1 hour ago, KJP said:

 

I'm sure they haven't heard the last of the Southwest Airlines and concrete construction lobbyists!  

Great news for Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota!

 

 

43 minutes ago, KJP said:

Great news for Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota!

 

 

I was confused by this because I thought there was a fight just to keep Empire Builder as a daily service. I did some additional digging - for others who are also curious, the second daily Empire Builder is for the Chicago - Milwaukee - Minneapolis part. (Link below.) Which is great! I’d love to see similar efforts to make the Lake Shore Limited and/or Capital Limited twice (or thrice) daily. Doubling the service frequency far more than doubles the utility. 
 

@KJP - does this have any impact on keeping the full run of the Empire Builder daily instead of decreasing service?

 

https://www.twincities.com/2020/05/14/second-amtrak-train-from-twin-cities-to-chicago-could-be-less-than-two-years-away-if-state-agrees-to-10-million-in-bonding/amp/

http://www.dot.state.mn.us/passengerrail/tc-mil-chi/

http://www.dot.state.mn.us/passengerrail/images/tc-mil-chi.jpg

 

 

 

I am in no way knowledgeable about trains but I have always wonder if, rather than the Lakeshore Limited, there was a daily train strictly between Cleveland and Chicago which left Cleveland at a reasonable time in the morning (8:00 or 9:00 am) and arrived back in Cleveland at a reasonable time in the evening (again 8 or 9) it would be profitable.  I imagine there are many factors that would go into the equation rather than just passenger numbers and passenger revenue so I don't have a clue.

11 minutes ago, Boomerang_Brian said:

 

@KJP - does this have any impact on keeping the full run of the Empire Builder daily instead of decreasing service?

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately no. The Empire Building is a federally funded National System train. The second Builder will be a state-supported train. Amtrak considers federal operating funding for trains bad and state operating funding for trains good. They consider states to be customers. For some reason they don't also consider the feds to be a customer.

3 minutes ago, Htsguy said:

I am in no way knowledgeable about trains but I have always wonder if, rather than the Lakeshore Limited, there was a daily train strictly between Cleveland and Chicago which left Cleveland at a reasonable time in the morning (8:00 or 9:00 am) and arrived back in Cleveland at a reasonable time in the evening (again 8 or 9) it would be profitable.  I imagine there are many factors that would go into the equation rather than just passenger numbers and passenger revenue so I don't have a clue.

 

No, it wouldn't be. The liability insurance alone that Amtrak has to pay to use the freight-owned tracks is extremely expensive.

3 hours ago, KJP said:

 

No, it wouldn't be. The liability insurance alone that Amtrak has to pay to use the freight-owned tracks is extremely expensive.

 

Seems like we could use a dedicated passenger track for at least part of that route (with trains coming from Michigan to Chicago as well).

 

Wish we could have more completely separate freight and passenger rails, but that's probably not practical.

People can't even ride an incline without looking at their phone.

Raleigh/Durham: GoTriangle commuter rail plans rolling forward, seeks public input

https://www.masstransitmag.com/rail/infrastructure/press-release/21155896/gotriangle-gotriangle-commuter-rail-plans-rolling-forward-seeks-public-input

 

Planners are seeking public feedback for the next 12-18 months as GoTriangle's commuter rail line included in the transit plans of Wake and Durham Counties enters its last preliminary study phase.

First, an initial survey that seeks general thoughts on the project will be available between now and Nov. 6.

Plans in place in Wake and Durham counties call for a 37-mile commuter rail line to be built within the existing NC Railroad Company corridor between West Durham and Garner with stops at Research Triangle Park, Morrisville, Cary, North Carolina State and downtown Raleigh along the way. The results of earlier studies have led Johnston County to commit money to evaluate extending the route to Clayton as well.

And they even included a map!

 

 

This is an amazing reduction in construction time --

 

"The $2.7 billion, 170-mile Brightline high-speed rail extension from West Palm Beach, Florida, to Orlando International Airport (OIA) will see the construction of a train tunnel in two weeks instead of almost one year"

https://www.constructiondive.com/news/brightline-shaves-almost-a-year-from-florida-rail-project-using-precast-tun/584711/

 

There are some good videos on the website of the Italian inventors of this concept:

https://www.petrucco.com/box-jacking/

 

Looks like they basically cast concrete overpasses next to a roadway or rail line, then dig out the space they need and move the pre-cast overpass into place.  As a result, they don't have to disrupt the road/rail line any longer than it takes to move the pre-cast concrete into place and put the road/rail back on top.

14 minutes ago, Foraker said:

This is an amazing reduction in construction time --

 

They did much bigger tunnel jackings on the Big Dig project 20 years ago.  

https://www.tunneltalk.com/USA-Apr1997-Highway-tunnel-box-jacking-in-Boston-as-part-of-the-Big-Dig-project.php

Edited October 1, 20204 yr by jmecklenborg

4 hours ago, jmecklenborg said:

 

They did much bigger tunnel jackings on the Big Dig project 20 years ago.  

https://www.tunneltalk.com/USA-Apr1997-Highway-tunnel-box-jacking-in-Boston-as-part-of-the-Big-Dig-project.php

 

Would be nice if they did it on the 3C corridor....to separate all the crossings. 

Edited October 2, 20204 yr by Foraker

2 hours ago, Foraker said:

 

Would be nice if they did it on the 3C corridor....to separate all the crossings. 

 

I think what's startling about 110mph trains is how brief the amount of time is between noticing the train and the thing blowing through the crossing.  The trains still look pretty far away just 3-4 seconds before they reach the camera. 

 

Or seeing the giant roadkill splats on the front of 200mph trains in Europe after you debark.

1 hour ago, GCrites80s said:

roadkill splats on the front of 200mph trains in Europe after you debark.

 

They're definitely fencing in the highest speed sections in California.  The fencing is super-expensive since it's maybe 1 grade lower than prison fencing. 

 

 

Oh wow, I guess since we haven't killed almost all of our wildlife like Europe has some degree of fencing is necessary.

8 hours ago, jmecklenborg said:

 

I think what's startling about 110mph trains is how brief the amount of time is between noticing the train and the thing blowing through the crossing.  The trains still look pretty far away just 3-4 seconds before they reach the camera. 

 

 

See, Ohio trains do 100+ mph! Of course, they have to wait until they get into neighboring states to enjoy their infrastructure improvements.

9 hours ago, jmecklenborg said:

 

I think what's startling about 110mph trains is how brief the amount of time is between noticing the train and the thing blowing through the crossing.  The trains still look pretty far away just 3-4 seconds before they reach the camera. 

 

 

And that's why the 3C route would want to reduce the number of at-grade crossings as the speed increases. 

 

Who is running 100mph trains so far?  NY.  And Michigan.  And Illinois.  And Pennsylvania. And Ontario.  Ohio, still the Hole in the Donut.

Here is recent drone footage of construction of an elevated station in California.  All of the stations will be four-track configurations with center express tracks.  For whatever reason people out there keep thinking that every train is going to stop at every local station.  This station is the Kings/Tulare station, which is next to the town of Hanford, pop. 50,000.  It looks like about 100,000 more people live within a 10-mile drive of this station in a variety towns.  It's pretty unbelievable that they're spending $100 million (probably much more than that) building this station in an obscure rural location like this. 

 

 

 

 

Until the station is done, and acres of "affordable" McMansions spring up around it.   

 

13 hours ago, jmecklenborg said:

Here is recent drone footage of construction of an elevated station in California.  All of the stations will be four-track configurations with center express tracks.  For whatever reason people out there keep thinking that every train is going to stop at every local station.  This station is the Kings/Tulare station, which is next to the town of Hanford, pop. 50,000.  It looks like about 100,000 more people live within a 10-mile drive of this station in a variety towns.  It's pretty unbelievable that they're spending $100 million (probably much more than that) building this station in an obscure rural location like this. 

 

 

 

 

Why is that station elevated? Wouldn’t it be a lot less expensive to build it on the ground?

16 minutes ago, Boomerang_Brian said:

Why is that station elevated? Wouldn’t it be a lot less expensive to build it on the ground?

 

Yeah it certainly seems as though it would, but I suspect that they are building on this power line easement and so they are completely avoiding any land acquisition litigation with industrial farming to either side.  So it's literally cheaper to build an elevated station right now than to wait 2-3 years to litigate and build a surface station.  

 

https://www.google.com/maps/@36.3717086,-119.5919534,3a,75y,163.47h,102.84t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sfpOozcHOgKdKBg7CYv8FNQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

 

 

 

 

49 minutes ago, Boomerang_Brian said:

Why is that station elevated? Wouldn’t it be a lot less expensive to build it on the ground?

 

More:

 

 

In November 2019, it was announced that construction of the viaduct leading to the station would begin the following month. The design at this point had changed from an at-grade to an elevated station on a mile-long viaduct, with the benefits of having a smaller footprint, avoiding modifications to the Union Pacific Railroad line and an electrical transmission line at the location, and allowing potential Cross Valley Corridor service to be accessed at-grade beneath the high-speed rail tracks.[13]

 

 

57 minutes ago, jmecklenborg said:

 

More:

 

 

In November 2019, it was announced that construction of the viaduct leading to the station would begin the following month. The design at this point had changed from an at-grade to an elevated station on a mile-long viaduct, with the benefits of having a smaller footprint, avoiding modifications to the Union Pacific Railroad line and an electrical transmission line at the location, and allowing potential Cross Valley Corridor service to be accessed at-grade beneath the high-speed rail tracks.[13]

 

 

In other words, yet another example of why American policy decisions and legal framework drive much of the outrageous cost of transportation projects. Although this wouldn’t be even remotely close to the most egregious example. I figured it was something like that. Thanks for the info!

23 minutes ago, Boomerang_Brian said:

In other words, yet another example of why American policy decisions and legal framework drive much of the outrageous cost of transportation projects. Although this wouldn’t be even remotely close to the most egregious example. 

 

Correct.  You can see why they moved so quickly back in the late 1950s on the interstate highway system. 

 

I did a bit more reading on this particular section of the line and originally CAHSR planned to build the line right through the center of this small city with a nice downtown station.  They were going to put the high speed line on a viaduct over the freight line.  Sure enough, the idiots in charge of the town forced them to move it to the outskirts because it was going to "destroy" their historic downtown.  

 

You can look at the BNSF freight line on Google Earth and see, quite obviously, that nothing was going to be torn down but the high speed trains passing every 5 minutes during peak operation were going to annoy people whose homes backed right up to the line:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Hanford,+CA+93230/@36.3262548,-119.6521667,929m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x8094c37b19af7a53:0x1b16a7e4c563f490!8m2!3d36.3274502!4d-119.6456844

 

Instead of fighting to have the proposed high speed line AND freight line placed in a mile-long trench or tunnel - a profound improvement over the current situation since all grade crossings would be eliminated, they instead said we don't want it at all!  

15 minutes ago, jmecklenborg said:

 

Correct.  You can see why they moved so quickly back in the late 1950s on the interstate highway system. 

 

 

 

Ask Eisenhower; when he saw them tearing up the outskirts of D.C. to put in the interstates he was like "what the hell is this?" and an aide said "That's your interstate highway system sir." Nowadays if you have enough power to create something like that you don't get to see it finished because you die first.

13 minutes ago, GCrites80s said:

 

Ask Eisenhower; when he saw them tearing up the outskirts of D.C. to put in the interstates he was like "what the hell is this?" and an aide said "That's your interstate highway system sir." Nowadays if you have enough power to create something like that you don't get to see it finished because you die first.

 

^I have never seen that this quote actually happened.  I see it oft-repeated but there is never a reference to exactly when he said this or to whom.  

 

Meanwhile, the whole story about Eisenhower observing the Autobahn is also false.  The U.S. military had test convoys on the Pennsylvania Turnpike years before WWII.  

 

 

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release:

 

For inquiries or interviews contact:

[email protected]

 

 

USHSR RELEASES 5-POINT HIGH SPEED RAIL PLAN WITH PROJECT LIST

 

Washington, DC – The US High Speed Rail Association (USHSR) is pleased to announce the release of the 5-Point High Speed Rail Plan with project list for the new Biden administration, who has promised to “spark the second great railroad revolution" with a major investment and focus on high speed rail across America.

 

USHSR’s new 5-Point High Speed Rail Plan has specific recommendations for the high speed rail program to be a success with including specific high speed rail projects to fund as follows:

 

 

1) Create a new High Speed Rail Development Authority within USDOT to direct and coordinate the national program working with the states. This new Authority would be tasked with initiating new high speed rail projects, conducting route studies, filing for permits, assembling land, hiring contractors and consultants, and hiring concessionaires to operate the trains. This includes streamlining the approvals process by allowing simultaneous approvals, shortened timelines, and single agency approvals.

 

 

2) Select the nation's top 5 high speed rail priority projects, designate them "Special Projects of National Significance" and fast-track each to completion with the full support of the federal government.

 

California high speed rail - $60 Billion investment

Texas high speed rail - $20 Billion investment

NEC upgrade, New York City tunnels - $50 Billion investment

Cascadia high speed rail (Pacific NW) - $40 Billion investment

Florida high speed rail (Tampa-Orlando) - $2.5 Billion investment

 

 

3) Select the second tier projects and immediately fund and assist them into early works - planning, route studies, permits, land acquisition, and pre-construction works.

 

Chicago-Milwaukee high speed rail - $8 Billion investment

Atlanta-Charlotte high speed rail - $18 Billion investment

Louisville-Nashville high speed rail - $15 Billion investment

Denver-Albuquerque high speed rail - $40 Billion investment

Chicago - St. Louis high speed rail - $18 Billion investment

Tulsa-Oklahoma City high speed rail - $8 Billion investment

Chicago-Detroit high speed rail - $30 Billion investment

Nashville-Memphis high speed rail - $15 Billion investment

Kansas City - St. Louis high speed rail - $19 Billion investment

Chicago-Indianapolis high speed rail - $17 Billion investment

 

 

4) Coordinate closely on TOD planning with local cities and jurisdictions to maximize community making and economic development opportunities that come with a new high speed rail station. TOD creates vibrant, livable, affordable sustainable communities in the form of compact, walkable, pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use communities centered around high quality train systems, making it possible to live a lower-stress, more affordable life without dependence on a car for mobility and survival. Transit oriented development combines regional planning, city revitalization, suburban renewal, smart growth, and walkable neighborhoods. By directly coordinating the land development around high speed rail stations, the maximum community and real estate benefits can be delivered.

 

 

5) Work with the airlines and airports to replace short-haul flights with high speed rail, and extend high speed rail connections to major airports. Encourage partnerships with airlines on combined tickets for trips with part of the journey on a train and part on an airplane. This begins to reshape the US domestic travel market that makes traveling easier, faster, and greener for the traveling public, while also benefiting the airlines and airports who can better utilize their equipment and spaces for longer distance flights.

 

________________________________________________

 

 

“We’re excited to release this new plan as the new rail-focused administration comes in,” said USHSR President Andy Kunz. “For decades, Joe Biden has proven to be one of rail's great leaders, we're ready to work with him, Congress, governors, and the American people to get many new systems built across this great nation so everyone can ride them.” 

 

The US High Speed Rail Association is a membership organization that has been advocating for a national, state-of-the-art high speed rail network since our founding in 2009, showcasing the many benefits high speed rail will bring to America. As the previous transportation secretary Anthony Foxx said, “there is no such thing as a Democratic or Republican road, bridge, port, airfield or rail system.  We must work together across party lines to enhance this nation’s infrastructure.”

 

  

For more information on the Association and the national vision map, visit www.ushsr.com

 

 

The US High Speed Rail Association is the only non-profit organization in America focusing entirely on advancing a state-of-the-art national high speed rail network. Our vision includes a national HSR Express system consisting of state-of-the-art dedicated track, advanced control systems, elegant multi-modal train stations, and top-of-the-line 220 mph trains, as well as a feeder network of 110 mph trains. Our goal is to connect cities and states into an integrated system, laid out in phases with an aggressive schedule for full system build out. Our mission is to build widespread public, business, and political support for a major public and private investment in a national high speed rail network. 

 

 

###

1 hour ago, KJP said:

Chicago-Milwaukee high speed rail - $8 Billion investment

Atlanta-Charlotte high speed rail - $18 Billion investment

Louisville-Nashville high speed rail - $15 Billion investment

Denver-Albuquerque high speed rail - $40 Billion investment

Chicago - St. Louis high speed rail - $18 Billion investment

Tulsa-Oklahoma City high speed rail - $8 Billion investment

Chicago-Detroit high speed rail - $30 Billion investment

Nashville-Memphis high speed rail - $15 Billion investment

Kansas City - St. Louis high speed rail - $19 Billion investment

Chicago-Indianapolis high speed rail - $17 Billion investment

 

Overall happy, but sad to see Cleveland missing from the route list.   

1 hour ago, Cleburger said:

 

Overall happy, but sad to see Cleveland missing from the route list.   

 

3 hours ago, KJP said:

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release:

 

For inquiries or interviews contact:

[email protected]

 

 

USHSR RELEASES 5-POINT HIGH SPEED RAIL PLAN WITH PROJECT LIST

 

Washington, DC – The US High Speed Rail Association (USHSR) is pleased to announce the release of the 5-Point High Speed Rail Plan with project list for the new Biden administration, who has promised to “spark the second great railroad revolution" with a major investment and focus on high speed rail across America.

 

USHSR’s new 5-Point High Speed Rail Plan has specific recommendations for the high speed rail program to be a success with including specific high speed rail projects to fund as follows:

 

 

1) Create a new High Speed Rail Development Authority within USDOT to direct and coordinate the national program working with the states. This new Authority would be tasked with initiating new high speed rail projects, conducting route studies, filing for permits, assembling land, hiring contractors and consultants, and hiring concessionaires to operate the trains. This includes streamlining the approvals process by allowing simultaneous approvals, shortened timelines, and single agency approvals.

 

 

2) Select the nation's top 5 high speed rail priority projects, designate them "Special Projects of National Significance" and fast-track each to completion with the full support of the federal government.

 

California high speed rail - $60 Billion investment

Texas high speed rail - $20 Billion investment

NEC upgrade, New York City tunnels - $50 Billion investment

Cascadia high speed rail (Pacific NW) - $40 Billion investment

Florida high speed rail (Tampa-Orlando) - $2.5 Billion investment

 

 

3) Select the second tier projects and immediately fund and assist them into early works - planning, route studies, permits, land acquisition, and pre-construction works.

 

Chicago-Milwaukee high speed rail - $8 Billion investment

Atlanta-Charlotte high speed rail - $18 Billion investment

Louisville-Nashville high speed rail - $15 Billion investment

Denver-Albuquerque high speed rail - $40 Billion investment

Chicago - St. Louis high speed rail - $18 Billion investment

Tulsa-Oklahoma City high speed rail - $8 Billion investment

Chicago-Detroit high speed rail - $30 Billion investment

Nashville-Memphis high speed rail - $15 Billion investment

Kansas City - St. Louis high speed rail - $19 Billion investment

Chicago-Indianapolis high speed rail - $17 Billion investment

 

 

4) Coordinate closely on TOD planning with local cities and jurisdictions to maximize community making and economic development opportunities that come with a new high speed rail station. TOD creates vibrant, livable, affordable sustainable communities in the form of compact, walkable, pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use communities centered around high quality train systems, making it possible to live a lower-stress, more affordable life without dependence on a car for mobility and survival. Transit oriented development combines regional planning, city revitalization, suburban renewal, smart growth, and walkable neighborhoods. By directly coordinating the land development around high speed rail stations, the maximum community and real estate benefits can be delivered.

 

 

5) Work with the airlines and airports to replace short-haul flights with high speed rail, and extend high speed rail connections to major airports. Encourage partnerships with airlines on combined tickets for trips with part of the journey on a train and part on an airplane. This begins to reshape the US domestic travel market that makes traveling easier, faster, and greener for the traveling public, while also benefiting the airlines and airports who can better utilize their equipment and spaces for longer distance flights.

 

________________________________________________

 

 

“We’re excited to release this new plan as the new rail-focused administration comes in,” said USHSR President Andy Kunz. “For decades, Joe Biden has proven to be one of rail's great leaders, we're ready to work with him, Congress, governors, and the American people to get many new systems built across this great nation so everyone can ride them.” 

 

The US High Speed Rail Association is a membership organization that has been advocating for a national, state-of-the-art high speed rail network since our founding in 2009, showcasing the many benefits high speed rail will bring to America. As the previous transportation secretary Anthony Foxx said, “there is no such thing as a Democratic or Republican road, bridge, port, airfield or rail system.  We must work together across party lines to enhance this nation’s infrastructure.”

 

  

For more information on the Association and the national vision map, visit www.ushsr.com

 

 

The US High Speed Rail Association is the only non-profit organization in America focusing entirely on advancing a state-of-the-art national high speed rail network. Our vision includes a national HSR Express system consisting of state-of-the-art dedicated track, advanced control systems, elegant multi-modal train stations, and top-of-the-line 220 mph trains, as well as a feeder network of 110 mph trains. Our goal is to connect cities and states into an integrated system, laid out in phases with an aggressive schedule for full system build out. Our mission is to build widespread public, business, and political support for a major public and private investment in a national high speed rail network. 

 

 

###

Chicago - MKE is the only one on that Tier 2 list that makes more sense (cost/utility ratio) than either 3C or Chicago-CLE-Pittsburgh. Yuck. And I understand the Chicago - Detroit line since Michigan actually supports rail. But I am excited for the potential for passenger rail expansion w a Biden administration. 

This guy put a ton of work into his videos.  Lots of new footage of California's high speed rail line under construction in the Central Valley:

 

how to fix gateway --

 

Curtains for Gateway: Jersey attacks the smartest plan to fix Hudson River rail tunnel

 

By DAILY NEWS EDITORIAL BOARD
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS |
NOV 25, 2020 AT 4:05 AM

 

more:
https://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/ny-edit-gateway-london-bridge-20201125-rpwwejbyhnacvbph4f2hcrfe4e-story.html

Brightline and Disney reach deal to build high-speed rail station at Disney Springs
 

https://www.wesh.com/article/disney-brightline-high-speed-rail/34758418?fbclid=IwAR3kmAhldyo_PbT3r_AoMXsBhMlMt3L8OawXy6ThgderPtTrsSg7U4AE4rM
 

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. —

The private passenger-rail service Brightline announced an agreement Monday with Walt Disney World to build a station at Disney Springs as part of expansion plans from South Florida to Central Florida.

 

The station, which would link the Disney shopping, dining and entertainment complex with Orlando International Airport, potentially by 2022, is conditioned on Brightline obtaining needed government approvals.

 

And

 

19 minutes ago, KJP said:

 

And

 

Which train stops there?  Any time I have taken Amtrak to Buffalo my only option is Depew. 

4 hours ago, Cleburger said:

Which train stops there?  Any time I have taken Amtrak to Buffalo my only option is Depew. 

 

The train from Cleveland to Buffalo passes south of downtown Buffalo. Six trains (three in each direction) stop at Buffalo Exchange Street station in downtown Buffalo on their way to/from Niagara Falls, with two of them continuing on to/from Toronto. All of the trains stop in Buffalo-Depew. I threw together this map.....

40 minutes ago, KJP said:

 

The train from Cleveland to Buffalo passes south of downtown Buffalo. Six trains (three in each direction) stop at Buffalo Exchange Street station in downtown Buffalo on their way to/from Niagara Falls, with two of them continuing on to/from Toronto. All of the trains stop in Buffalo-Depew. I threw together this map.....

 

 

I'm surprised with that kind of investment that they don't try to re-route the trains from the west through there.  Or it would have been really nice to return trains to the old Central Terminal!  😀

 

Not possible without a back-up move. There was consideration of relocating the Exchange Street station to Seneca Street in the Larkin District, but the powers-that-be wanted the station downtown.

lirr finishes up the mid-suffolk yard expansion in ronkonoma to build esa capacity:

 

 

LIRR completes construction on Mid-Suffolk Yard to help increase future capacity

 

The storage facility will support rail service for East Side Access.

 

MTA Long Island Rail Road

Dec 1st, 2020

 

https://www.masstransitmag.com/rail/infrastructure/press-release/21164647/mta-long-island-railroad-lirr-completes-construction-on-midsuffolk-yard-to-help-increase-future-capacity

 

 

Here in the socialist utopia of Utah, the Republican controlled legislature is moving forward with a major double-tracking project for the FrontRunner commuter rail system https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2020/12/08/lawmakers-say-next-years/

 

This would cut headways down to 15 minutes or less. The next step would be to electrify the system and replace the diesel trains with the Stadler Flirt trains that Caltrain is going to be using. Those are being built in SLC. Recently UTA has also proposed running FrontRunner out to Tooele which is a small exurb about 15 miles west of SLC https://www.abc4.com/news/top-stories/uta-proposes-frontrunner-in-tooele-seeks-feedback/.

 

Having commuted on FrontRunner and seeing how it integrates with the cities surrounding SLC, I've long thought a commuter rail system could work from Cincinnati to Milford/Batavia and to Sharonville. The density of the cities served in in Utah is about the same and the system relies heavily on park and rides which are kind of small, to be honest. Despite some of the drawbacks, the system is successful. We also have a state-wide transit system here though.

On 11/30/2020 at 5:40 PM, KJP said:

Not possible without a back-up move. There was consideration of relocating the Exchange Street station to Seneca Street in the Larkin District, but the powers-that-be wanted the station downtown.

It's downtown, but being under a bunch of highway ramps doesn't mean it's a good location, though I understand why they thought it would be a good idea.  We've done a lot of things that seem like a good idea the time, but they turn out to be not so great at some point in the future.

46 minutes ago, JaceTheAce41 said:

 

 

Having commuted on FrontRunner and seeing how it integrates with the cities surrounding SLC, I've long thought a commuter rail system could work from Cincinnati to Milford/Batavia and to Sharonville. The density of the cities served in in Utah is about the same and the system relies heavily on park and rides which are kind of small, to be honest. Despite some of the drawbacks, the system is successful. We also have a state-wide transit system here though.

 

I am worried that all of the high-priced residential development along Riverside Drive will fight any attempt to improve the Oasis line.  Right now trains are limited to 12mph.  You'd want commuter rail trains to travel 50+mph through that area, and there are a few grade crossings where they'd be blowing their horns.  

 

 

1 hour ago, jmecklenborg said:

 

I am worried that all of the high-priced residential development along Riverside Drive will fight any attempt to improve the Oasis line.  Right now trains are limited to 12mph.  You'd want commuter rail trains to travel 50+mph through that area, and there are a few grade crossings where they'd be blowing their horns.  

 

 

 

All trains through SLC from Provo to Ogden (80 miles) go without blowing their horns through grade crossings. This is true for both freight and commuter rail. The only exception is if there is a need to blow (someone/thing on the tracks). Also the one BNSF train that comes through a couple times a week also blows its horn when going through the Utah Railway yard but it's rare. This hasn't stopped the development of $400K plus condos near the tracks. The diesel trains we use here are surprisingly quiet and do slow down quite a bit in downtown SLC so I don't think it would be too much of an issue in Cincy especially if developers could see how much they could make off transit oriented development. 

 

These issues have been solved elsewhere and can easily be adapted for Cincy.

 

Not trying to derail the thread (pun intended) but since the old NS Peavine is only used by the Cincinnati East Terminal a couple times a week, a commuter train from Milford with a park & ride near the Wal-Mart on Round Bottom Rd. You could have stops in Newtown, Mariemont, Lunken Airport, Columbia Tusculum near Delta Ave. then the Riverfront Transit Center. From there you can continue west along the river and/or connect up with Union Terminal.

21 hours ago, JaceTheAce41 said:

These issues have been solved elsewhere and can easily be adapted for Cincy.

 

I don't think that the these issues can't be solved, it's more that NIMBY's will use these are bad faith arguments to oppose an Oasis Rail line. IIRC, the local surveys for the Oasis Commuter Rail line were supportive of the project, but not supportive of the route. It's going to be hard to find local support for any specific routing because of unfounded concerns for noise and safety.

On 11/23/2020 at 10:16 PM, jmecklenborg said:

This guy put a ton of work into his videos.  Lots of new footage of California's high speed rail line under construction in the Central Valley:

 

 

I came out of hiding to post this and found you already saw it.   This guy's vids are great, and its a nice counterpart to the garbage that the LA times puts out every few months or so.

1 hour ago, neilworms said:

 

I came out of hiding to post this and found you already saw it.   This guy's vids are great, and its a nice counterpart to the garbage that the LA times puts out every few months or so.

 

He just put up video #4 through Fresno.  

 

Biden might come through with big money this spring and we'll see the project really spring to life.  Newsom's pullback delayed the SF and LA links by maybe 2 years.  

 

 

 

1 minute ago, jmecklenborg said:

 

He just put up video #4 through Fresno.  

 

Biden might come through with big money this spring and we'll see the project really spring to life.  Newsom's pullback delayed the SF and LA links by maybe 2 years.  

 

 

 

Newsom's antics really really ticked me off.   The project has been really really badly managed and is a deep indictment of everything wrong with American right now.

At the very least I'm glad the project is still getting built.  I've yet to hear any kind of update on the IL higher speed rail project that should have been finished almost decade ago for instance... so it could be way worse.

Edited December 14, 20204 yr by neilworms

37 minutes ago, neilworms said:

Newsom's antics really really ticked me off.   The project has been really really badly managed and is a deep indictment of everything wrong with American right now.

At the very least I'm glad the project is still getting built.  I've yet to hear any kind of update on the IL higher speed rail project that should have been finished almost decade ago for instance... so it could be way worse.

 

 

The concept for the system is big-time and heads above what is being built in Florida and is proposed in Texas and Las Vegas.  

 

The real takeaway for Ohio is that the high speed in California is about connecting the interior with the big cities more so than connecting LA and SF.  I'd really like to see a top-quality electrified passenger service on existing freight lines connecting the 3 c's and all in-between cities more so than a dedicated HSR line with zero intermediate stations.  

 

For example, the Caltrains electrification between SF and San Jose is what I think would be useful for bringing back the forgotten small cities like Hamilton, Middletown, Springfield, and even Dayton.  I mean - imagine having an office in downtown Dayton and being a 35 minute train ride away from either downtown Columbus or downtown Dayton.  Same for Hamilton and Middletown.  

 

 

19 minutes ago, jmecklenborg said:

 

 

The concept for the system is big-time and heads above what is being built in Florida and is proposed in Texas and Las Vegas.  

 

The real takeaway for Ohio is that the high speed in California is about connecting the interior with the big cities more so than connecting LA and SF.  I'd really like to see a top-quality electrified passenger service on existing freight lines connecting the 3 c's and all in-between cities more so than a dedicated HSR line with zero intermediate stations.  

 

For example, the Caltrains electrification between SF and San Jose is what I think would be useful for bringing back the forgotten small cities like Hamilton, Middletown, Springfield, and even Dayton.  I mean - imagine having an office in downtown Dayton and being a 35 minute train ride away from either downtown Columbus or downtown Dayton.  Same for Hamilton and Middletown.  

 

 

 

Oh yeah the Caltrain electrification project is something I'm also following pretty closely, getting a commuter rail up to developed world standards (and ready for future high speed rail) is fantastic to see.   I've had dreams of being able to hop on a train and go through Hamilton Middletown and Dayton from Cincinnati, I hope that eventually does happen and it would be a fantastic corridor to make it happen.

The same guy also did a vid on Caltrain electrification as well: