May 25, 201213 yr ^The extension isn't meant to be commuter service between Portland and Brunswick. Seemed clear to me that noozer was just highlighting the success of the route overall.
May 25, 201213 yr Author Bronx BRT article moved to: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,24712.0.html "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 28, 201213 yr 3C offered a "slow train" between Dayton and Cincinnati and between Dayton and Columbus, which should fall in a similar category of service as the Akron-Cleveland train which you call a different story, 327.
June 9, 201213 yr I am going to start posting the National Association of Railroad Passengers' weekly Hotline News as a means to keep you all up to date on the latest developments around the country. BTW, they are at www.narprail.org and have a great blog. One other thing: you can join NARP at the $35 annual rate and get 10% off on Amtrak travel during the year your membership is in effect. Savings from one trip can pay for your membership. PLEASE JOIN TODAY!!! Here's the hotline: http://narprail.org/news/hotline/2015-hotline-762-june-8-2012
June 9, 201213 yr subway rodent mayhem - yep It was seven minutes in hell! A nasty rat was an unwelcome commuter on a rush-hour A train yesterday morning — terrorizing straphangers during the agonizingly long nonstop ride from Harlem to Midtown. What started as a typical sleepy end-of-the-week ride between 125th Street and Columbus Circle morphed into an ¬urban nightmare when a woman listening to an iPod felt a scratching on her leg at about 8 a.m. http://m.nypost.com/f/mobile/news/local/manhattan/eek_subway_rat_attacks_woman_on_5AUj3bSeUBr6fob6v0EyEP
June 13, 201213 yr Good story from Nebraska Public Radio... followed by a great comment from another good friend, who is one of the best and most knowedgeable people I know on the subject of passenger rail.... TRAIN TUESDAYS: Union Pacific anniversary sparks recollections of passenger rail heyday Bill Kelly, NET News (2012-06-11) OMAHA, NE (NET Radio) - Amtrak struggles to get people to ride the train in Nebraska. Five stations serve the state, but to catch the train either east or westbound, passengers must board sometime between midnight and 2:00 a.m. In 2011, 42,000 people got on or off the train in the state, according to numbers released by Amtrak. That averages 115 people a day. During that same timeframe, 4.2 million people used the Omaha airport. This is not the way it used to be on the American rails. During the peak of rail travel popularity, it seemed everyone passed through Nebraska and Union Station in Omaha, specifically. Read or listen to full story at: http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/netradio/news.newsmain/article/0/8528/1936807/Signature.Stories/TRAIN.TUESDAYS.Union.Pacific.anniversary.sparks.recollections.of.passenger.rail.heyday My friend's comment via e-mail today: Thanks for passing this on. I read it earlier today and found it to be a good story—except for one thing: Like most non-railroad writers trying to cover rail issues, the reporter blames the automobile and the airliner for wrecking the RR passenger business and in this case even goes so far as to name the Interstate. All of which is true except he fails to work out the equation to the last decimal point, which is government subsidies that favored two travel technologies while neglecting the third. The Interstates, the airports and the federal Air Traffic Control system were not built by the Tooth Fairy (as Mike Royko, an unreconstructed train rider, used to say). They were built with billions of federal dollars, most of them raised through the income tax well before any user fees were devised. Compared to the lavish sums dispensed to highways and civil aviation, passenger rail has received only a grudging pittance in federal support, and what there was of it came very late and only after the two competing systems were well established after a very long head start. Federal support for highway construction, remember, began in 1916 with $75 million to be shared with the states over three years on a 50/50 basis. There was no federal Motor Fuel Tax at the time, so the money came entirely from the General Fund, i.e., a subsidy. Federal support for commercial aviation began in the mid-1920s with lavish subsidies for carrying air mail and a coast-to-coast beacon system funded by the Post Office to guide air-mail pilots from the West Coast to the East Coast. Formal federal subsidies for airport construction began in 1946 with President Truman’s $575-million Federal Airport Aid Program. This was at the same time that the federal government was still collecting a “temporary” wartime ticket tax from railroad passengers and investing the proceeds in highways and airports. The “temporary” tax was not abolished until 1961. The current value of the taxes collected from railroad passengers and never reinvested in rail infrastructure is about $20 billion. The real story here is not what the public has been led to believe, i.e., the natural and inevitable replacement of an “obsolete” mobility technology with more advanced forms, but simply governmental favoritism toward two modes while the third went neglected. And this discrimination still continues. Passenger rail represents a tiny sliver of the nation’s total transportation infrastructure budget. Maybe you can reach out to your friend and get him to update his otherwise fine report with some essential historical perspective. As we know from overseas experience, the decline of passenger rail was not “inevitable” and rail is in no way inferior to air and highway as a mobility technology. It simply needs what the other two have long enjoyed: a steady budget to support its continuing evolution and development to higher levels of productivity and popularity. Now that highway and aviation technologies seem to have reached the limits of their respective potential, it’s way past time to provide passenger rail with the funding it needs to achieve its own. Fritz
June 13, 201213 yr Author Love the "tooth fairy" comment! "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
June 15, 201213 yr National Association of Railroad Passengers Hotline News for Friday 6/15/2012: http://narprail.org/news/hotline/2019-hotline-762-june-15-2012 JOIN NARP AND SAVE 10% ON AMTRAK TRAIN TRAVEL!
June 21, 201212 yr Author http://www.illinois.gov/PressReleases/ShowPressRelease.cfm?SubjectID=3&RecNum=10321 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 19, 2012 Governor Quinn and Senator Durbin Announce $10.4 Million TIGER Grant for Rail Improvements Combined $370 million package to fund 15 new CREATE projects and support 3,300 jobs; Railroads increase overall commitment to $325 million CHICAGO – June 19, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded the State of Illinois a $10.4 million grant from the fourth round of the Transportation Investments Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER IV) program. The TIGER grant will complete a $370 million funding package of 15 local projects in the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) program. The projects include new track and signal systems that will ease freight, Amtrak, and Metra congestion, and support 3,300 jobs throughout the six-county Chicagoland area. “Our partnership with the U.S. Department of Transportation and rail companies allows us to strengthen Illinois’ position as a national transportation leader,” Governor Quinn said. “These major multimodal investments will improve passenger and freight rail performance, increase safety and support thousands of jobs across our state.” “The over $225 million in funding that Illinois has received to date through the federal TIGER grant program has been essential to maintaining safe, efficient transportation systems that connect workers with jobs and spur economic development,” Sen. Durbin said. “Today's funding for the CREATE project is no exception. It will help ensure that Illinois' transportation system can meet the needs of businesses and residents by reducing congestion, improving travel times and supporting thousands of good-paying jobs in the Chicago region.” The 15-project CREATE program funding package consists of: $211 million from Governor Quinn’s Illinois Jobs Now! capital plan, $136 million from the Class I freight railroads, represented by the Association of American Railroads (AAR), $10.4 million in U.S. DOT Tiger IV grant funds, $12 million from the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) and $1 million from the City of Chicago. In addition, the state and AAR recently reached an agreement through which the freight railroads increased their overall commitment to CREATE by $155 million, bringing their total contribution up to $325 million. “Today’s TIGER grant award, with the Illinois Jobs Now! funds and private funding from the CREATE freight rail partners will greatly advance vital CREATE projects over the next several years,” AAR President and CEO Edward R. Hamberger said. “This public-private partnership is truly historic. When this package of 15 projects is complete, more than half of the CREATE program will have been finished. The freight railroads look forward to continuing to work with the state and the City of Chicago to complete the rest of this important program that already is improving freight and passenger rail flow in Chicago and also across the entire U.S. rail network.” Eight of the 15 projects are on the CREATE program’s Western Avenue corridor. Five separate railroads – Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Canadian National, CSX, Indiana Harbor Belt, and Union Pacific – use tracks along this corridor, which also intersects the important CN Heritage Corridor, on which Amtrak’s Chicago-St. Louis and Metra’s Heritage Corridor trains to Joliet operate. Easing chokepoints on the tracks that cross the Heritage Corridor are expected to result in fewer delays for these passenger trains. “Today’s announcement highlights the tremendous spirit of cooperation that exists among all of the CREATE partners,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Ann L. Schneider. “This package of projects will go a long way toward easing chronic freight and passenger rail congestion, potentially making our highways less crowded and reducing travel times for people commuting between their jobs and families.” The funding package will also fully pay for the ICC’s highest priority grade separation construction project in the state at 25th Avenue and the Union Pacific Railroad in Melrose Park. Another five of the 15 projects are along the Beltway corridor used by all the Class I railroads in Chicago’s western suburbs, and the East/West corridor that connects the Beltway to the Western Avenue corridor. The viaduct improvement program is the second phase of the City of Chicago’s ongoing effort to improve sidewalks, roadways, and lighting on areas under railroad bridges in Chicago. The CREATE program is a unique partnership of the State of Illinois, the U.S. Department of Transportation, the City of Chicago, Amtrak, Metra, and the Class I railroads. To date, 14 CREATE projects have been completed, reducing passenger and freight train delays by 33% and 28%, respectively, in the areas in which the projects have been completed. Another 12 are in construction now, with four more in final design. For more information on CREATE, please visit www.createprogram.org. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
June 22, 201212 yr Author Has the rest of this round of TIGER been announced? I haven't been able to find a full list yet. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
June 23, 201212 yr Author I posted it at the US transportation policy thread yesterday. Only one Ohio project -- a rural road improvement. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
June 23, 201212 yr NARP Hotline News Friday, 6-22-12: http://www.narprail.org/news/hotline/2023-hotline-763-june-22-2012 Join NARP and SAVE 10% on Amtrak train travel! Your dues are also tax deductible!
June 27, 201212 yr 6/22/2012 10:30:00 AM Virginia allocates $11.4 billion for transportation improvements The Commonwealth of Virginia’s Transportation Board (CTB) has approved $11.4 billion in allocations for transportation improvement projects over the next six years, including funding for rail, transit, highway, and road and bridge projects. The program, which will begin July 1, includes $2.4 billion for rail, transit and other improvements; and $9 billion for roads, highways, bridges and debt service. “The six-year program advances projects that will relieve congestion in the most heavily traveled areas of the state and improve numerous roads and bridges throughout Virginia,” said Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell in a prepared statement. “The program also supports a better multi-modal system, moving more people with fewer cars.” Read more at: http://www.progressiverailroading.com/prdailynews/news.asp?id=31433
June 27, 201212 yr 6/22/2012 10:30:00 AM Virginia allocates $11.4 billion for transportation improvements The Commonwealth of Virginia’s Transportation Board (CTB) has approved $11.4 billion in allocations for transportation improvement projects over the next six years, including funding for rail, transit, highway, and road and bridge projects. The program, which will begin July 1, includes $2.4 billion for rail, transit and other improvements; and $9 billion for roads, highways, bridges and debt service. “The six-year program advances projects that will relieve congestion in the most heavily traveled areas of the state and improve numerous roads and bridges throughout Virginia,” said Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell in a prepared statement. “The program also supports a better multi-modal system, moving more people with fewer cars.” Read more at: http://www.progressiverailroading.com/prdailynews/news.asp?id=31433 That's close to $500 million a year for public transportation. Interesting how Ohio's governor is so unlike the governors of Virginia and Michigan. Our loss. :cry:
June 28, 201212 yr Two councillors leading the TTC say it’s time to move ahead on an accumulating wish list of transit projects: 175 kilometres, including six subway lines, 10 LRTs and five bus and streetcar routes across the city. The latest proposal would dramatically expand Toronto’s transit network over the next 30 years. And while it comes with a $30 billion price tag, it is well within the city’s grasp, say the councillors at the helm of the Toronto Transit Commission. TTC chair Karen Stintz (Eglinton-Lawrence) and vice-chair Glenn De Baeremaeker (Scarborough Centre) believe residents can be persuaded to make the kind of transformative investment that would save Toronto from descending into a prosperity-crushing, gridlocked future. ... http://www.thestar.com/news/transportation/article/1217721--transit-plan-dramatic-onecity-proposal-floated-by-stintz-debaeremaeker?bn=1 It's a long article. They are asking to spend $18 billion to build six subway lines and add several light rail and other mass transit capabilities. Visit the Star for a nice graphic.
June 29, 201212 yr Author From the Bicameral High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail (HSIPR) Caucus... As I mentioned yesterday, Congressman Denham (R-CA-19) offered an amendment to H.R. 5972, the Transportation, Housing & Urban Development Appropriations Act. The amendment would prohibit funds in the bill from being used for high-speed rail in the State of California or for the California High-Speed Rail Authority. While the HSIPR program did not receive funding, this would still impact California because the state would not be able to apply for any rail grants that may be included in the final bill, such as TIGER. As you may know, the vote occurred earlier this afternoon and unfortunately the amendment passed 239 to 185. It was virtually a party line vote with Republicans supporting the amendment and Democrats opposing it. There were only four Democrats who joined the Republicans in supporting the amendment and two Republicans who joined the Democrats in opposing it. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
June 30, 201212 yr NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF RAILROAD PASSENGERS HOTLINE NEWS http://www.narprail.org/news/hotline/2031-hotline-765-june-29-2012 JOIN NARP AND GET 10% OFF ON AMTRAK TRAIN TRAVEL
July 6, 201212 yr Author KPCC tweets minutes ago: California Senate approves high speed rail funds. (21-16) Orange County Senator Lou Correa votes yes in the end…so does Negrete McLeod. 21 Senate votes were needed to pass the $4.5 billion in state bond funding, bringing the total funding available to $7.7 billion needed to implement the "blended approach" with a mix of high-speed and conventional-speed sections which will unite Amtrak's San Joaquin and Pacific Surfliner routes through a new single-bore tunnel below Tehachapi Pass.... "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 6, 201212 yr Author California OKs funding for high-speed rail line By JUDY LIN Associated Press Posted: 07/06/2012 04:01:47 PM PDT Updated: 07/06/2012 04:13:21 PM PDT SACRAMENTO, Calif.—California lawmakers approved billions of dollars Friday in construction financing for the first segment of what would be the nation's first dedicated high-speed rail line, eventually connecting Los Angeles and San Francisco. The state Senate voted 21-16 on a party-line vote after intense lobbying by Gov. Jerry Brown, Democratic leaders and labor groups. The bill authorizes the state to begin selling $2.6 billion in voter-approved bonds to build an initial 130-miles stretch in the Central Valley. That would allow the state to collect about $3.2 billion in federal funding that could have been rescinded if lawmakers failed to act Friday. READ MORE AT: http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_21022885/california-oks-funding-high-speed-rail-line "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 7, 201212 yr It's still up in the air at this point, but so far I like it out here. I have three more semesters to get through back at DAAP, though, so my ties to Cincinnati haven't been completely severed yet. Where I end up after grad school will depend largely upon where I can find a decent job, and while I certainly have my preferences, I won't rule anything out, including staying in Cincinnati.
July 7, 201212 yr Cool. Looks like they are building a lot of rail stations. More than anywhere else in the country, I'd imagine. That's sort of your thing, right?
July 7, 201212 yr Yeah, although I currently don't have any professional connections to the world of rail transit, it remains a strong interest of mine. I don't have time to find the numbers to confirm it, but I suspect Los Angeles has more miles of rail transit either under construction or on the drawing boards than any other American city. Most of the work in NYC and Chicago is focused on renovations and upgrades to the existing infrastructure rather than building entirely new infrastructure from scratch. (NYC's Second Avenue Subway, LIRR East Side Access, and the 7 train extension projects are the big exceptions, but the distances involved are actually fairly short.) Portland continues to do exciting things, but they tend to be smaller-scale projects simply because Portland is a much smaller city. Besides that, LA seems to offer the right balance of quality of life and long-term career opportunities for me. That said, part of me still longs for the Pacific Northwest, and there are even (rare) times when I find myself a little nostalgic for New York or Chicago. No matter where I live, though, there will likely be times I wished I lived elsewhere.
July 7, 201212 yr No matter where I live, though, there will likely be times I wished I lived elsewhere. Aye, the curse of being well-traveled/having lived a bunch of places.
July 7, 201212 yr California OKs funding for high-speed rail line By JUDY LIN Associated Press Posted: 07/06/2012 04:01:47 PM PDT Updated: 07/06/2012 04:13:21 PM PDT SACRAMENTO, Calif.—California lawmakers approved billions of dollars Friday in construction financing for the first segment of what would be the nation's first dedicated high-speed rail line, eventually connecting Los Angeles and San Francisco. The state Senate voted 21-16 on a party-line vote after intense lobbying by Gov. Jerry Brown, Democratic leaders and labor groups. The bill authorizes the state to begin selling $2.6 billion in voter-approved bonds to build an initial 130-miles stretch in the Central Valley. That would allow the state to collect about $3.2 billion in federal funding that could have been rescinded if lawmakers failed to act Friday. READ MORE AT: http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_21022885/california-oks-funding-high-speed-rail-line Suck on THAT Columbus Dogpatch!!! :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
July 7, 201212 yr It is suppose to cost 68 billion. That is a TON of money. How many trips will it take to pay it off? Im all about rail but that is too astronomical. Wouldn't it be cheaper to have free flights between the cities? lol
July 8, 201212 yr Author To accommodate California's projected travel growth in the San-San corridor in the coming decades, 3000 lane-miles of new freeway PLUS five new airport runways would need to be built to accommodate the same 117 million passengers per year as the California HSR. That would cost two to three times more than building the California High Speed Rail system. So yes, $68 billion is a lot of money. The alternative is much more expensive and environmentally damaging. This is what the initial, $7.7 billion will accomplish..... > MetroLink's Antelope Valley Line, Los Angeles to Lancaster (77 miles), will be upgraded to 90 mph and with more traffic capacity so it to handle 20+ added daily trains -- Amtrak (to Oakland/Sacramento) and XpressWest (formerly DesertXpress, to Vegas); > A single-track, passenger-only, 80-mile-long rail line from Palmdale to Bakersfield with a single-bore tunnel through the Tehachapi Mountains and designed for 220 mph but diesel-powered trains will travel at much lower speeds; > A new, double-track, high-speed rail line (140 miles) designed for 220 mph from Bakersfield to to Madera > Continued upgrading of Amtrak's San Joaquin route from Madera to Sacramento (145 miles) and to Oakland (178 miles) to offer 110-mph service. > It also includes funding to electrify CalTrain's Bay Area diesel-powered commuter rail service from San Francisco to San Jose and Gilroy, a 50-mile route which will be used by the California HSR when the Pacheco Pass HSR route is built from Gilroy to Madera. I think this is a very thoughtful approach which best capitalizes on the $3 billion the state has already invested in developing the conventional-speed Amtrak system. And it shows why building conventional-speed trains first before building high-speed rail is so important -- it creates the ridership base, the political constituency and the interim/feeders routes until the entire HSR system can be built. There never is enough money to build everything all at once, as was true with the Interstate highway system. Building HSR in segments without having conventional trains first is like building the Interstate highway system without first providing paved, two-lane roads. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 8, 201212 yr Yeah but the distances and technical challenges in Ohio nowhere match what's planned for California. No earthquakes, no mountains, possibly no tunnels or major bridges.
July 8, 201212 yr It is suppose to cost 68 billion. That is a TON of money. How many trips will it take to pay it off? Im all about rail but that is too astronomical. Wouldn't it be cheaper to have free flights between the cities? lol The federal government spends close to that on highways in just two years. Also, between 2008-2014, the feds will have spent about $50 billion in general revenue funds on roads on top of what they spend in gas tax revenue. Total federal highway spending to date is probably pushing $2.8 TRILLION. State and local spending adds billions more. Yes, that $68 billion is a lot of money, but as KJP points out, the cost of adding more highway lane miles and runways is double that. Keep in mind also that the project will create thousands of non-exportable, good paying jobs, create urban-centered economic development (as opposed to highway induced suburban sprawl---one thing California does NOT need), create more mobility options, and help address energy use and environmental issues. In light of these considerations, CaHSR is a bargain.
July 8, 201212 yr Also I don't think that people can really comprehend just how bad the transportation situation is in California. The airports are difficult to reach for most in the LA and SF areas and driving is totally nuts. Union Station in Downtown LA is becoming more and more accessible with the construction of many new transit lines.
July 9, 201212 yr Also I don't think that people can really comprehend just how bad the transportation situation is in California. The airports are difficult to reach for most in the LA and SF areas and driving is totally nuts. Union Station in Downtown LA is becoming more and more accessible with the construction of many new transit lines. I've been out there a couple of times and I can testify to the traffic. It's nuts.
July 9, 201212 yr To accommodate California's projected travel growth in the San-San corridor in the coming decades, 3000 lane-miles of new freeway PLUS five new airport runways would need to be built to accommodate the same 117 million passengers per year as the California HSR. That would cost two to three times more than building the California High Speed Rail system. So yes, $68 billion is a lot of money. The alternative is much more expensive and environmentally damaging. This is what the initial, $7.7 billion will accomplish..... > MetroLink's Antelope Valley Line, Los Angeles to Lancaster (77 miles), will be upgraded to 90 mph and with more traffic capacity so it to handle 20+ added daily trains -- Amtrak (to Oakland/Sacramento) and XpressWest (formerly DesertXpress, to Vegas); > A single-track, passenger-only, 80-mile-long rail line from Palmdale to Bakersfield with a single-bore tunnel through the Tehachapi Mountains and designed for 220 mph but diesel-powered trains will travel at much lower speeds; > A new, double-track, high-speed rail line (140 miles) designed for 220 mph from Bakersfield to to Madera > Continued upgrading of Amtrak's San Joaquin route from Madera to Sacramento (145 miles) and to Oakland (178 miles) to offer 110-mph service. > It also includes funding to electrify CalTrain's Bay Area diesel-powered commuter rail service from San Francisco to San Jose and Gilroy, a 50-mile route which will be used by the California HSR when the Pacheco Pass HSR route is built from Gilroy to Madera. I think this is a very thoughtful approach which best capitalizes on the $3 billion the state has already invested in developing the conventional-speed Amtrak system. And it shows why building conventional-speed trains first before building high-speed rail is so important -- it creates the ridership base, the political constituency and the interim/feeders routes until the entire HSR system can be built. There never is enough money to build everything all at once, as was true with the Interstate highway system. Building HSR in segments without having conventional trains first is like building the Interstate highway system without first providing paved, two-lane roads. This is very impressive and has me wondering about a few things. One is the possibility of extending the Surfliner route north from San Luis Obispo to Gilroy and on to San Jose and directly into San Francisco as an alternative to the Central Valley route. Another is also in regard to the Surfliner route between Los Angeles and san Diego...I wonder if that will be upgraded to 110 mph as well? There's also a hairpin bend to go around a mountain in the line just north of San Diego, where a tunnel would speed service considerably. Then there is the equipment itself. Bilevel California/Surfliner cars are OK, but what's needed is bidirectional tilt trains that can take curves faster, cutting trip times and conveying a modern image.
July 9, 201212 yr Jmeck, I never saw this reply from you in the Cincinnati Southern thread. http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,19947.msg600167.html#msg600167 Are you sure PFCs were used to lay track on DC's silver line?
July 9, 201212 yr Author This is very impressive and has me wondering about a few things. One is the possibility of extending the Surfliner route north from San Luis Obispo to Gilroy and on to San Jose and directly into San Francisco as an alternative to the Central Valley route. Another is also in regard to the Surfliner route between Los Angeles and san Diego...I wonder if that will be upgraded to 110 mph as well? Not that I've heard. They're keeping LA-SD to 90 mph for now. North of LA, the proposal is to run some Surfliners up to the Bay Area via the Central Valley which is more populous than the coastal route, and much of it will be dedicated passenger ROW. There's also a hairpin bend to go around a mountain in the line just north of San Diego, where a tunnel would speed service considerably. I seem to recall a proposal to build a new rail line along I-5 to bypass the hairpin curve. Also, the proposal to turn LA Union Station into a through station with a bridge across the freeway is still out there. Then there is the equipment itself. Bilevel California/Surfliner cars are OK, but what's needed is bidirectional tilt trains that can take curves faster, cutting trip times and conveying a modern image. Those are desperately needed. If they offer top speeds of 125 mph, have locomotives at both ends that can operate simultaneously (for the steep grades via Tehachapi) or are like the Bombardier Voyager series where there are diesel motors powering wheels on every car, and offer tilt capabilities, then diesel can take advantage of some of the HSR infrastructure. Here is a mix of high-speed diesel equipment (HST's and Voyagers, along with some electrics). The first train is an HST, the second is a Voyager and another diesel train, an Adelante, is seen at 1:05). It shows diesel can really move trains along when the infrastructure is upgraded to allow it: And this video shows what tilt-train capabilities can offer, even on a curving 19th-century ROW like the UK's West Coast mainline (which is electrified, but also used by diesel trains too): "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 9, 201212 yr Also I don't think that people can really comprehend just how bad the transportation situation is in California. The airports are difficult to reach for most in the LA and SF areas and driving is totally nuts. Union Station in Downtown LA is becoming more and more accessible with the construction of many new transit lines. The development around LA's Union Station, and efforts to connect it with the rest of downtown LA, is something that Cincinnatians should watch with interest. Both cities have the misfortune of having beautiful train stations located somewhat remotely from the main downtown core. The situation in Cincinnati is admittedly a bit more severe, but LA could still offer some lessons.
July 13, 201212 yr somewhat controversial article about the French Railway operator SNCF involvement and the role politics played in the route decision www.latimes.com High-speed rail officials rebuffed proposal from French railway The French railway recommended that the state build the rail line along the Interstate 5 corridor and partner with it or another foreign firm to hold down costs. By Dan Weikel and Ralph Vartabedian, Los Angeles Times July 9, 2012 As state officials accelerated their effort to design a high-speed rail system in 2010, they were approached by the renowned French national railway with a suggestion: The project could use the help of an experienced bullet train operator. Until the end of last year, SNCF, the developer of one of the world's most successful high-speed rail systems, proposed that the state use competitive bidding to partner with it or another foreign operator rather than rely on construction engineers to design a sophisticated network for 200-mph trains. The approach, the French company said, would help the California High-Speed Rail Authority identify a profitable route, hold down building costs, develop realistic ridership forecasts and attract private investors — a requirement of a $9-billion bond measure approved by voters in 2008. But SNCF couldn't get its ideas — including considering a more direct north-south route along the Central Valley's Interstate 5 corridor — out of the station. Instead, the rail authority continued to concentrate planning in the hands of Parsons Brinckerhoff, a giant New York City-based engineering and construction management firm. Although they have occasionally consulted with high-speed railways, officials decided that hiring an experienced operator and seeking private investors would have to wait until after the $68-billion system was partially built. Last week, the state Senate approved — by a single vote — $8 billion to get construction underway. interesting to note that SNCF was a lead consultant on the The Midwest High Speed Rail Association HSR development study. http://www.midwesthsr.org/2011-economic-study Personally I prefer the cost estimates from existing HSR operator to that of the normal cartel of US engineering Firms which have less experience with this type of project. There needs to be a overhaul of FRA rolling stock standards to reflect modern PTC standards to prevent cost escalation due to proprietary rolling stock.
July 13, 201212 yr Amtrak's updated high-speed rail plan The trip, projected for 2040, is part of the passenger rail agency's $151 billion redevelopment of the Northeast Corridor between Washington and Boston, the Inquirer reports. Right now, the trip takes about 70 minutes, but that time would gradually be lowered, according to the Inquirer. By Spencer Platt, Getty Images The faster service would be phased in gradually as tracks, signals, bridges and power lines are improved and as a new high-speed corridor is built to accommodate trains traveling up to 220 mph, according to the news organization. The existing corridor between Washington and Boston is old and crowded and unable to meet today's demand, the Inquirer quotes Amtrak President Joseph Boardman as saying. Amtrak proposes a series of steps on the way to 220 mph trains by 2030, according to the Inquirer. Among them: acquiring 40 more Acela Express passenger cars by 2015, and doubling Acela service between New York and Washington by 2020. Read the entire updated plan here. http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/BlobServer?blobcol=urldata&blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobkey=id&blobwhere=1249243768002&blobheader=application%2Fpdf&blobheadername1=Content-disposition&blobheadervalue1=attachment;filename=Amtrak_Amtrak-Vision-for-the-Northeast-Corridor.pdf
July 13, 201212 yr Author The only way private investors take the lead on rail development is if the government stops bankrolling its competition... Amtrak Relying On U.S. Funding To Attract Bullet-Train Investors By Angela Greiling Keane - Jul 12, 2012 12:00 AM ET Amtrak, the U.S. long-distance passenger railroad, is turning its sights from private investors toward governments to fund the beginning of a $151 billion plan for bullet trains between Northeast cities by 2040. The Washington-based, taxpayer-supported railroad will need “significant” government support to carry out its plan to boost train capacity and increase speeds to 220 miles (354 kilometers) per hour between Washington and Boston, Amtrak Chief Executive Officer Joseph Boardman said in an interview. “We knew it was going to take a significant effort on the part of government at some level or all levels,” Boardman said yesterday. “We know for sure that needs to come sooner than a public-private partnership that’s often talked about.” READ MORE AT: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-07-12/amtrak-relying-on-u-s-funding-to-attract-bullet-train-investors.html "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 14, 201212 yr Greetings Ohio, longtime-firstime. What I find interesting in this story is that it is reported to be the first Tiger project to complete. Imagine if the US congress would have fully pursued the Stimulus program. http://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/uptown-station-to-roll-out-this-weekend/article_dbb6cba0-ca3f-11e1-89a7-001a4bcf887a.html Uptown Station to roll out this weekend July 10, 2012 7:00 am • By Mary Ann Ford | [email protected] NORMAL -- Amtrak plans to begin using Uptown Station on Sunday, the day after a dedication ceremony that is expected to draw U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, Amtrak Board Chairman Tom Carper and a host of other dignitaries. “We will make an overnight move from the current station to the new one after the last train on the 14th,” said Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari. The station will be dedicated at 10 a.m. Saturday. Tours of the facility will be offered from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Uptown Station received $22 million from a federal Transportation Investments Generating Economic Recovery grant. The project is believed to be the first TIGER grant-funded project to be completed. Amtrak and bus providers Burlington Trailways, Peoria Charter and the Bloomington-Normal Public Transit System will share the first floor of Uptown Station. .. Several town of Normal administrative offices are on the second and third floors, and the City Council chambers are on the fourth floor. A 380-space parking deck is attached to Uptown Station on the west side. Peoria Charter President Bill Winkler said bus service should be operational at Uptown Station by the end of July, if not sooner. BNPTS hopes to begin using the facility by the end of the month or the first part of August, said General Manager Andrew Johnson. The leasing contract for Burlington Trailways begins Sunday. ... “One thing they continued to hear was the (current) facility was a detriment to ridership,” he said. “Despite that, ridership continues to grow and grow (serving about 200,000 passengers a year). This beautiful new, clean, safe facility will attract even more.” Peterson estimates the number of annual Amtrak riders served at Uptown Station to reach 500,000 people a year. “That’s a half-million people at the doorstep of uptown Normal,” he said. “That’s why it was envisioned (in the uptown redevelopment plan) and why the federal government decided to invest in it.” Peterson said the project took years of careful planning and came with some hurdles, obstacles and challenges but now that it’s nearly complete, “it’s an affirmation that the vision was right.”
July 14, 201212 yr moynihan station development news: 07/10/2012 09:02 PM Amtrak Gives Peek Into Moynihan Station Plans By: NY1 News Amtrak is giving a glimpse into the future Moynihan Station. New renderings released in a report show plans for the new station inside the Farley Post Office Building across the street from Penn Station. The $267 million project will shift Amtrak train service from the aging Penn to Moynihan. The report said the Moynihan-Penn Station complex will create the service and connectivity needed for high speed rail. The first phase, which is a concourse expansion of Penn Station, is expected to be completed by 2016. video: http://www.ny1.com/content/news_beats/transit/164570/amtrak-gives-peek-into-moynihan-station-plans
July 15, 201212 yr Author jpIllInoIs, welcome and thanks for posting. I'd be surprised if that was the first TIGER grant completed for any mode of transportation. I would not be surprised if it was the first one completed for a passenger rail project. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 15, 201212 yr forget the state gov, regional atlanta pursues a more localized targeted tax approach: For more than a decade, Atlanta has been among the fastest-growing regions in the country, but the road and rail system in a state that ranks 49th in per capita transportation spending just could not keep up. Hourlong commutes are common, and more than 80 percent of commuters drive alone. Only 5 percent make use of the region’s limited train and bus systems, according to research by the Brookings Institution. This month, Atlanta-area voters are being asked to approve an ambitious fix that would raise $8.5 billion by adding a penny to the sales tax for 10 years. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/16/us/atlanta-area-residents-to-vote-on-tax-for-transportation.html?_r=1&hp
July 16, 201212 yr In each of the 12 voting regions, 75 percent to 85 percent of the money would go to projects on an unchangeable master list. The remaining money would be given to cities and counties to spend on any transportation needs they might have in the future. I doubt many of the regions pass this, if most of the money is going to Atlanta.
July 16, 201212 yr Author forget the state gov, regional atlanta pursues a more localized targeted tax approach: Many metropolitan areas area doing just this, as they are fed up with the highways-only approach of their state DOTs. In fact, some metros have banded together to pursue projects of regional significance, such as the Western High Speed Rail Alliance http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-western-high-speed-rail-alliance-announces-formation-78994987.html "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 16, 201212 yr ^^ So glad Cali is moving forward with these advanced plans. It makes the rest of the country (states) that rejected this money look so partisan, parochial and just plain stupid (Hello Ohio... Kasich). I'd love to see these (rejection states') Republicans being grilled by the populace once Cali gets this awesome system up 'n running; about why (John Kasich) you chose to allow Ohio to wallow in the dark ages while Cali chose to bask in the sunlight... ... well, at least a few Repubs deserve some credit her: Cali's now done guv (Ahhnult) for being open to the TIGER funding; and Michigan's Snyder for allowing Fed money to upgrade the Wolverine to initial HSR standards... Good for them (and bad for us, here in Ohio (aka Missatucky).
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