commuter rail proposals

Trains Magazine Transit
1

The many proposals popping up has another article about New Orleans - Baton Rouge, La

http://www.nola.com/futureofneworleans/2015/07/baton_rouge_to_new_orleans_com.html

2

The route looks like it might be a combination of suburban service to each endpoint with a short-haul intercity component connecting the endpoints. It might be plausible if the political factors can get resolved and Gov. Jindal recovers from his case of Potomac Fever.

3

From the connecting the area website:

Earlier this month, MTR explored the concept of transforming the tri-state area’s commuter rail network into a regional rail network. The plans covered differ in scope and detail, but all have one major component in common: changing Penn Station from a terminal to a run-through station.

Currently, many Amtrak trains run through Penn Station on the Northeast Corridor journey between Boston and Washington. So does, infrequently, the joint Metro-North/New Jersey Transit train that brings fans from Connecticut and Westchester to the Meadowlands for football games on designated Sundays.

But what would the benefits of through-running be if implemented across the board? The most important effect might very well be to relieve the capacity crunch that the station is experiencing. With trains making a stop instead of performing their beginning and end-of-run preparations at Penn Station, each track would be able to handle trains at a higher frequency (just imagine if subways lingered at Times Square, Atlantic Avenue and Fulton Center like they do at terminus stations in Coney Island, Flushing or Inwood). Run-through trains would also make

4

For MNRR there may be a fairly inexpensive way to provide thru service at NYP.

  1. Equip M-9s with a 25 HZ / 60 HZ transformer.

  2. Double track the Empire track from NYP - Spuyten Duyvill including the bridge or better still fly over the bridge connecting to present MNRR Hudson line by Riverdale.

  3. Add 12.5 Kv 60 Hz CAT from NYP to Riverdale.

  4. Wait for east side access to open to provide some open slots at NYP.

  5. That way MNRR could operate trains from New Haven ( maybe even Springfield. ) to Croton - Harmond. There might be at least some thru passengers and NYP LIRR passengers could transfer although the East side access at GCT might be faster.

5

Equjipping the MN fleet with 25Hz capable transformers is not a simple matter. The design of one that can handle both 25 Hz and 60 Hz and both 12,000 and 25,000 volts is easy. Problem is it will weigh more that four times the existing transformers and be four times as bulky.

And eventually the whole NEC will be 60 Hz.

6

Assume I am stupid and provide me a direct URL to this site. I can’t find it via Google for some reason.

7

https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q="Technical+barriers+are+entirely+surmountable"

8

Thanks. (I didn’t try enough of the right phrases!)

9

I am glad the URL question was answered by someone else. Note that I get stuff in the email. If I think it of interest for a Trains or Classic Trains forum, I then use “copy” and “past” to put it in MSWord 2003 on my hard drive or a USB device memory. I then copy it into my posting. Often,I have already deleted the source email to keep the inbox from being overloaded.

daveklepper

Technical barriers are entirely surmountable

https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q="Technical+barriers+are+entirely+surmountable"

[/quote]

[quote user=“wanswheel”]

10

We, in NC, are threatened by these two Republican ideas:

http://www.wral.com/lifestyles/travel/story/10103261/

RALEIGH, N.C. — The Piedmont train, which runs daily between Raleigh and Charlotte, would reach the end of the line if Congress approves a Republican-backed budget plan, Amtrak officials said Thursday.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article36091740.html

State Rep. Paul Stam was pleased to discover a provision that House and Senate negotiators had inserted in the state budget – four lines that probably will kill prospects for light rail transit in Orange and Durham counties.

“Light rail is sort of a dinosaur of the 20th century or the 19th century,” Stam, an Apex Republican who is the dean of Wake County’s legislative delegation, said last week. “If the cities want to do it, fine. But the state shouldn’t chip in on it.”

11

Dave,

Your Piedmont story is from 2011. Those costs have already been loaded onto the Piedmont, but the state has covered it so far. At the MTC meeting tonight, I heard that Rep. Stam was back tracking on this part of the budget when confronted on it today. Lets see what tomorrow brings.

12

When you opened this thread, I was going to make my usual comment that I had been hearing about this kind of thing for many years, but the reporter said as much in his opening statements. I’m not holding my breath, but it looks like it may have a chance of happening. We are in the middle of state elections, and both candidates for governor say they would support it.

http://www.theneworleansadvocate.com/news/business/13890336-123/proponents-say-passenger-rail-from

13

Sounds like real planning for 1900…I Like Ike!, bring back the 1950’s - yes, that is real leadership for the 21st Century.[/sarcasm]