Freight on NEC - Legitimate topic??

A poster asked a question regarding stack train operations over the NEC. The moderator lcoked the thread arguing that this was not a suitable topic for the Amtrak forum.

What say you?

I argue that it is an appropriate topic since Amtrak owns, maintains and dispatches the Northeast Corridor ROW between Washington and New Rochelle, NY, and between New Haven and Providence (I'm not clear on the status between Providence and Boston).

Since freight (and commuter) trains operate over this route, their presence impacts Amtrak operations and service and vice versa. Also given that freight traffic significantly impact Amtrak operations when running over other railroads, this is a fair topic for discussion here.

Please voice your opinions in the attached poll

The forum is AMTRAK not NS/CSX or any of the commuter carriers.
if you got legit questions about a NS freight on the NEC it belongs on NS forum.
if you got questions about NJT or Metro North it belongs on their respective forums.
remember the forum is not NEC but AMTRAK.

Amtrak is a bona fide railroad, with its own rights-of-way, infratructure and operational considerations. We frequently talk about about how CSX or UP operations can affect an Amtrak train that operates over their lines, so the converse seems fair game to my way of thinking.

Same holds true when talking about the commuter carriers who share the NEC turf with Amtrak.

My humble suggestion to the moderator would be rather to have locked the topic, it should have been moved it to the NS forum.

LI Loco, first off, as a conductor for CSXT which works on Amtrak's property, I would agree that freight questions should be in freight forums, either under the forum for the specific freight railroad, or in the Region Specific forum.

Secondly, as information for you Amtrak owns, dispatches and maintains the NEC from New Haven to Boston. (Perhaps you were uncertain about Providence to Boston due to the new contractor for MBTA commuter rail.....but they only maintain, own, and dispatch the branches, i.e Stoughton, Franklin and Needham.)

Thank you for clarifying the issue re: Providence - Boston, CSX conductor.

I agree that questions about operations of your railroad belong there. But if I have a more general question about the NEC: e.g. how much freight moves over NEC? Which RRs have trackage rights? or should Amtrak encourage additional freight business on the NEC to generate income, etc., it seems that this forum is the appropriate place for it.

CSX Conductor wrote:Secondly, as information for you Amtrak owns, dispatches and maintains the NEC from New Haven to Boston

I seem to recall reading a long time ago that the State of Massachusetts actually owns the ROW and tracks from the MA border into South Station but that Amtrak dispatches and maintains.

I agree with those that believe freight operations on the corridor belong on the Amtrak forum. Especially new moves that are being negotiated with Amtrak and would be rare or unique to the corridor.

If it runs on Amtrak it belongd on Amtrak.

I'm curious, would "Amtrak locomotives used in other places" be considered valid? I heard that on occasions VIA Rail F-40s were seen on freight trains.....I wonder if Amtrak ever did the same thing? Lending locos to freight I mean.

~Ra'akone

I voted no opinion, because there are a few direct justifications ...

If we are talking operations and dispatch of the Corridor, and late trains by Amtrak due to other folks operations, it's appropriate.

If we are talking capital repairs of the Corridor, and the fees generated by leasing dispatch slots to freight and commuter trains, it's appropriate.

If we are talking consequences of major detours and a freight train had to emergency re-route onto the Corridor, it's appropriate.

If someone is going to be a foamer and say "Gee, at MP X I saw symbol NS-XYZ with two GP-9s and 100 50' AAR boxcars and Lord Have Mercy a Caboose!", then take it to the right freight road.

YMMV.

John

I'm curious, would "Amtrak locomotives used in other places" be considered valid? I heard that on occasions VIA Rail F-40s were seen on freight trains.....I wonder if Amtrak ever did the same thing? Lending locos to freight I mean.

Yes, they did. They leased a bucnh out to SP when the mail trains were on hiatuis.

I voted "no" because, in general, this forum should be Amtrak-only. Had a category such as "sometimes" been available I would have selected that. There are a few instances, such as issues on how Amtrak and non-Amtrak trains interact and/or affect each other which would be legitimate both here and in the other related forum.

In other words, some flexibility is appropriate. Case by case judgment call.

I vote a qualified NO as well. In my opinion, it's generally more about whose train it is, rather than whose track. There will be legitimate exceptions, however, and each case will have to be decided on its own.

To add to the mix... If there were a question about a train lead by a former Amtrak F40, now owned by Railworld, leased to the Montreal Maine and Atlantic Railroad, powering a Canadian Pacific train, on CSX tracks, pulling a Union Pacific business consist, where would this belong?

If it's about the F40, then it is a legitimate question here. If it's about the UP business cars, it belongs on the UP forum.