https://www.axios.com/amtrak-map-biden-infrastructure-effddc6e-7767-4fb0-8ea2-1e6a1ae054da.html
$80 billion for passenger and freight rail, $$85 billion for public transit.
They seem to forget that the UP line West of Phoenix is out of service W of Buckeye. And UP has no interest in reopening it.
Money talks - BS walks. PSR is about money.
Amtrak connect
comments.
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Phoenix to get service I suppose by the out of service Phoenix - Yuma track ?
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Louisville - Nashville should be connected
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Montgomery - mobile should be a thru route
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Pueblo should connect on south
Surprises and enhanced
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Several Atlanta services and Finally Atlanta - CLT - Raleigh - “S” line to Richmond - WASH. However the ATL station situation needs immediate solution.
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Eau Clair Wisconsin - That is a real surprize
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Buffalo - Toledo - Detroit about time
One would think Phoenix would be better served with extending their rail network to the Maricopa station. Of course there is also a lot of growth on the west side as well.
Wisconsin is not going to pay for that. If your lucky we could see Milwaukee to Green Bay service again. I seriously doubt you’ll see service to Eau Claire nor will you see service to Madison. Second frequency on Chicago-Milwaukee-St. Paul route would probably be first. Milwaukee to Green Bay second. Eau Claire and Madison are both dreamland destinations in which Amtrak will probably not spend money on.
Guessing Milwaukee Green Bay will be an all CN routing:
North Milwaukee - Fond Du Lac - Oshkosh - Green Bay using former WC passenger main out of Milwaukee. Wisconsin I believe has the funds already for a second Chicago to St. Paul frequency but is waiting on the match from Minnesota…Amtrak might step in for the MN match to get the service running.
I can’t see Milwaukee service to Madison ever being competitive with the interstate speed wise nor can I see Twin Cities service via Eau Claire.
From what I remember Atlanta to Macon was retained by the Southern Railway post formation of Amtrak and Southern Railway ran that route for a few years into the Amtrak era along with the Southern Crescent but then yanked the Macon route while retaining the Crescent.
And the line from Petersburg, Virginia, to the North Carolina border was ripped up decades ago. This is the wish list of all wish lists. Just smile, nod and take it from where it comes.
For what it’s worth, in the business section of today’s Toronto Star, there is a photo of Biden with Tom Conway, head of the United Steelworkers having a discussion. The site of the discussion is an Amtrak dining car. The article didn’t say whether or not the car was moving, but there you are.
Noticed the ex-NP route that Montana was pushing for didn’t make the cut.
Is the ROW intact?
What’s the color scheme on that map?
It looks like dark blue is existing. Light blue seems to be proposed new (or revived).
What is yellow?
The ROW was held in Fee Simple by CSX after the track was removed. Most recently it has been purchased by the Commonwealth of Virginia with many a lofty goal.
The map is what Amtrak wants not what the states want. I find it highly unlikely anyone will support Amtrak Dallas to Houston if Texas gets a high speed train on the same route. Likewise with LA to Las Vegas. The only state desired option I see on the map was extension of the Heartland Flyer…however ultimate goal there was extension to Kansas City not just to the Southwest Chief route.
So a lot of that Amtrak dream map was slapped together. Further remember that each new route or route with added trains will require an Environmental Impact Study at a minimum and probably an engineering study. EIS is going to take 18-24 months by itself and is usually done after the engineering study. So we are not going to see any of these routes until after Bidens first term in office is over…so I am not overly optimistic on this latest orgy of spending towards Amtrak.
To be 100% honest, our country and government would make far more and faster progress towards better passenger service just via assisting private proposals such as Brightline instead of watching them twist on the vine in the wind.
Has Virginia actually taken title to the “S” line in the state? No matter who now has title I have to wonder how much persons have built on the ROW ?
Brightline was done with an EA and FONSI, no need for an EIS. Why would Amtrak need an EIS?
Every Amtrak addition in the State of Wisconsin has required both an Engineering Study followed by an EIS. So perhaps it has to do with the government funding aspect? State funding aspect? Not sure. So far all the projects have crossed state lines as well.
Perhaps Brightline because a subsidiary owns the track and it is done via private monies and is within state lines avoided the Federal Requirements…that could be another reason. I would be curious if the LA-Las Vegas line avoids the EIS.
I have always believed that the United States required an EIS only on federal projects or on projects involving federal money. However, many states have their own requirements.
Is that correct? Is there an expert in the forum who knows for sure?