Whats going on in Sacramento?  It shows as a "construction start", but they've had light rail for years now...

 

A simple Google search reveals......

 

http://slp2.org/

 

secaucus or hoboken? hoboken or secaucus? the answer is most likely neither - joisey sheesh.

 

 

 

Hoboken one day the last stop on the 7?

 

METRO

Extending the 7 train to New Jersey would have “the Jersey City waterfront as an extension of Midtown Manhattan,” said transit planner Bob Previdi.

 

ALISON BOWEN/METRO

 

NEW YORK

 

Published: January 03, 2012 7:49 p.m.

 

Last modified: January 03, 2012 7:52 p.m.

 

 

Forget Secaucus. If Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s dream to extend the 7-train to New Jersey is ever realized, the subway should stop in Hoboken, said one former MTA planner.

 

After New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie killed plans for the ARC tunnel in 2010, which would have added an extra tunnel under the Hudson River for NJ Transit and Amtrak trains, an idea circulated to run the 7 line through the tunnel instead.

 

In fact, Bloomberg’s office has already spent $250,000 to analyze the feasibility of extending the 7 to Secaucus. Bloomberg is reportedly pleased with the findings and, according to reports, will make an announcement on the plan within the coming months.

 

http://www.metro.us/newyork/local/article/1062777--hoboken-one-day-the-last-stop-on-the-7

 

 

The Subway cannot leave the city limits due to rules put in place back when it was originally built.  Some Railroads still have this rule like the New Haven line or South Shore line which only services a few stations on the main trunk.

^ thats a minor aside in the discussions about it i have heard. given the inter-state consensus among our glorious loudmouthed/whiny leaders there seems to be on doing this and also of course the expectations that mta arms can be twisted, the bigger issue is funding. isnt it always?

 

If there's a political will, the laws can be amended to allow a New York City subway to cross into New Jersey. I wonder if this could have any impact on, or role by the NY/NJ Port Authority? For those not familiar with the port authority, it runs the Port Authority Trans-Hudson subways which have two lines under the Hudson River from New Jersey into Manhattan.

Does this region have high airfares between its cities? Oh yes.

 

As one might expect, airfares between most east coast and Midwest cities are horrible. the worst was a nonstop New York-Cleveland flight for $1,106! As expected, the cheapest was New York-Chicago at $134 nonstop---where the competition is. Otherwise, airfares were dismally high, usually around $400-900. The surprise to me was that usually Southwest wasn't much cheaper than the competition. In some cases, it was more!

 

This is fertile ground for Chicago-east coast overnight service---if we can add service. A trip on a Viewliner sleeper can be less than half as much as flying and without airport hassles. Many smaller cities do not have nonstop flights and are so close together that airlines' speed advantage is negated.

 

Orbitz and Southwest

 

One person, round trip with one week notice.

 

New York NY to:

 

Syracuse--$238 nonstop/$238-1159 one stop, no Southwest service

Buffalo------$258 nonstop/$258-1132 one stop, Southwest $288 & up

Cleveland--$1106 nonstop/$299-1106 one stop, Southwest $299 & up

Toledo------$434 nonstop/$434-557 one stop, no Southwest service

Chicago----$134 nonstop/$134-215 one stop, Southwest $194 & up

Pittsburgh-$222 nonstop/$222-1152 one stop,

 

Albany NY to:

 

Erie----------No nonstops/$471-508 one stop, no Southwest service

Cleveland--$990 nonstop/$367-990 one stop, Southwest $490 & up

Toledo------No nonstops/$817 one stop, no Southwest service

Chicago---$537 nonstop/$310-537 one stop, Southwest $538 & up

 

Syracuse NY to:

 

Erie----------No nonstops/$512 one stop, no Southwest service

Cleveland--$992 nonstop/465-1200 one stop, no Southwest service

Toledo------no nonstops/$1143 one stop, no southwest service

Chicago---$864 nonstop/$304-864 one stop, no southwest service

 

Buffalo NY to:

 

Cleveland--$500 nonstop/346-726 one stop, Southwest $583 & up

Toledo------No nonstops/$670 one stop, no Southwest service

Chicago---$390 nonstop/203-1036 one stop, Southwest $352 & up

 

Cleveland OH to:

 

Chicago---$336 nonstop/$336-845 one stop, Southwest $290 & up

 

Pittsburgh PA to:

 

Chicago---$381 nonstop/4230-491 one stop

Detroit-----$814 nonstop/$359-1144 one stop

What about AirTran which has cheap fares from places like Akron-Canton to NY-LaGuardia? Or JetBlue that has cheap fares from NYC to upstate New York? How do they compare?

 

Oh, and by the way, in many cases the airlines lack flights that get into cities early enough to make 10 a.m. business meetings/conferences. So that means staying the night before in a hotel, so even if there's a cheap fare, it is offset by the need to stay in a hotel -- and it is very hard to find an East Coast hotel in a central business district where the one-night stay is less than $200.

I didn't think of AirTran. One other thing about Southwest: Some the airports they use are in out of the way locations, making them less convenient.

The high cost and poor quality of air service to this region leads to another discussion. Some of us have been talking about improved Chicago-east coast service for some time. If we have the right amount of service, it could make possible wholly new lifestyle choices for those in cities on the route of the trains. If you lived near the train stations you would not have to be wedded to the automobile:

 

Imagine living in Erie PA in a new high rise building next to the train station. You could go downstairs and board a train overnight to Chicago or New York, or to Cleveland to catch a football game, visit friends, or do business without the terror of driving I-90 in a winter whiteout, a common occurrance here. Your company just relocated its offices here also, because of the convenient location and the lousy air service to Erie, so your morning commute is a short walk to work and because there is shopping nearby in a once defunct plaza, you find you don't need a car. Sure is nice having the $12,000 yearly cost of the car in the bank! Oh, at times you do want to go places only a car can take you, but there are zip car rentals downstairs and you find yourself walking and bicycling more...and getting healthier!

 

We are selling a lifestyle choice that appeals to many people and it's all based on having a real choice.

The chamber of commerce flexed its muscle and turned the council's vote around (a graphic of the proposed transit center is at the link below)....

 

JANUARY 18, 2012 AT 1:00 AM

Troy OKs smaller transit center

BY CHRISTINE FERRETTI THE DETROIT NEWS

 

Troy— It looks like Troy will have a transit center after all.

 

The City Council on Tuesday pushed through plans for a scaled-down proposal to construct the federally funded center.

 

The 4-3 vote for the smaller facility, which cuts costs by about $2 million, reverses a December tiebreaker that rejected an $8.4 million center.

 

The resolution approved Tuesday was proposed by council members Wade Fleming and Dane Slater as a "Plan B" to tap the federal funds to provide a hub for regional transit, including high-speed trains.

 

"The bottom line is this is federal money," said Fleming, who had cast a no vote in December. "Like it or not, it'll be spent on a transit center somewhere in this country if we do not use it in Troy."

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120118/METRO02/201180361/Troy-OKs-smaller-transit-center?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Editorial, 1/17:

State's stake in the heart of rail

Posted: Monday, January 16, 2012 11:30 pm

 

Nebraskans who believe in passenger rail transportation have had little to encourage them for a long time. 

 

Amtrak comes and goes in the middle of the night, out of sight, out of mind, for the most part, in this automotive-driven state.

 

If LB747 becomes law, they will have even less hope for any new opportunities to ride the rails.

 

The bill, introduced by Sen. Galen Hadley of Kearney but characterized as a Department of Roads bill, would take Nebraska out of the Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Compact.

 

 

Read more: http://journalstar.com/news/opinion/editorial/editorial-state-s-stake-in-the-heart-of-rail/article_1328e90b-877b-5f6b-86da-559d629c7e5c.html#ixzz1jqk0V0vD

And now for some good news -- again in a state with a Republican Governor. Plus, Virginia's Department of Rail and Public Transportation Director Thelma Drake is a native Ohioan (from Elyria) and a former Republican congressperson.  This is a bipartisan issue except in ONLY ONE state that gave back all the federal rail money and spends no rail money of its own. Yes, that means you Ohio.

 

From an e-mailed news release.......

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 18, 2012

ATK-12-004

Contact:

Jeff Caldwell, Office of the Governor

804 225.4260

[email protected]

Kim Kovac, DRPT

804 225.3748

[email protected]

Christina Leeds, Amtrak

202 906.3860

[email protected]

 

GOVERNOR MCDONNELL ANNOUNCES NORFOLK PASSENGER RAIL SERVICE TO BEGIN IN 2012

Will provide a one-seat trip from Norfolk to as far North as Boston

 

RICHMOND, VA. – Governor Bob McDonnell announced today that the expected start date of the Amtrak Virginia extension to/from Norfolk will begin by December 31, 2012. This moves the service to start 10 months earlier than originally projected.

 

“This service will provide immediate relief to road weary travelers between two of the state’s most congested regions” said Governor McDonnell. “This service is long overdue and I congratulate our partners and commend their cooperation in moving up the scheduled start date.”

 

The Commonwealth’s Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT), CSX, Norfolk Southern and the City of Norfolk have been working speedily to make the necessary upgrades for the service. The round-trip train will bring intercity passenger rail service to Norfolk for the first time since 1977, and will link Norfolk with a single-seat ride to Richmond, Washington, D.C. and cities as far north as Boston.

 

The updated timeline comes from today’s Commonwealth Transportation Board meeting where they passed a resolution outlining the new goals and start date.

 

“There is high demand for passenger rail service in Virginia as demonstrated by considerable ridership growth throughout the Commonwealth,” said Amtrak Vice President of Government Affairs and Corporate Communications Joe McHugh. “We have a strong partnership with the Commonwealth and look forward to operating this expanded service to Norfolk in 2012, providing passengers the option of convenient one-seat service to Washington and Northeast Corridor destinations.”

 

The Norfolk train marks the third service expansion launched under the Amtrak Virginia partnership, which has introduced service to Richmond and Lynchburg since October 2009. Virginia is the 15th state to partner with Amtrak for intercity passenger rail service, and the successful launch of these new services is made possible through the partnership between DRPT, Amtrak and the host railroads along the routes. Amtrak Virginia routes had sizable gains in fiscal year 2011 over fiscal year 2010 with increases of 28.5 percent on the Washington-Lynchburg route and 19.1 percent on the Washington-Newport News route.

 

“This service is a win-win for Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia. The economies of these two regions are intertwined and getting this service operating will strengthen them both,” said Thelma Drake, Director of the Department of Rail and Public Transportation.

 

About Amtrak Virginia:

Amtrak Virginia is a program developed by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) and Amtrak to provide more rail travel choices in Virginia. The new service promotes economic, tourism and environmental benefits. For more information visit amtrakvirginia.com.

 

About Amtrak®:

Celebrating 40 years of dedicated service as America’s Railroad® Amtrak is the nation’s intercity passenger rail provider and its only high-speed rail operator. A record 30.2 million passengers traveled on Amtrak in FY 2011 on more than 300 daily trains – at speeds up to 150 mph (241 kph) – that connect 46 states, the District of Columbia and three Canadian Provinces. Amtrak operates trains in partnership with 15 states and four commuter rail agencies. Enjoy the journeysm at Amtrak.com or call 800-USA-RAIL for schedules, fares and more information. Join us on facebook.com/Amtrak and follow us at twitter.com/Amtrak.

 

# # #

Coming in 10 months ahead of schedule shows they have really fast-tracked this. The Northeast corridor is spreading further and further south. Virginia and North Carolina are becoming hotbeds of new rail passenger activity. Just wait until they rebuild the ex-Seaboard railroad between Richmond-Petersburg-Raleigh to 110 mph standards---imagine being able to run at 100 mph+ all the way from North Carolina to New York and Boston! Great news!

 

By the way, Gov. McConnell is a Republican. Interesting.

^^^ Seems that even in Detroit, the negative publicity of killing rail (LRT) and transit (Troy) got knuckle-dragging pols to back down... Seriously, that's an interesting barometer for the hopes of the rest of us.

South Shore plans to install free Wi-Fi for riders

 

By Keith Benman [email protected], (219) 933-3326 | Posted: Wednesday, January 18, 2012 10:00 am | (21) Comments

 

 

South Shore riders should be able to connect to free Wi-Fi on trains in 2012, with the commuter railroad now wiring cars in preparation for installing the necessary hardware.

 

South Shore operator Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District has contracted with Blueweb Mobile Media PLC to supply the Wi-Fi hardware, according to NICTD Planning and Marketing Director John Parsons. The company will coordinate ad sales with current South Shore ad broker Q Rail LLC.

 

 

Read more: http://www.nwitimes.com/business/local/south-shore-plans-to-install-free-wi-fi-for-riders/article_7cd07334-d4eb-523f-9bfb-3779d3e7b95f.html#ixzz1jsyrEtyS

More from Virginia, they also have signed off on Amtrak's Sec. 209 proposal, which is that all short-distance Amtrak-funded trains operating in/through Virginia will become state-funded. And in a strange twist that could ultimately help a proposal by All Aboard Ohio to bring improved train service to Ohio.

South Shore plans to install free Wi-Fi for riders

 

By Keith Benman [email protected], (219) 933-3326 | Posted: Wednesday, January 18, 2012 10:00 am | (21) Comments

 

 

South Shore riders should be able to connect to free Wi-Fi on trains in 2012, with the commuter railroad now wiring cars in preparation for installing the necessary hardware.

 

South Shore operator Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District has contracted with Blueweb Mobile Media PLC to supply the Wi-Fi hardware, according to NICTD Planning and Marketing Director John Parsons. The company will coordinate ad sales with current South Shore ad broker Q Rail LLC.

 

 

Read more: http://www.nwitimes.com/business/local/south-shore-plans-to-install-free-wi-fi-for-riders/article_7cd07334-d4eb-523f-9bfb-3779d3e7b95f.html#ixzz1jsyrEtyS

 

Have you heard anything about any possible expansion of the South Shore? I heard a while back they were thinking of expanding to Valparaiso over the former PRR. The reason I ask is that would use a part of the line needed to build the south of the lake bypass that would take Amtrak off NS on a dedicated line. NICTD could help that by going after FTA money to do at least a part of the line...the ex-PRR portion as far east as Gary. From that point east, you could use the ex-Michigan Central main to Porter IN. NS is already a bottleneck and it will get even worse if more passenger trains are added.

Illinois Gov. Quinn announces plans for Rockford-area multi-modal station

 

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn recently announced the state will provide $3 million for a new multi-modal station near downtown Rockford that will serve Amtrak’s new Chicago-Rockford-Dubuque corridor.

 

The Illinois Jobs Now! Capital plan funding will help cover costs to design and engineer the new station. The funding is in addition to $60 million that was allocated to build the rail corridor.

 

“Not only will we create a new station and Amtrak service, we’ll create new jobs and attract more economic development to the Rockford area,” Quinn said in a prepared statement. “Illinois residents will have additional travel options and reduced travel times from Rockford to the Chicago area and to western parts of our state.”

 

 

Read more at: http://www.progressiverailroading.com/passenger_rail/news/Illinois-Gov-Quinn-announces-plans-for-Rockfordarea-multimodal-station--29556

Have you heard anything about any possible expansion of the South Shore? I heard a while back they were thinking of expanding to Valparaiso over the former PRR. The reason I ask is that would use a part of the line needed to build the south of the lake bypass that would take Amtrak off NS on a dedicated line. NICTD could help that by going after FTA money to do at least a part of the line...the ex-PRR portion as far east as Gary. From that point east, you could use the ex-Michigan Central main to Porter IN. NS is already a bottleneck and it will get even worse if more passenger trains are added.

The last I heard, which was at least a year ago, that proposal is dormant for now because of a lack of funding. Governor Mitch Daniels' continued antipathy toward passenger rail, and that of any possible Republican successor, are certain. The current direction in Indiana is to continue promoting and building expressways and Interstate highways at taxpayer expense in direct competition with existing privately-owned rail freight routes while extolling the virtues of market-driven solutions to all the state's current problems.

 

I remember when the Valpo Dummies operated over PRR and Penn Central; I saw them often at Valparaiso when passing through on the early-Amtrak Broadway Limited en route to and from Chicago on weekends. They continued to operate for a while under Amtrak, but I think they ended even before the severing of the line that brought the end of Amtrak service over the former PRR/Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & Chicago line. Valpo's V-Line public transit system now runs a shuttle bus Friday afternoons and weekends between the Valparaiso University Student Center and The South Shore's Dune Park station but that's of no use to commuters, who still must drive to Dune Park to board a train.

 

On a couple of occasions In the past year I went to Portage/Ogden Dunes station to photograph rush-hour South Shore trains, and saw Amtrak trains on the NS main just over the fence, sitting and waiting, and them moving up a little, and then sitting and waiting some more. Sometimes they're queued up along with NS freight and sometimes there are switch jobs from the steel mills in the mix. It's a congested mess.

And in a strange twist that could ultimately help a proposal by All Aboard Ohio to bring improved train service to Ohio.

 

How?

Check your e-mail, Gildone. ;)

Coolness aside, traveling by train gives us our lives back

By Mike Gruss

The Virginian-Pilot

© January 25, 2012

 

The train to Washington, D.C., is arriving early.

 

Which is a good start for a train. Being early.

 

And when I read that announcement last week from Gov. Bob McDonnell, that the passenger train from Norfolk to Washington would be ready ahead of schedule and by the end of the year, I was unnaturally excited. I might even have let out a barely audible, slightly embarrassing "woo-woo," as though I were some kind of engineer.

 

But why?

 

READ MORE AT:

http://hamptonroads.com/node/627984

Seven essays by seven transportation writers and parties to the high speed rail project.  I learned a lot about the project.  For example: did you know that California's population is projected to grow to 60 million by 2050?  The comments after each essay are actually quite good. 

 

http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/01/26/does-california-need-high-speed-rail?scp=4&sq=high%20speed%20rail&st=cse

President Obama and Newt Gingrich can agree on at least one priority: high-speed rail. But Floridians decided they would rather not have one. Now the debate is raging on the West Coast.

 

Does California need a high-speed rail line, ultimately connecting San Francisco to Los Angeles? Can the state afford it?

FL: High-Speed Rail Would Have Been Profitable, State Report Says

BY TED JACKOVICS, TAMPA TRIBUNE, FLA.

 

Feb. 06--TAMPA -- The high-speed rail project that Gov. Rick Scott doomed last February by turning down more than $2 billion in federal money would have made an annual surplus of $31 million to $45 million within a decade of operation, according to a state report.

 

The Florida Department of Transportation sent the report to the Federal Railroad Administration in November. The Tampa Tribune obtained the document after a lengthy public records request.

 

The heart of the report is an analysis by two consulting firms of projected ridership, costs and the resulting surplus -- or loss. If the project to link Tampa and Orlando would have gone forward, the research would have been used in determining an investment grade for bond sales.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.masstransitmag.com/news/10623801/fl-high-speed-rail-would-have-been-profitable-state-report-says?cmpid=email_MASS120206002&utm_source=Mass+Transit+Newsletter+Views&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=MASS120206002

More on increasing airfares. This time southwest is pulling out of the Philadelphia-Boston market and US Air is jacking up fares. Amtrak is a major presence and could really take advantage of this.

 

http://www.philly.com/philly/insights/in_the_know/20120210_Phila__to_Boston__The_airfare_tyranny_of_the_monopoly.html

 

 

Here's a positive approach to rail planning...

 

http://www.coloradodot.info/projects/PassengerFreightRailPlan/CFRP_Draft-State-Freight-and-Passenger-Rail-Plan/view

http://www.dot.gov/affairs/2012/fta1212.html

 

FTA 12-12

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

U.S. Transportation Secretary LaHood Recommends $2.2 Billion to Strengthen Backbone of America’s Transportation Network

 

Funding for 29 Capital Transit Projects Will Create Jobs, Opportunities Across America

WASHINGTON - U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today recommended $2.2 billion in funding to begin or advance construction of 29 significant rail and bus rapid transit projects in 15 states.

 

The projects, included in President Obama’s proposed Fiscal Year 2013 budget, will put thousands of Americans to work building the vital infrastructure the nation needs to improve access to jobs while reducing U.S. dependence on oil and spurring new economic development.

 

“President Obama called on us to rebuild America by putting people back to work on transportation projects that are built to last,” said Secretary LaHood. “The budget proposal released yesterday demonstrates our commitment to put people back to work to build the infrastructure we need that will improve our transit systems, highways, railways and airports well into the future. At this make-or-break moment for the middle class, we can afford to do no less.”

 

President Obama’s proposed budget recommends investing $243.7 million for seven new transit construction projects, including rail and bus rapid transit projects in California, Florida, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas, and Washington State. An additional 10 projects that were recommended for funding in previous years, but have not yet received federal commitments, will receive $769.5 million in this year’s budget.

 

“President Obama is committed to building an America that works for all of us, and these projects will ensure that hard-working families have real transportation choices,” said Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff.  “They represent truly transformational investments that will provide the public with new and reliable ways to get to work, school, and medical appointments while easing congestion on many of our highways.”

 

In addition to the transit construction projects that have not yet been funded, the proposed budget provides nearly $1.2 billion for the continued funding of 12 rail and bus rapid transit projects already under construction in Dallas, Denver, Hartford, Houston, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York City, Northern Virginia, Orlando, Salt Lake City, and Seattle. 

 

The New Starts and Small Starts capital investment program is one of the largest discretionary grant programs in the federal government. Proposed projects, such as rapid rail, light rail, commuter rail, bus rapid transit, and ferries, are evaluated and rated on a number of measures at several steps in the process as they seek FTA approval for a federal funding commitment to finance project construction.

 

Secretary LaHood and FTA Administrator Peter Rogoff recently proposed changes to the New Starts/Small Starts program to reduce red tape in order to allow approved projects to begin construction sooner and help FTA focus more on local needs, such as economic development, community revitalization, and responding to historically underserved populations.

 

Examples of some of the projects in the President’s proposed FY 2013 budget include:

 

Charlotte, North Carolina, LYNX Blue Line Extension (Northeast Corridor): The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS)  proposed the construction of a new light rail transit line that would extend from Uptown Charlotte, the region’s central business district, northeast to the US 29 interchange and the University of North Carolina – Charlotte campus. Commuters along the I-85/US 29 corridor have suffered through increasing congestion that population increases and economic development are expected to only make worse. The LRT will be 9.3 miles and serve 11 new stations.  The FTA plans to fund 50 percent of the total $1.07 billion project cost, or $534.6 million.

 

Jacksonville, Florida, Southeast Corridor and North Corridor Bus Rapid Transit (BRT): The FTA recommended funding for two BRT projects in Jacksonville that will combine for 20 miles of new rapid transit routes and 21 new stations.  The Southeast Corridor will  receive its first recommendation for funding in the President’s budget and the FTA will continue to support development of the North Corridor. The two corridors will serve a highly transit-dependent population along extremely congested parts of the Jacksonville area. The total cost of the two projects is more than $57 million, of which FTA will cover nearly $47 million, or 80 percent of the two projects.

 

Grand Rapids, Michigan, Silver Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT): The Interurban Transit Partnership proposed to implement a BRT line along Division Avenue from the Grand Rapids central business district to 60th Street/Division Avenue.  The FTA will invest 80 percent of the total $35.3 million project cost, or $28.2 million.  The project is expected to offer commuters a true alternative to the highly congested US 13.  The BRT will include real-time passenger information at stations, traffic signal priority, off-board fare collection, and the purchase of 10 low-floor, hybrid-fueled buses.

 

 

All the recommendations are part of the FTA’s Annual Report on Funding Recommendations for Fiscal Year 2013, available online here.  Individual detailed project descriptions are available here.

 

# # #

CAMPO explores Austin to Houston rail

TxDOT rail division gives presentation on service

Updated: Monday, 13 Feb 2012, 10:27 PM CST

Published : Monday, 13 Feb 2012, 9:50 PM CST

Jarrod Wise

 

AUSTIN (KXAN) - With other passenger rail systems still in the planning stages, the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization explores a new passenger rail service proposal that would connect Austin with Houston, and several cities in between.

 

"We were able to find some money to do some of the planning. So, this is the very early-level planning," said Jennifer Moczygemba with the Texas Department of Transportation's Rail Division . "We thought there was some good potential along this route."

 

TxDOT's Rail Division gave a presentation on the proposal to CAMPO's Policy Board on Monday night. The cost of the project would exceed $1 billion for startup and build-out. There are four connection options, with most connecting to Elgin and Giddings, and some extending as far north as College Station.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/local/austin/campo-explores-austin-to-houston-rail

All aboard! MDOT puts 110 mph special Amtrak train video on YouTube

Contact:  Janet Foran, MDOT Office of Communications,

  [email protected]

517-335-7176

Agency: Transportation

 

 

February 15, 2012 -- The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has posted a video news release to its YouTube channel on www.youtube.com/michigandot. The video captures the excitement of a special demonstration today (Feb. 15) of 110 mph Amtrak service between Porter, Ind., and Kalamazoo, Mich. Federal, state and local officials participated in today's event.

 

Amtrak and MDOT recently received federal approval to increase maximum speeds of Amtrak trains in western Michigan and northern Indiana to 110 mph following the successful installation and testing of a positive train control safety system on Amtrak-owned track between Kalamazoo and Porter. Amtrak's popular Wolverine and Blue Water train passengers will benefit from this improvement in service.

 

MDOT: Working with our partners at airports, bus systems, marine and rail to find innovative solutions for Michigan's transportation systems.

 

http://www.michigan.gov/minewswire/0,4629,7-136-3452-271644--,00.html

By the way, what impact does a freshly fallen snow have on Michigan's new 110 mph Amtrak service?

 

None.

 

The question is, what impact does a 110-mph Amtrak train have on a freshly fallen snow in Michigan? ;)

 

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-train-plan-20120220,0,2256852.story

 

By Dan Weikel and Ralph Vartabedian, Los Angeles Times

 

February 19, 2012, 9:48 p.m.

In a major shift in thinking about the state's bullet train, powerful transportation agencies in Northern and Southern California want to quickly obtain up to half the project's bond financing to upgrade local rail corridors that could become part of the proposed high-speed network.

 

Until recently, the project was expected to draw down only $2.7 billion of its $9-billion bond fund in coming years to help pay for a 130-mile rail segment in the Central Valley. But the new proposals call for potentially spending an additional $4 billion upfront, which would leave just a few billion in the state's voter-approved finance package.

 

By the way, what impact does a freshly fallen snow have on Michigan's new 110 mph Amtrak service?

 

None.

 

The question is, what impact does a 110-mph Amtrak train have on a freshly fallen snow in Michigan? ;)

 

 

That is sexy!

Moderator Note

 

Please do not include the entire text of an article in your post, even if it's within a block quote. It's a violation of Fair Use laws, and makes the UO Admins very angry.

Moderator Note

 

Please do not include the entire text of an article in your post, even if it's within a block quote. It's a violation of Fair Use laws, and makes the UO Admins very angry.

 

Sorry Mr global moderator sir.

 

 

the key points of the article is that it represents to the political reality of HSR, we are trying to go from basiaclly 0-250 mph directly , this is very risky proposition that if it does not pan out we will be left with nothing but tens of miles of 250mph rail in the middle of no where.  the refocusing of the HSR in California is to make it it more incremental to minimize risk and produce benefits in a shorter time period that can be built upon.

 

I will use the Eurostar as an example of what a reasoned approach to 250mph HSR should look like.

 

1994: the channel tunnel opens Trains traveled 68 mile distance between the tunnel they used 4 different voltages 25,000 volt AC, 3000v DC 1500v DC, and 600V DC thru 3rd rail.

 

2003: first leg of high speed 1 opened on a 43 mile stretch between the tunnel and Kent, it reduced travel time by 21 minutes.

 

2007: the most costly part of the project opens shaving another 20 minutes of travel time.  it bored 21 miles of tunnels to reach central london.  it is always those final 20-30 miles that drive of the cost of HSR, building in and around cities is a costly endeavor.

 

he total cost of the projects 9 billion dollars not including the channel tunnel itself but the idea of building the market first with slower speed rail to prove the market, then make investments to increase speeds after the market has been proven.

 

Start with electrified freight lines with a maximum speed of 110-125 mph, then build 250 mph segments as the funding allows, incrementally decreasing travel time, while you are operating revenue service.  this prevents the issues of political interference leading to a half finished project. even it is not fully built out it still is running making money and providing an alternative to other modes of transport.

 

 

California has decided to:

• invest in the most congested urban corridors.
  
• no longer plan for the creation of New +150mph  segments in urban areas due to the extreme risk for cost escalation. and to use existing urban corridor
  
• invest in what is needed to increase speeds on existing segments.   
  
• begin to electrify existing corridors in anticipation of future HSR.
   
  

I don;t think this is a Failure for HSR but the beginning a long process to upgrade the rail network to make True HSR possible.

 

to put it in perspective the Wolverine service upgrades in Michigan will shave 20 mins of the travel time from trips, the same time saved from building the first leg of HS1 in the UK.

 

 

 

County helps fund Fort Wayne-Chicago train study

Vivian Sade | The Journal Gazette

 

FORT WAYNE -- The Allen County commissioners agreed unanimously Friday to contribute money to study the viability and economic benefits of passenger train service from Fort Wayne to northern Indiana and Chicago.

 

Rich Davis, director of the Downtown Improvement District, said the Northeast Indiana Passenger Rail Association is close to having the $80,000 needed to proceed with the first of several studies involving rail service from Fort Wayne to Chicago. Davis is also a member of the rail association.

 

http://journalgazette.net/article/20120224/LOCAL/120229734

 

I assume this would involve the same former PRR right of way that is part of the proposed Toledo-Fort Wayne-Chicago portion of planned future HSR development. In that case, any movement forward is a good thing. Given the absence of enthusiasm for passenger rail on the part of the governor's office, it's appropriate that local officials move forward to demonstrate the level of local support that exists for this project. - RP

 

County helps fund Fort Wayne-Chicago train study

Vivian Sade | The Journal Gazette

 

 

I also posted that in the "Ohio Hub/Midwest Regional Rail/ORDC" thread since it potentially involves Ohio, too. All Aboard Ohio has been working with our partners in Indiana on this, and we're hopeful in getting a financial contribution from Ohio communities in this study.

I'm glad to know the Indiana folks are working on synergy with All Aboard Ohio. I wasn't sure they were doing that.

Great to see that AAO has moved on and not let Kasich's lame-brain, 3-C trainicide thwart them... They may yet prove that Ohio is indeed a part of the United States after all, and not a stand alone (frozen) banana republic.

Great to see that AAO has moved on and not let Kasich's lame-brain, 3-C trainicide thwart them... They may yet prove that Ohio is indeed a part of the United States after all, and not a stand alone (frozen) banana republic.

 

Attack in a different direction!

Great to see that AAO has moved on and not let Kasich's lame-brain, 3-C trainicide thwart them... They may yet prove that Ohio is indeed a part of the United States after all, and not a stand alone (frozen) banana republic.

 

Trainicide? Wow.....

Amusing how the self-billed "Ohio's Greatest Home Newspaper"....as part of it's rah-rah coverage of Columbus' Bi-Centennnial..... headlines the following "Milepost"....but fails to mention how the last ever passenger train pulled out of Columbus 129 years later with not nearly the level of fanfare....

 

Columbus Mileposts | Feb. 27, 1850: First passenger train chugs out of Franklinton  

Take a journey through 200 years of Columbus history on the bicentennial page.By  Gerald Tebben

FOR THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Monday February 27, 2012 4:32 AM

 

The first regularly scheduled passenger train left what is now Columbus on Feb. 27, 1850, when it pulled out of Franklinton.

 

This is what The Ohio State Journal reported:

 

“The splendid Locomotive ‘Washington,’ with the first regular train of passenger cars from this city, left at one o’clock today, in the presence of a large concourse of spectators. We put this fact on record for future reference, when the historian shall search the archives of the past, to discover the date when an era so promising was opened by an event so interesting.”

 

Read more at: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/02/27/first-passenger-train-chugs-out-of-franklinton.html

Wait, Columbus is only now 200 years old?

Rail service in Seacoast region discussed

Current Amtrak routes, expansion in draft plan

Charles McMahon

[email protected]

March 01, 2012 2:00 AM

 

PORTSMOUTH — Local residents on Wednesday night were among the first in the state to comment on the future of regional rail service for both freight and passengers.

 

More than 40 people showed up to the two-hour public meeting at City Hall. The crowd included Seacoast residents and stakeholders in the regional transportation community.

 

The meeting was organized by the state Department of Transportation as part of the ongoing development of a state rail plan.

 

The meeting featured state transportation officials discussing the current state of rail transit in New Hampshire. Officials also offered the first glimpse at a list of draft recommendations included in the plan that deal with how to improve freight and passenger service in the state.

 

Read more at: http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20120301-NEWS-203010395

 

Land purchase to help Joliet build transportation center

By Bob Okon [email protected] March 6, 2012 10:20PM

 

JOLIET — The Joliet City Council on Tuesday approved a $2.5 million acquisition of three parcels of land to be used for the development of the downtown transportation center.

 

Most of the land will be used for parking, something commuters often complain they have too little of when catching trains at Union Station.

 

“These are three critical pieces of property we need to make the project go,” City Manager Thomas Thanas told the council before the vote.

 

 

Read more at: http://heraldnews.suntimes.com/11101848-417/land-purchase-to-help-joliet-build-transportation-center.html

2nd ave subway construction pix:

 

 

 

 

more:

http://gothamist.com/2012/03/08/check_out_this_humungous_cavern_und.php#photo-1

 

 

Hop Megadeth to the 'Burgh and check it out....

 

Port Authority's new North Shore Connector ready for March 25 opening, officials say

By Tom Fontaine, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Last updated: 3:45 pm

 

Port Authority of Allegheny County has trimmed the cost of the North Shore Connector project by about $6 million because unforeseen expenses have been less than expected, officials said today during a tour of the 1.2-mile light-rail extension.

 

The North Shore Connector is on schedule to begin service between Gateway Station, Downtown, and two new stations on the North Shore on March 25. Rides will be free in Downtown and the North Shore.

 

Winston Simmonds, the agency`s rail operations and engineering officer overseeing the project, said crews are finishing up work on station elevators and various tests. Next week, for example, crews will fill the new North Side station beneath the West General Robinson Street parking garage with smoke and see how quickly its ventilation system can clear the air.

 

Read more: Port Authority's new North Shore Connector ready for March 25 opening, officials say - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/email/s_786292.html?_s_icmp=et#ixzz1p25cr1ho

Megadeth?

 

Edit: Figured it out... Megabus... but why did you call it that? :?

^^Good for Pittsburgh.  I'll have to detour and check the NS Connector out on my next driving trip back East.

wow that pitts project is finally done? they really got it goin on over there - good for them.

Bad news from Michigan in the ongoing pi$$ing match between the State of Michigan/Amtrak and Norfolk Southern.  This time Norfolk Southern has once again lowered the speed limits on large portions of the line siting "poor tie conditions."  This time it is mostly a  large section west of Jackson, MI toward Battle Creek. 

 

Officially, management at MDOT is pretty tight-lipped about the status of the negotiations with NS re: the purchase of the line.  Word from unofficial sources is that the devil is in the details of the agreement that was supposedly reached late last year.  Apparently, from what I am hearing from sources inside Norfolk Southern, the current bone of contention is that MDOT/Amtrak don't want ALL of the side tracks and yard tracks that go along with the Mainline.  NS doesn't want to pay for any of the upkeep of it if they don't own it.  NS has, therefore, pulled-out its trump card and has lowered the speeds.

 

These artificially low speed limits have more that cancelled-out any gains made by the 110mph running that was recently instituted west of Kalamazoo to Porter, IN.

 

It should be interesting to see how this plays out but it is high time this little dance that the state of Michigan and Norfolk Southern have been doing for some time now come to an end. 

NS wanted dispatching control of the line even after it sells it -- OK, and so what's the point of buying the line? When they didn't get that (SHOCKER) they demanded to keep ownership of one of two main tracks from the Ford plant at Wayne east into Detroit and the state would have the other track. Now, I understand NS wants to ensure a major customer like Ford gets its just-in-time shipments, well, just in time. But NS, like most railroads, are control freaks because they are so used to having their own way on their own rights of way. But if you didn't want to sell the line, NS, then don't. Either way, if you keep delaying Amtrak trains, then you risk getting your ass hauled before the STB for violating the National Rail Passengers Service Act.

 

NS has a certificate of public convenience and necessity awarded to it by the federal government. If it doesn't want to serve the public, then perhaps it doesn't deserve to keep any of its rail lines. Perhaps the U.S. Government should make NS's rights of way "open access" so that companies which really want to serve the public, not just stockholders, can be awarded franchises?