Final approval of the EIS for LAUS aproved. Appears that first step will be the new connections to the south end with new bridging over the freeway. That will change LAUS from a stub end station to a through station. For METRA and Coast line thru Amtrak trains that will cut at least 5 minutes and probably 10 minutes on thru scheduling as no back up or changing controlling ends of trains will be necessary.
Looks great, they need to proceed to construction. Though I think if I were the designer I would go with a dual level platform for more capacity. Just seems to me that less than 10 tracks might not be enough for just one rail station in LA.
And just where would you put them? Dual level is out of the question since the additional tracks would be lower than the level of the South Branch or at or above street level. The only place for additional through tracks would be through the concourse or the main waiting room.
The through tracks would be on the current level. The upper level would be slightly higher than tracks at LaSalle or OTC. Yes, it would be a major project but it was done in the early 20th century, it can be done again. If nothing is done, how to achieve more capacity for Metra and Midwest Corridors?
One way to expand capacity after it becomes a through station is to run most trains through. That is what allows four-track Market Street East to replace Reading Terminal. Very few trains (if any?) terminate at Market Street East. This should be possible with nearly all the commuter trains, but even some Amtrak, with San Diego to Santa Barabara, Sf, Oakland-Emoriville and Sacramento service. The Star Light might run through to San Diego!
Unfortunately, there is no realistic option for expanding capacity at CUS short of eliminating the baggage platforms between designated suburban service tracks and adjusting the spacing between tracks to add one or two more stub tracks on each side.
Well they want to ad LA to Las Vegas service at some point. Add in all the Commuter train traffic (which is slowly expanding) and Amtrak San Diegans, etc. 7 tracks probably means some train pairs will double up on the same track.
They are shifting some of the trains over to LaSalle Street Station from CUS (former N&W I think). That should free up some capacity from the South Concourse.
I think they could also switch some of the Milwaukee North departures over to the former Northwestern Station but that would add a new and probably very expensive track connection and it would probably create confusion as well.
I think both Milwaukee Metra lines cross over the UP West line at Western Avenue (double slip swiches?) so that would not be so hard. But the North concourse isn’t the crowded one at CUS.
My memory says there is one through track that platforms at Chicago Union. For a short time, Amdtrak ran a train between Milwaukee and a point south of Chicago (St. Louis? Indianapolis? Champaign?).
Dave, there are two through tracks at the Chicago Union Station; one is next to the station, and the other, with a platform, is east of it, and is reached by crossing over the first one. This spring, when I took the Cardinal to Washington, it left from the outer track.
Yes, Amtrak ran through service between Milwaukee and St. Louis, using the GM&O south of Chicago. I rode it, Milwaukee to Joliet, in Fenruary of 1972.
