Overhauling Amtrak

[Nexis4Jersey]

I like the single level design , although do we really need 2 dining cars + cafe? Why not just a cafe & dining car. Double-decker seems to be over complicated.

[202_Cyclist]

Deal will bring added passenger rail service between Pittsburgh, NYC

By Ryan Deto
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Sept. 25, 2023

"PennDOT and Norfolk Southern Railway finalized an official agreement Friday to bring an additional round trip for passenger train service between Pittsburgh and New York City.

PennDOT officials said the state will invest more than $200 million for infrastructure and safety improvements that will help to accommodate the additional trains.

Amtrak now operates one daily round trip between Pittsburgh and New York City, via Harrisburg and Philadelphia. The agreement supports increasing that to two daily round trips. It would mark the first additional passenger train service for Western Pennsylvania in decades..."

https://triblive.com/local/regional/...ittsburgh-nyc/

[mrnyc]

wat the hades??!



House GOP seeking more than 90% funding cut to Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor

By Ben Brachfeld
Posted on September 28, 2023


House Republicans want to slash funding for Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor, the busiest passenger railroad in North America, by 92%, and are still holding out on the verge of a government shutdown despite bipartisan calls to restore funding.


more:
https://www.amny.com/transit/house-g...east-corridor/

[Busy Bee]

I'd love to slash them by 90%.

[homebucket]

Not surprising. Republicans are paid off by the oil and gas and auto industry. Together they’ve been holding back and/or removing public transit in the US for the last 50 years.

[SoCalKid]

I wish we had a parliamentary style multi party system so the crazies weren't able to hijack a party like this. It'd be nice to have more than the current choice of neanderthals vs growth-limiters as our political options. The lesser of the evils is clear to me all day, but it'd feel so good to be able to vote for a party I really liked, rather than one I disliked less...

[UrbanImpact]

Originally Posted by mrnyc

wat the hades??!



House GOP seeking more than 90% funding cut to Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor

By Ben Brachfeld
Posted on September 28, 2023


House Republicans want to slash funding for Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor, the busiest passenger railroad in North America, by 92%, and are still holding out on the verge of a government shutdown despite bipartisan calls to restore funding.


more:
https://www.amny.com/transit/house-g...east-corridor/

MAGA is really ruining this country and any progress. How are you going to make America great if other countries will have the technological upper hand?

[Busy Bee]

They're the disturbers of our harmony for all I'm concerned. I viscerally loathe these people.

[FromSD]

Originally Posted by homebucket

Not surprising. Republicans are paid off by the oil and gas and auto industry. Together they’ve been holding back and/or removing public transit in the US for the last 50 years.

You're probably right about the GOP being paid off by the oil and gas industry. But I don't think that what's behind this proposed spending cut. This is more an FU to the big cities of the Northeast, which the Republicans hate because they're "Democrat-run" and because they're full of those coastal elites. And if the Republicans win again in 2024, I'm sure we'll see proposals to defund Amtrak just like we did when Bush took over in 2001 and Trump in 2017. Such cuts are always justified as an act of fiscal prudence, even though the savings are minuscule. Actually I'm surprised the defund Amtrak proposal hasn't shown up in the House GOP's wish list this time, though I'm sure there's still time for it to pop up.

[lrt's friend]

When oh when will we learn that private vehicle transportation is not sustainable.

[202_Cyclist]

This is exciting news.

MassDOT Outlines ‘Compass Rail’ Vision for New Passenger Services in Western Mass.
MassDOT is pursuing plans for new Amtrak routes from Boston to New Haven and Albany, with Springfield as a new hub for intercity rail connections.

Streetsblog
Oct. 18, 2023


A map of existing and proposed Amtrak services in western Massachusetts. New proposed services include the red line, an inland route from New Haven, CT to Boston, via Springfield, and the blue line, a new Boston-Albany route. Courtesy of MassDOT.


"MassDOT is expanding its intercity passenger rail plans for western Massachusetts to incorporate more north-south service through the Connecticut River Valley and a possible new route between Boston and Albany, New York.

At Wednesday's MassDOT Board of Directors meeting, Rail and Transit Administrator Meredith Slesinger delivered a brief presentation about MassDOT's plans for an overlapping network of new and existing intercity passenger rail services through a new hub in downtown Springfield.

Where MassDOT had previously been focused on east-west rail connections, the agency is now looking at linking more destinations – inside and outside of the state's borders – to the north and south as well.

Slesinger called the new vision "compass rail" – a vision for new intercity passenger rail routes that connect north-south routes through the Connecticut River Valley with east-west routes that connect Albany to Boston, with Springfield as the hub of the compass..."

https://mass.streetsblog.org/2023/10...rn-mass-albany

[Busy Bee]

Indeed.

[Nexis4Jersey]

It would be if they went with the 4.2 billion , 125mph option but they went with upgrades to existing 60mph corridor which will be increased to 80mph.

[Nexis4Jersey]

Hudson Station

[202_Cyclist]

This is absolutely fantastic news. I have been riding Amtrak between Washington and CT every two weeks (sometimes more frequently) this past year. Unlike tax cuts for billionaires, this will significantly improve daily life for me and millions of other Americans. It will also create many excellent jobs.

Biden invests billions to modernize northeast US rail corridor


By Steve Holland and Jarrett Renshaw
November 6, 2023
Reuters

"BEAR, Delaware, Nov 6 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday announced the latest tranche of federal dollars to modernize key portions of the nation's busiest rail corridor that stretches from Boston to Washington D.C.

Biden, who said he has traveled through the tunnel "thousands" of times, added that the region represents 20% of America's gross domestic product and hasn't seen a "major upgrade" for generations.

The investment will reduce delays, allow businesses to get their goods to market faster, benefit the environment and create a hundred thousand union jobs, the president said..."

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/bid...or-2023-11-06/

========================================

Here are the projects that will be funded.

Amtrak Awarded Federal Funds for 12 Projects of National Significance Totaling Nearly $10B Across America’s Busiest Rail Corridor


Image courtesy of Amtrak.

"The grants announced today will support 12 Amtrak-led projects through the FRA’s Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Program (Fed-State NEC):

Frederick Douglass Tunnel Program (up to $4.7B)
Susquehanna River Rail Bridge Project (up to $2.08B)
East River Tunnel Rehabilitation Project (up to $1.26B)
Connecticut River Bridge Replacement Project (up to $826.64M)
Dock Bridge Rehabilitation Project (up to $300.18M)
Sawtooth Bridges Replacement Project (up to $133.32M)
Baltimore Penn Station Redevelopment (up to $108.32M)
Pelham Bay Bridge Replacement Project (up to $58.27M)
Gunpowder River Bridge Replacement Program (up to $30M)
NEC South End Infrastructure Renewal and Speed Improvement Planning Study (up to $21.6M)
Bush River Bridge Replacement Program (up to $18.8M)
New Haven to Providence Capacity Planning Study (up to $4M)
Another 13 NEC projects led by Amtrak’s partners also received funding, including:

Hudson Tunnel Project – Gateway Development Commission (up to $3.79B)
Penn Station Access – MTA (up to $1.64B)
Walk Bridge Replacement Project – CTDOT (up to $465M)
Devon Bridge Replacement Project – CTDOT (up to $245.92M)
Delco Lead – NJ TRANSIT (up to $180.9M)
New Haven Line Power Improvement Program – CTDOT (up to $122.8M)
Devon Bridge Interim Repairs – CTDOT (up to $119.32M)
Hartford Line Rail Program Double Track (Phase 3B) Project – CTDOT (up to $104.86M)
New Haven Line Track Improvement and Mobility Enhancement Part 1 and 3 – CTDOT (up to $71.64M)
Newark Penn Station Vertical Circulation Improvements – NJ TRANSIT (up to $59.2M)
Reconstruction of Cornwells Heights Station – SEPTA (up to $30.5M)
Saugatuck River Bridge Replacement – CTDOT (up to $23.2M)
New Haven Line Network Infrastructure Upgrade Project – CTDOT (up to $15.4M)"

https://media.amtrak.com/2023/11/amt...rail-corridor/

[Busy Bee]

What you mean you didn't have all that benevolent prosperity wash all over you thanks to the bleeding hearts of the leisure class?


Yes, indeed this is excellent news!������

[Muji]

That really is going to be a game changer for so many of us on the East Coast. It's great to see that Bipartisan Infrastructure Law money getting to work!

[202_Cyclist]

This would include an Amtrak station at New Orleans International Airport. The proposed route would use the Canadian Pacific Kansas City tracks.

Baton Rouge-New Orleans Passenger Rail Service Advances

By Carolina Worrell
Railway Age
Oct. 27, 2023

"Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards on Oct. 26 joined Department of Transportation and Development Sec. Eric Kalivoda, Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner and other officials to sign a development agreement that will advance the return of intercity passenger rail service between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, La.

The agreement, signed at New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal, “is a breakthrough for a project that has roots in 2008, when the idea was introduced through a concept study,” officials said. According to the agreement, passenger service could start as early as 2027.

According to officials, Amtrak will use Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) and CN rights-of-way located along the I-10 corridor that are one of three routes connecting New Orleans and Baton Rouge. The CPKC/CN tracks, Amtrak says, were chosen because they were “the most direct and had less conflict with freight transportation.” The CPKC New Orleans Subdivision (former KCS) accounts for most of the routing. Trains, after traversing a short distance on CPKC’s Baton Rouge Subdivision (former KCS) would connect with CN’s McComb Subdivision at New Orleans Junction to reach New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal..."

https://www.railwayage.com/passenger...vice-advances/

[skizzo]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

I viscerally loathe these people.

Trust me, its mutual.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by 202_Cyclist

This would include an Amtrak station at New Orleans International Airport. The proposed route would use the Canadian Pacific Kansas City tracks.

Baton Rouge-New Orleans Passenger Rail Service Advances

By Carolina Worrell
Railway Age
Oct. 27, 2023

"Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards on Oct. 26 joined Department of Transportation and Development Sec. Eric Kalivoda, Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner and other officials to sign a development agreement that will advance the return of intercity passenger rail service between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, La.

The agreement, signed at New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal, “is a breakthrough for a project that has roots in 2008, when the idea was introduced through a concept study,” officials said. According to the agreement, passenger service could start as early as 2027.

According to officials, Amtrak will use Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) and CN rights-of-way located along the I-10 corridor that are one of three routes connecting New Orleans and Baton Rouge. The CPKC/CN tracks, Amtrak says, were chosen because they were “the most direct and had less conflict with freight transportation.” The CPKC New Orleans Subdivision (former KCS) accounts for most of the routing. Trains, after traversing a short distance on CPKC’s Baton Rouge Subdivision (former KCS) would connect with CN’s McComb Subdivision at New Orleans Junction to reach New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal..."

https://www.railwayage.com/passenger...vice-advances/

This is of course welcome news, but it's something CPKC had already agreed to as a condition of their merger. Note this is only an operating agreement - there is still no funding for the many capital needs here, from big tickets like replacing the Spillway bridge to simply building station platforms in each of the towns and cities.

Having the operating agreement, of course, should help Louisiana win the competitive grant funding from FRA. They want to avoid a repeat of the New Orleans-Mobile debacle where the funding was in place, but Amtrak wasted years in court and in STB hearings fighting CSX. If/when the funding is awarded, they can start work immediately.

On the other hand, the political angle here isn't great. There's a good chance that the new Gov Landry kills the project again, just like Bobby Jindal did 15 years ago. And there isn't much upside for the Biden administration to send a bunch of rail money to a deep red state that consistently votes for Republicans at the national level. In fact, if Landry kills the project then it turns into an embarrassment for Biden, just like it did for Obama.

Lastly - I think there is a minimum threshold you need to offer on services like this. NOLA-BR already enjoys a direct interstate connection and bus service. One train/day is miserable and might be worse than nothing at all. We can look at successful new rail services like TriRail, FrontRunner, TRE, SunRail, and failed services like Music City Star and Northstar. The key is having a reasonable frequency throughout the day.