I live in North Jersey. I constantly see auto racks in the Jersey City/ North Bergen area. I understand back in the 90’s Conrail opened up the clearances to allow auto racks into North Jersey. Why hasn’t Amtrak taken advantage of this and extended their service up this way? Or maybe the host railroads don’t want them?
The auto racks seen in New Jersey probably come from the west or by way of Harrisburg. I don’t think that auto racks would clear the Capitol Hill and Baltimore tunnels. Besides, Amtrak would have to acquire some rather expensive land to build an Auto-Train terminal in North Jersey.
It’s been suggested before. Many, many, many times. When a passenger brings the subject up on the train, the reason is usually explained away with a quick and simple answer like “the clearances won’t allow it.” There’s actually a lot more to it. I don’t know which track(s) have sufficient clearance to accommodate auto carriers, but I understand there are some seriously restricted areas. I understand those tunnel clearances would present a problem. If the Auto Train were allowed on the NE Corridor, it would be the “slow guy” clogging up the “fast” lanes. I’ve been told the Auto Train is restricted to 50 units (generally 2 P40’s and 48 cars max.). Lately we’ve been pressing at or close to that limit. In fact, an extra coach was added today & the train left with about 500 passengers southbound. Tomorrow’s northbound train is expected to have an astounding 560 passengers! Whereas other trains S. of Washington are permitted to operate at 79 m.p.h., the Auto Train is restricted to 70 m.p.h. I don’t know what speeds the mechanical engineers would agree to on the Corridor, but if a 50-unit Auto Train gets anywhere near 100 m.p.h., I’d rather not be aboard. The higher speed ranges are for shorter and lighter trains, in my opinion. I asked a CSX employee some time ago whether he thought CSX would/could handle it North of Washington. He said the ex-B&O mainline is essentially single track & was already at capacity. They need a new time-sensitive train on that line about as badly as an elephant needs high-heeled sneakers. For that matter, I doubt CSX would like to have it on their lines S. of Washington because it would be such a big and time-sensitive monster, competing for track space with the present Auto Train and the other passenger and freight trains that already operate there. It certainly wouldn’t make much, if any, money for CSX. Assuming we got the train to go a bit farther north, my own suggestion would be th
I suppose I ought to add that I have never seen a printed, detailed, official Amtrak position on this. These ideas are all my own and do not in any way reflect any official Amtrak policy. Tom
ACY missed the big one, clearances. I am about 99% sure the problem is the tunnels in Baltimore which now preclude tall passenger cars, let alone auto racks. Fixing them or building a third tunnel and track would be several hundred million to well over $1 billion.
CSX gets through Baltimore using the single track Howard Street tunnel. The tunnel was the site of the first line haul electrification in the country, so it has been a problem for a long time. I do not know whether or not it will clear autorack equipment today. IIRC the B&O was out of the passenger business through the tunnel by the time ATK came along so ATK has no legacy right to bull its way onto the line. If I were CSX my price would be a new second bore plus double track on every inch of my line that ATK wanted to use. Again think a Billion dollars or more. I believe new connections would be required on both ends, so add another few hundred million for them.
There are probably clearance issues in every new station the new auto train would pass through. How extensive/expensive these modifications would be I have no idea, nor do I know if the tunnel at the south end of Washington DC station will clear auto racks.
The final clearance issue is the electric wire starting at Washington DC. I do not know enough about this to offer any thoughts orther than “What about the wire?”
Mac
That’s what I alluded to in my 3rd sentence. I’ve been told the train could get through in most places, but would be restricted to only one track, which might well be occupied when the new A-T needs it. Delays would be frequent, and probably unpredictable. Tom
Mac: Cannot address the wire clearance except for one special case. When getting on the Capitol limited in WASH I observed that the superliners were only about 6" below the wire… Having no laser measuring equipment that is an estimate but also some other tracks appeared to have a lower height. Certainly would not clear auto racks.
Until the Virginia avenue tunnel is expanded for double stack trains there is no way for present Auto Train cars proceed north of the Potomac river.
Of course one possible solution would be to use single level passenger cars and a knock off of the old single low level auto carriers with high speed trucks. Capacity on such a train probably would not be revenue positive ?.
As single level passenger cars above frame becomes non useable then those cars could maybe made intoi auto carriers? They may have the same train dynamics as present equipment ?
I agree that single-level auto carriers would not be cost-effective, and would result in a heck of a long train. I agree that single-level auto carriers would not be cost-effective, and they would make for a heck of a long passenger train. Our current bilevel auto carriers are taller than Superliners. By how much, I don’t know, but I’m guessing it’s more than 6 inches. In early 1987 I was working the Capitol Limited when there was a traffic disruption of some sort between Washington and Pittsburgh, so we detoured via Perryville-Harrisburg-Altoona. At that time, no. 30 was Heritage equipped, but we had a dome coach in the consist (ex-N.P., I think). From Washington to Perryville, I was uneasy about the proximity of the wire to the dome car, but we made it through without incident. I don’t know how the height of a Heritage Budd dome compares with the height of a Superliner. Tom
[8D]rthe issiue is the same as when b&o built short height dome cars. clearance thus termination in Lorton.
Probably not revenue positive, since the current Auto-Train isn’t either.
Clearance through the tunnel into Washington Union Station from the South is 16’4 inches, it does not clear any of the modern freight locomotives, specific GP-40’s are the maximum freight engines that can be handled. I suspect that clearances through the Amtrak tunnels in Baltimore are similar or slightly better.
CSX’s Virginia Avenue tunnel has a Maximum height clearance of 17’3 inches. Plans are underway in concert with the National Gateway initiative to double track and increase the clearance of this tunnel to handle 20’2 inch double stacks. I reckon that completion of this project is most likely a decade away as it is only approaching the public hearing stage at present.
CSX’s Howard Street tunnel in Baltimore is able to handle 19’2 inch multi levels. These are handled to a facility at Twin Oaks, PA, outside Philadelphia - the multilevels cannot go East of Twin Oaks account restrictive tunnels entering Philadelphia. The Howard Street tunnel cannot have it’s roof raised account utilities in place above it (includes the Baltimore Subway system and operating on the surface of Howard Street is the Baltimore Light Rail system). The floor of the tunnel is already been excavated to bedrock and is currently at or below the level of the Inner Harbor’s, Patapsco River level and has serious drainage issues during hard rain storms.