Quote:
Originally Posted by Crawford
The technical issues are minor.
The big issues are administrative. LIRR, Metro North, and NJ Transit are separate agencies, with different union contracts, different leadership, different culture, etc. It's an enormous problem.
There is some through-running for special events, though. For example, when there are events in the Meadowlands (NJ), they have run Metro North or LIRR trains to the NJ Transit Meadowlands station. It can be done.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KVNBKLYN
The primary technical obstacle is the three different methods for powering the trains on NJT, Metronorth and the LIRR. NJT uses overhead catenary wire, Metronorth uses a mix of catenary and under-running third rail while the LIRR uses over-running third rail. Not insurmountable but still a challenge.
Aside from that, most of Penn Station's platforms are too narrow and cluttered with columns to deal with the volume of passengers waiting on the platform for through train service, which is why Amtrak's few current through trains take 20 minutes to deboard and board passengers separately.
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Three different kinds of power systems? That's nuts, and I guess very much due to legacy systems not being changed. How's the loading gauge on the different lines? (i.e. not the rail gauge, that's all standard, the loading gauge as in the clearence to the sides and above the tracks/trains).
Having as a long-term goal the unification into one type of power deliviery (preferably normal overhead lines) would make soooo much sense. As would unifying and reforming the transit agencies in the area.
As to the narrow paltforms at Penn that would be overwhelmed by increased use: with through trains you could do away with quite a few tracks probably and thus re-do the layout to have wider platforms. Plus with running EMUs with standardized door posiitions you could even go for PSDs.
But then again, it would cost quite a bit of money, take a long time and worst of all get sooo many polticians and agencies invloved it wouldn't happen. Even if it would be awesome for the people using the services.
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