Join the discussion on the following article:
Raleigh may spend additional $16 million on new Union Station
These guys in “red”/“purple” state NC put “blue” state MA to shame. At BOS, the northeastern anchor of Amtrak’s fabled Northeast Corridor, South Station has needed track and platform capacity expansion for at least a decade. In the 8 year administration of former (thankfully) Gov. Patrick, the president’s buddy from Chicago’s South Side, the needle wasn’t moved one millimeter toward achieving that critical goal.
North Carolina’s DOT has seen what progressivism can encompass by attracting an expanding array of rail trafficand well-marketed efforts. Thus the growing need for expansion of terminals serving Raleigh and Charlotte and possibly more as time moves along. The Piedmonts, Carolinian and Silver Star are carrying lots of passengers (I have been on all of these in contemporary times) and they provide reliable, comfortable, timely and safe experiences. There will be demand for larger and more modern facilities along their routes and the Raleigh plans sound exciting.
Geez, the guy lived in the Chicago projects until middle school when he’s smart enough to get into Milton Academy about the time BHO was living with his mother in Jakarta and now he’s “the president’s pal”? Yikes. As I recall, his proposal to raise fuel taxes to fund transportation projects … like increase South Station’s capacity … and it was shot down.
Now, NC. Why is it “union” station? That usually means it was a joint project by several railroads to consolidate older terminals into one. Other than the NCDOT trains (run by Amtrak) and Amtrak’s own trains, who else?