Overhauling Amtrak

[202_Cyclist]

Wondering about Lehigh Valley passenger rail? You’re not alone

Evan Jones
November 15, 2023
Morning Call

“Slowly, but surely, the work to bring passenger rail service back to the Lehigh Valley has been moving along in the last year. However, for some members of the Lehigh Valley Transportation Study, it isn’t moving fast enough.

The LVTS joint Technical and Coordinating Committee heard an update on the project study being conducted by PennDOT during its meeting Wednesday morning.

LVTS Technical Committee Secretary Becky Bradley said there were changes with PennDOT’s third-party consultant on the study. Consulting group WSP last updated the LVTS in May and had said the study would be completed by October...”

https://www.mcall.com/news/transportation/

[Nexis4Jersey]

I want the early to mid 2010s plan for service restored between Harrisburg and the Lehigh Valley with service to NY...it was supposed to run a few roundtrips per day... You would need to restore a second and 3rd track in some areas of PA and restore the NJT tracks up to Philipsburg which was estimated to cost 90 million in 2012 but its feasible. I would have NJT service up to Allentown & Amtrak service to Reading/Harrisburg. NJT Service would be called the Lehigh Valley line , making limited stops east of Somerville and the Amtrak service should be called the Queen of the Valley after the old service that ran on the route.

[electricron]

I do not find it encouraging to read that changes were made by PDOT to the consultant doing the study. I wouldn't be surprised to read in the near future something corrupt had occurred that required PDOT to make these changes.

[Nexis4Jersey]

Originally Posted by electricron

I do not find it encouraging to read that changes were made by PDOT to the consultant doing the study. I wouldn't be surprised to read in the near future something corrupt had occurred that required PDOT to make these changes.

Classic sabotage...and something that penndot is known for along with cutting corners..

[Atlurbsandspices]

Originally Posted by Atlurbsandspices

It's mid November and next week is a major holiday. When are the already very delayed Corridor ID decisions being announced?

Well there goes November and still no Corridor ID announcements. Sigh.

[Delthayre]

Originally Posted by Atlurbsandspices

Well there goes November and still no Corridor ID announcements. Sigh.

FRA is almost comically slow at announcing grant awards. Don;t hold your breath, but be ready for surprise.

[electricron]

Originally Posted by Delthayre

FRA is almost comically slow at announcing grant awards. Don;t hold your breath, but be ready for surprise.

So true. But I believe any delay is the FRA checking out if the local governments; states, counties, and cities, in other words local stakeholders, are set up to support and fund their matching funds.
They certainly do not wish to have another Florida and Ohio refusing to take federal grants for HSR projects again, then having to move these grants to other projects elsewhere.

[mhays]

Seattle-Portland service is rising to six trains per day, up from four (plus a long-distance train).

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle...-and-portland/

[Paniolo Man]

The FRA LD study website subtly changed to kick route ID a year down the road.

[PanhandleBledsoe]

Is there a list of all requests for the Corridor ID?

[Atlurbsandspices]

Originally Posted by Paniolo Man

The FRA LD study website subtly changed to kick route ID a year down the road.

I'm going to hope, perhaps wistfully, that winter 2024 means January/February and not next December. Nonetheless...


Is this limted to the long distance routes only, or Corridor ID as a whole?

[Nexis4Jersey]

I think they were overwhelmed by the amount of projects submitted... Some states submitted their entire state rail plan...

[Randomguy34]

^ yeah, there are a lot of routes

Originally Posted by Randomguy34

New Amtrak map: light blue are proposed Corridor ID routes, dark blue are Amtrak 2035 routes that didn't apply for the program. Some routes not shown but are proposed include Minneapolis-Winnipeg, Las Vegas-Reno, and Virginia's east-west railway


Source: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories...c666a9dba452ca
Excel sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...zpE/edit#gid=0

[Randomguy34]

It's beautiful.

BREAKING: BROWN ANNOUNCES FIRST STEP IN EXPANDING AMTRAK IN OHIO

The corridors that will receive the funding for planning include:
https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroo...ng-amtrak-ohio

• Cleveland-Columbus-Dayton-Cincinnati, the 3C+D corridor
• Cleveland-Toledo-Detroit
• Chicago-Fort Wayne-Columbus-Pittsburgh, the Midwest Connect corridor via Lima, Kenton, Marysville, Columbus, Newark, Coshocton, Newcomerstown, Uhrichsville, and Steubenville in Ohio
• Daily Cardinal Service, increasing service frequency from three days per week to daily on Amtrak’s current service to Cincinnati between New York City, Washington, DC and Chicago, IL via the States of Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois.

https://twitter.com/SenSherrodBrown/...24697028948111

[Atlurbsandspices]

Senator Tillis announces $1billion if Raleogh-Richmond.

https://twitter.com/JoeBrunoWSOC9/st...4UjweWYig&s=19

Stuff is happening!

[PanhandleBledsoe]

Scranton-NYC!

Federal Railroad Admin chooses Scranton-NYC Amtrak route to move forward

BY Kathryne Rubright
Pocono Record

https://www.poconorecord.com/story/n...d/71813416007/

[202_Cyclist]

Originally Posted by PanhandleBledsoe

Scranton-NYC!

Federal Railroad Admin chooses Scranton-NYC Amtrak route to move forward

BY Kathryne Rubright
Pocono Record

https://www.poconorecord.com/story/n...d/71813416007/

This will certainly make it easier for Michael Scott to get his New York slice.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TRgEeDR98X8

[Busy Bee]

Indeed. Sbarro has the best, most authentic NY pizza.

[Atlurbsandspices]

https://twitter.com/JoeBrunoWSOC9/st...41564044964124

More routes announced for NC Corridor ID...including Charlotte-Atlanta HSR???

[202_Cyclist]

NC wins big federal grant to begin building high-speed rail line north of Raleigh


By Richard Stradling
News Observer
Dec. 5, 2023


N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper, left, talks with Montravias King of Charlotte before both of them boarded the Piedmont train at Raleigh Union Station on Friday, Nov. 17. (Richard Stradling)

Read more at: https://www.newsobserver.com/news/lo...#storylink=cpy

"The N.C. Department of Transportation has received a $1 billion federal grant to begin building the high-speed passenger train line that will eventually run between Raleigh and Richmond, Virginia.

NCDOT will use the money in part to build new tracks, bridges and stations between downtown Raleigh and Wake Forest. That section of the new line will open first and will be used to extend the Piedmont, NCDOT’s train between Charlotte and Raleigh, to northern Wake County.

NCDOT has been working for decades with the state of Virginia on a plan to rebuild the so-called S-line between Raleigh and Richmond for trains capable of going more than 110 mph. Virginia has purchased its portion of the rail corridor from freight railroad CSX, and NCDOT is in the final stages of negotiations to buy its part..."

https://www.newsobserver.com/news/lo...#storylink=cpy