by Jeff Smith
So they're talking about a "Phase IV" COVID spending bill, an infrastructure stimulus. Some numbers I've seen bandied about reach as high as $4T (that's $4,000,000,000,000). ADVISORY: the subject is NOT the efficacy, need, etc. of the stimulus, but a priority of projects.
Let's assume transit is a huge priority, including everyone's favorite intercity railroad, Amtrak. Let's say Amtrak gets funding for their ENTIRE wish list. What do you put on the wish list? As with our "Amtrak gets $2b topic", which now seems quaint, let's keep it to needed, nice to have, and so on, not fantastical ideas like the North Coast Hiawatha LOL.
Let's make it a top 10:
1. Gateway, including rehab of both existing North and East River tunnels, and Portal/4-tracking to Newark Penn. I mean, DUH!
2. Replacement/upgrade of catenary system west of NYP.
3. Widening and electrification south of Washington to Richmond, including purchase of additional fleet as required, including Avelia.
4. Upgrade of Atlantic Coast infrastructure to reduce freight interference and potential HSR along the old ACL/SCL/CSX route (the Meteor's routing) using diesel high speed equipment. Think Avelia with higher speed diesels. I'm not crazy enough to suggest electrification THAT FAR! But seriously, in 1937 the Meteor took 25 hours. Now it's what, 28? A NY - FL route that ran improved times would take a ton of cars off 95.
5. Upgrade and implementation of SEHSR over the Crescent route, including a new station in Atlanta, and bypass of Howell Junction. An additional oppositionally-scheduled frequency from ATL to NYP.
6. Improvement of the NYS Empire Corridor service.
7. An upgraded NEC inland routing, perhaps even the fantastical (okay, I'm allowing myself some leeway foaming) bypass of the coastline route between Boston and New York. Alternatively: purchase of NEC owned by MNRR and CtDOT between New Rochelle, NY and New Haven, CT with replacement of sub-standard bridges.
8. A full length restored Sunset East with additional frequencies.
9. Additional corridor services with appropriate frequencies as have been recently studied such as the Knoxville - Chattanooga (connection to Atlanta) - Nashville - Memphis kind studied by Amtrak.
10. A high(er)-speed transcon routing over the SW Chief or Texas Eagle routing, or both.
Honorable Mention: Restored LD services where they make sense. A Desert Wind? A Floridian (although likely impossible to recreate a route)? A North Coast Hiawatha (LOL)?
Let's assume transit is a huge priority, including everyone's favorite intercity railroad, Amtrak. Let's say Amtrak gets funding for their ENTIRE wish list. What do you put on the wish list? As with our "Amtrak gets $2b topic", which now seems quaint, let's keep it to needed, nice to have, and so on, not fantastical ideas like the North Coast Hiawatha LOL.
Let's make it a top 10:
1. Gateway, including rehab of both existing North and East River tunnels, and Portal/4-tracking to Newark Penn. I mean, DUH!
2. Replacement/upgrade of catenary system west of NYP.
3. Widening and electrification south of Washington to Richmond, including purchase of additional fleet as required, including Avelia.
4. Upgrade of Atlantic Coast infrastructure to reduce freight interference and potential HSR along the old ACL/SCL/CSX route (the Meteor's routing) using diesel high speed equipment. Think Avelia with higher speed diesels. I'm not crazy enough to suggest electrification THAT FAR! But seriously, in 1937 the Meteor took 25 hours. Now it's what, 28? A NY - FL route that ran improved times would take a ton of cars off 95.
5. Upgrade and implementation of SEHSR over the Crescent route, including a new station in Atlanta, and bypass of Howell Junction. An additional oppositionally-scheduled frequency from ATL to NYP.
6. Improvement of the NYS Empire Corridor service.
7. An upgraded NEC inland routing, perhaps even the fantastical (okay, I'm allowing myself some leeway foaming) bypass of the coastline route between Boston and New York. Alternatively: purchase of NEC owned by MNRR and CtDOT between New Rochelle, NY and New Haven, CT with replacement of sub-standard bridges.
8. A full length restored Sunset East with additional frequencies.
9. Additional corridor services with appropriate frequencies as have been recently studied such as the Knoxville - Chattanooga (connection to Atlanta) - Nashville - Memphis kind studied by Amtrak.
10. A high(er)-speed transcon routing over the SW Chief or Texas Eagle routing, or both.
Honorable Mention: Restored LD services where they make sense. A Desert Wind? A Floridian (although likely impossible to recreate a route)? A North Coast Hiawatha (LOL)?
Next stop, Willoughby
~el Jefe :: RAILROAD.NET Site Administrator/Co-Owner; Carman at Naugatuck Railroad
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~el Jefe :: RAILROAD.NET Site Administrator/Co-Owner; Carman at Naugatuck Railroad
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