There is a story from a local newspaper stating about double traking Tehachapi.
http://www.valleyvoicenewspaper.com/vv/stories/2007/tehachapi.htm
I wonder, when the person quoted in the article took the mentioned train ride, did he count the number of single track tunnels between Bealville and Tehachapi?
25 miles of fun on that mountain. Ive always enjoyed it in trucking. But whoever dreamed up double tracking that thing by rail is in for a nightmare of money and technical challenges. Sure, if they can lift water up and over that mountain they ought to double track it or triple or 4 times… whatever.
But it is a formidable challenge. You have to actually WANT to get to Tehachapi before doing anything once you got there.
The article says $82 million to double-track … the whole RR, Bena to Cable? Where’d they get that figure?
I do not know what the real dollar figure would be to double track or greatly expand the VERY KEY Tehachapi line. All I can tell you is that I truly view this as the ABSOLUTE TOP PRIORITY transportation project for the state of California. This very badly needs to be done through a major “Tehachapi Grapevine Rail Authority” to build a modern 5 main track line across the Tehachapi Mountains.
The following very–very rare detour really wetted my appetite for this service to be offered on a REGULAR and schedule basis by Amtrak California:
On October 23, 2005 I had the truly AWESOME privilege of riding that ULTRA RARE Amtrak Tehachapi Detour (SAC to LAX). This was done because many–many–many planets really LINED UP that day: The Union Pacific had some LAST MINUTE trackwork to accomplish in the Alviso, CA area (northern San Jose). AMAZINGLY this track work happened the VERY DAY that then Amtrak President David Gunn had a LONG STANDING and advanced scheduled buisness trip on the Coast Starlight Train number 11.
I am so very–very thankful that David Gunn decided to detour the WHOLE train including the regular passengers over Tehachapi Pass and into Los Angeles via the Antelope Valley Metrolink Line. David Gunn could have decided to remove his car at Sacramento and run it as a president ONLY move down the valley + Tehachapi to LA . Thankfully this private President only move was NOT made. I think it was easier for David Gunn to just detour the ENTIRE train rather than rounding up a special train and crew for a 450 mile ++ long detour alone. I am not sure many people realize that this may be the ONLY REVENUE pASSENGER train to NON STOP Fresno perhaps in ALL HISTORY. I can not think of another reason why another passenger train would express through Fresno. I will answer any questions via this thread that I can remember.
— Daniel
My Time Log of our ROCKETSHIP ON RAILS is posted here on Trainweb: