Moderators: GirlOnTheTrain, Amtrak67 of America, Tadman, gprimr1
deathtopumpkins wrote:Roanoke Rapids is a decent-sized town, and as someone else mentioned it's right at the intersection of I-95 and US 158, meaning you'll likely get people driving in from surrounding towns (e.g. Emporia, Murfreesboro, Ahoskie, Warrenton, Norlina, maybe even Henderson).
I'd wonder if there'd be more retiring Northeast Corridor folks who'd consider retiring to small-town life along US 158 if they knew they had 4 trains a day to DC/PA/NJ/NY?Bob Roberts wrote:However, the whole [Weldon] area is loosing population so its certainly not going to get any busier.
Bob Roberts wrote:Also the S-line reconstruction will add a station in Henderson, which will soak up most of the potential riders from the west. If you go east of Murfeesboro you start to see people gravitating towards Norfolk. I just don't see much benefit in return for the extra 5 minutes added to the timetable.
east point wrote:Suspect NC DOT will not consider Weldon until Carolinian can be lengthened. That of course depends on The storage area getting complete in CLT to allow storage of longer trains. Then of course that old bug a boo getting more cars for the train. To complicate the equation Amtrak may require another loco. Link to Amtrak's loco requirements.
https://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/132/985/Am ... -Guide.pdf
I had heard the new acquisitions were intended to be parts cars for the existing fleet -- no rebuilds are planned). They plan to store the cars on Carolina Southern tracks near Zebulon I believe.
Unfortunately I can't remember where I had heard that so take it fwiw.
MattW wrote:I thought the Class 1s had nixed this because of fouling the diamond or something for too long. Am I way off?
Bob Roberts wrote:Unfortunately I don't have any info about the agreement between NCDOT and NS to access the new facility -- the 1.5 (ish) miles between the end of the state-owned NCRR (a bit South of the current Charlotte station) and the layover facility are on NS trackage. This will be the only portion of the Piedmont route to use NS tracks. NS has been somewhat intransigent with NCDOT (IMO) about trackage rights in the Charlotte area, I believe they are using access to their network as a lever for negotiating a new lease on the NCRR tracks which they use as a main between Greensboro and Charlotte. Given NS's posture, I strongly suspect that Gateway station track work will include a new track on NS property for passenger equipment between the end of the NCRR and the storage facility (Gateway station lies in the middle of this section).
Bob Roberts wrote:Combined with the new Raleigh station (sometime 2018), a new Charlotte station (track work is underway but open date is still unknown), a new Charlotte service yard (phase one as early as next month) and timekeeping improvements (thanks to double-track) we should see substantial ridership gains over the next few years.