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  #1521  
Old Posted Sep 20, 2020, 6:46 PM
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NC gets federal grant to buy corridor for Raleigh-Richmond high-speed rail

https://www.newsobserver.com/news/lo...245841010.html

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- The effort to establish high-speed passenger rail service between Raleigh and Richmond, Virginia, got a boost Friday with a $47.5 million federal grant to the N.C. Department of Transportation. The money will allow the state to buy a rail line between Raleigh and Ridgeway, near the Virginia state line, from freight railroad CSX. The grant was announced late Friday by Democratic Reps. David Price and G.K. Butterfield and both of North Carolina’s Republican U.S. senators, Richard Burr and Thom Tillis. North Carolina and Virginia have been planning for high-speed passenger trains through the two states since 1992 and have long coveted access to CSX’s so-called S-line between Raleigh and Petersburg.

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  #1522  
Old Posted Sep 21, 2020, 12:26 PM
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Originally Posted by M II A II R II K View Post
NC gets federal grant to buy corridor for Raleigh-Richmond high-speed rail.
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/lo...245841010.html
A sentence contained within the news report,
"The state’s long-term plans for rail service include passenger trains capable of going 110 mph between Raleigh and Richmond on the S-line."

Again, we see 110 mph maximum speeds being reported as high speed rail.
America's definition for HSR is lower than what most of the world defines.
The metric world defines HSR as 200 kph (125 mph) on preexisting railroad corridors, and 250 kph (150 mph) on brand new alignments.
America's 110 mph for HSR is lacking.
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  #1523  
Old Posted Sep 21, 2020, 1:45 PM
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  #1524  
Old Posted Sep 21, 2020, 8:15 PM
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Texas Central Railroad received a positive Record Of Decision and approval from the FRA for the Japanese alternate control systems today. This means they can start building the Dallas to Houston HSR project once they have raised the money to pay for it.

Dream big, not small!
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  #1525  
Old Posted Sep 21, 2020, 9:37 PM
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Originally Posted by electricron View Post
A sentence contained within the news report,
"The state’s long-term plans for rail service include passenger trains capable of going 110 mph between Raleigh and Richmond on the S-line."

Again, we see 110 mph maximum speeds being reported as high speed rail.
America's definition for HSR is lower than what most of the world defines.
The metric world defines HSR as 200 kph (125 mph) on preexisting railroad corridors, and 250 kph (150 mph) on brand new alignments.
America's 110 mph for HSR is lacking.
I'm guessing there are high regulatory requirements that kick in between Class 6 (110mph) and Class 7 (125mph) which is why we have seen few states choose this route. I don't know all the particulars of FRA regulations but it looks like Class 7 requires more frequent inspections and a much more complicated system at grade crossings.

Given how badly grade crossings screwed up Denver's new commuter system, this might be the reason states are hesitant to do 125mph, or part of the reason. (Granted, part of Denver's issue involved electrification, which would not be in place on the S-Line).

At least the new Charger locos are theoretically capable of regular service at 125mph, although there are no tracks on which they can go that fast.
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  #1526  
Old Posted Sep 22, 2020, 1:11 AM
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I'm guessing there are high regulatory requirements that kick in between Class 6 (110mph) and Class 7 (125mph) which is why we have seen few states choose this route. I don't know all the particulars of FRA regulations but it looks like Class 7 requires more frequent inspections and a much more complicated system at grade crossings.

Given how badly grade crossings screwed up Denver's new commuter system, this might be the reason states are hesitant to do 125mph, or part of the reason. (Granted, part of Denver's issue involved electrification, which would not be in place on the S-Line).

At least the new Charger locos are theoretically capable of regular service at 125mph, although there are no tracks on which they can go that fast.
You are on to something there why 110 mph is so popular proposal as the highest speeds on existing railroad corridors in the USA. One of the key requirements is full isolation, quad gates at all public and private at grade crossings for speeds faster than 110 mph. Most of these existing rail corridors proponents wish to upgrade are in rural areas where every farm and ranch has its own private crossing or two. Few farmers or ranchers can afford a half million dollars to instal quad gates for their private crossings, therefore few government agencies propose it.
Never-the-less, 110 mph maximum speeds is not considered HSR in the rest of the world.
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  #1527  
Old Posted Sep 24, 2020, 7:59 AM
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Amtrak Alstom Avelia Liberty (New Acela 21) Night Testing On The Northeast Corridor (9/23-9/24 2020)

Video Link
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  #1528  
Old Posted Nov 15, 2020, 4:55 PM
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https://www.yahoo.com/news/biden-pro...134400412.html
Biden promised a 'railroad revolution' that could see faster trains and a return to Amtrak's nostalgic past — here's what Americans might see
  • President-elect Joe Biden is expected to be a friend to Amtrak following decades of loyal ridership during his time in the US Senate.
  • A Biden presidency could finally see funding for new tunnels under the Hudson River, a project defunded by the Trump administration.
  • An expansion of high-speed rail is also on the table as Biden seeks clean energy solutions for transportation.

Click article for more
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  #1529  
Old Posted Nov 17, 2020, 6:33 AM
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Originally Posted by Nexis4Jersey View Post
Amtrak Alstom Avelia Liberty (New Acela 21) Night Testing On The Northeast Corridor (9/23-9/24 2020)

Video Link
We have to deal with that and call it high speed? We are 30 years behind the rest of the world. Obama tried HSR with both houses of congress .

Nothing major came out of it. How would anyone expect anything less than nothing at this point with a split congress.


Meanwhile i will share what HSR means to me at least.






Video Link


We cant even do what Japan did in 1964

Video Link




We cant even do what Japan did in 1964

Think about that for a moment, just imagine how far we are behind and never will even reach tech from almost 60 years ago today.



Think about that.



Japan on just one sample of their slowest and oldest train plan.

They move over 1 million people a day. Out of Tokyo every three mins in peak time.


It has has thus far Moved over 10 Billion people

without one single casualty

That last post is another reason it will not happen in the USA.

Distances are too long and our opposition parties are just too radical not to derail it out of a religious war or a singular weirdo or anything really. Japans safety record is due to its homogeneity and other national issues ...

Last edited by bnk; Nov 17, 2020 at 6:52 AM.
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  #1530  
Old Posted Nov 17, 2020, 6:56 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by UrbanImpact View Post
https://www.yahoo.com/news/biden-pro...134400412.html
Biden promised a 'railroad revolution' that could see faster trains and a return to Amtrak's nostalgic past — here's what Americans might see
  • President-elect Joe Biden is expected to be a friend to Amtrak following decades of loyal ridership during his time in the US Senate.
  • A Biden presidency could finally see funding for new tunnels under the Hudson River, a project defunded by the Trump administration.
  • An expansion of high-speed rail is also on the table as Biden seeks clean energy solutions for transportation.

Click article for more

Like I posted before, If BHO could not expand or even get anything really done controlling both houses and 8 years of being one of the Best and well liked POTUS in modern history.


So how is Harris Biden going to do anything more that what BHO had to deal with.



Well were waaaaaiting...

As a child of the 70's I miss Ted Knight.


Video Link


For your answer on this said topic.

Last edited by bnk; Nov 17, 2020 at 7:07 AM.
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  #1531  
Old Posted Nov 17, 2020, 1:39 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bnk View Post
Like I posted before, If BHO could not expand or even get anything really done controlling both houses and 8 years of being one of the Best and well liked POTUS in modern history.


So how is Harris Biden going to do anything more that what BHO had to deal with.



Well were waaaaaiting...

As a child of the 70's I miss Ted Knight.



For your answer on this said topic.
All we can do is wait as he isn't the president till January, but, one of his central platforms is build back better since our country has sat here rotting so there's that.
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  #1532  
Old Posted Nov 17, 2020, 11:58 PM
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It's not the Obama administration anymore, though. Getting stuff through Congress may be difficult but I think McConnell may be more willing to play ball with, let's face it, a white president over a black one. Biden is also far more adept at Senate culture and procedures than Obama ever was.

Transportation also benefits from being a less politicized issue than many others - most Dems and Republicans agree on the need for more investment, they just disagree on the specifics. It's also not something most people are passionate about, like healthcare or immigration, which could work to Biden's advantage. And there is an urgent need for stimulus after Covid, which always helps to move big spending packages.

Transportation is actually poor stimulus since nothing is ever truly "shovel-ready" in this country, but it impresses voters who might otherwise be skeptical of new spending.
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  #1533  
Old Posted Nov 18, 2020, 2:30 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ardecila View Post
It's not the Obama administration anymore, though. Getting stuff through Congress may be difficult but I think McConnell may be more willing to play ball with, let's face it, a white president over a black one. Biden is also far more adept at Senate culture and procedures than Obama ever was.

Transportation also benefits from being a less politicized issue than many others - most Dems and Republicans agree on the need for more investment, they just disagree on the specifics. It's also not something most people are passionate about, like healthcare or immigration, which could work to Biden's advantage. And there is an urgent need for stimulus after Covid, which always helps to move big spending packages.

Transportation is actually poor stimulus since nothing is ever truly "shovel-ready" in this country, but it impresses voters who might otherwise be skeptical of new spending.
Aren't the gateway tunnels under the Hudson River and northeast corridor improvements (Acela track improvements) shovel ready, meaning they've had their necessary impact studies done?
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  #1534  
Old Posted Nov 19, 2020, 4:22 PM
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Aren't the gateway tunnels under the Hudson River and northeast corridor improvements (Acela track improvements) shovel ready, meaning they've had their necessary impact studies done?
Absolutely not. Environmental studies are only the first step. The engineering on these large projects by itself costs hundreds of millions (it shouldn't, but that's another story). Even if magically the full funding for Gateway appeared tomorrow, it would still take them 1-2 years on an expedited schedule to finish the engineering/design work and another 1-2 years to fully bid the project and get shovels in the ground. The construciton itself would probably take 5 years of work or possibly longer if Penn South is included. This isn't a hypothetical, East Side Access has been under construction for 13 years and still isn't done.

Committing billions of dollars now, only to see benefits in 10 years or more, is the opposite of stimulus. That doesn't mean we shouldn't embark on these projects, of course... but unless the government radically changes the way these projects are done, they are totally ineffective as short-term stimulus.
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  #1535  
Old Posted Nov 19, 2020, 4:46 PM
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Originally Posted by ardecila View Post
Absolutely not. Environmental studies are only the first step. The engineering on these large projects by itself costs hundreds of millions (it shouldn't, but that's another story). Even if magically the full funding for Gateway appeared tomorrow, it would still take them 1-2 years on an expedited schedule to finish the engineering/design work and another 1-2 years to fully bid the project and get shovels in the ground. The construciton itself would probably take 5 years of work or possibly longer if Penn South is included. This isn't a hypothetical, East Side Access has been under construction for 13 years and still isn't done.

Committing billions of dollars now, only to see benefits in 10 years or more, is the opposite of stimulus. That doesn't mean we shouldn't embark on these projects, of course... but unless the government radically changes the way these projects are done, they are totally ineffective as short-term stimulus.
Possibly the worst aspect of a Biden presidency is that Penn South is going to get funded. Somehow they'll do that but not the Baltimore tunnel.
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  #1536  
Old Posted Nov 20, 2020, 5:40 PM
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let's face it, a white president over a black one.
Seriously?
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  #1537  
Old Posted Nov 20, 2020, 8:32 PM
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Seriously?
Seriously?

McConnell may not be a bigot personally but he's the legislative head of a party that treated Obama like shit and some of that absolutely had to do with what their base wanted because they are in large part driven by racial resentment. Are you currently awake? Like daily?
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  #1538  
Old Posted Nov 21, 2020, 3:43 PM
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Seriously?

McConnell may not be a bigot personally but he's the legislative head of a party that treated Obama like shit and some of that absolutely had to do with what their base wanted because they are in large part driven by racial resentment. Are you currently awake? Like daily?

The obstruction of the Obama administration's high speed rail program (especially in Wisconsin and Ohio) had nothing whatsoever to do with race and class - rather it was to prevent a political opponent from accomplishing something. Same with the Affordable Care Act - it has been endlessly attacked because it is a D legacy even though it was modeled after a Republican plan. If a Republican had passed it - in fact Mitt Romney did sign the passage of its prototype in Massachusetts - then it would have been "good".

It goes both ways. Obstructionism and demagoguery have been around since Ancient Greece. It'll never disappear. It's how people are.
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  #1539  
Old Posted Nov 22, 2020, 5:49 PM
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I hate to hijack this thread, but since it's gone all political, perhaps it's all for the best.

I had no idea what the Penn South project was, and after researching it, I can't say I'm very impressed. But I also stumbled on something called the Hudson Terminal plan proposed by a group called RealTransit, and I have to say their arguments are very convincing, and I wanted to hear what this forum's opinions are.

Basically, the project proposes extending the NJT tracks from Hoboken Terminal under the Hudson River in a new 4-track tunnel to a new 'Hudson Terminal', which will be built on reclaimed land on the riverbank.

I can't seem to get their pictures to post directly in this thread, but the diagrams they use are very professional. I highly recommend you follow the link and click through all four posts they've made about their plan.

Some highlights:
  • Construction of the new tunnel - using prefabricated segments floated into place before being sunk into a dredged trench - will be cheaper than boring new tunnels next to the existing ones. It will also cause less disruption to existing rail services.
  • The NJT rail network is already configured to favor Hoboken Terminal. But because passengers prefer a one-seat ride (as the should!), a lot of trains divert into Penn Station instead.
  • Long Island Railroad has spent an enormous amount of time on the east-side-access project, which will link LIRR trains to Grand Central Terminal. By having two terminal locations, capacity has been essentially doubled. The Hudson Terminal project will create a similar situation for NJT.
  • By rerouting most NJT trains to the Hudson Terminal, Penn station will have more capacity for Amtrak service, even with just the two tunnels they have now. (Those will need to be repaired, but not replaced.)
  • Connections to existing subway lines will be fairly straight forward for the location they propose for the Hudson Terminal.
  • Building the Hudson Terminal on reclaimed land will require no demolition of existing private property.

And the list goes on. I think it is a worthy project. Why hasn't this gained more traction?
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  #1540  
Old Posted Nov 23, 2020, 5:17 AM
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Because the existing Hudson tubes already desperately need refurbishment and Gateway is supposed to provide a alternate route for trains while this work is ongoing.

A tunnel from Hoboken would help (some) NJT lines but would not be useful for Amtrak. And that is the other reason - an NJT-only project has to compete for transit funds whereas a tunnel that Amtrak will use can be funded from intercity rail funds, maybe even justify a dedicated appropriation from Congress based on its “national importance”.
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