civil rights laws enacted since our country’s founding that ensure as we grow civilly and progress as a democracy that specific groups of Americans who once lived on the margins of full inclusion in all aspects of civil and community life can now pursue “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” and opportunity, equally.

 

Anyone doing a startup in something as risky and competitive as the restaurant business certainly must be bringing passion and vision to the effort. I hope the dinner train owners will, in their passion, display aspirations to fulfill the spirit of the ADA by including citizens with physical disabilities in their potential customer base and marketing plans.

 

Part of the problem with our community discussion of this issue is repeated use of the legal term “ADA.” What we really are talking about is universal design: design that is both barrier-free and user-friendly for everyone. Think of our new City Hall. It certainly has the “wow!” factor when it comes to universal design.

 

Read more at:  http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2011/jul/24/does-city-believe-in-universal-design/

Wisconsin transit authority terminates proposed KRM project

 

Yesterday, the Southeastern Regional Transit Authority (SERTA) voted in favor of terminating the proposed Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee (KRM) commuter-rail line project in southeastern Wisconsin.

 

SERTA officials plan to ask federal officials to redirect $6 million already earmarked for the KRM line to bus systems in Milwaukee County, Racine and Kenosha.

 

 

Read moe at: http://www.progressiverailroading.com/prdailynews/news.asp?id=27375