North Carolina NCDOT-Amtrak Piedmont Service

Two and a half weeks away from March 1. New train isn't loaded into the system.

Sometime this year is what I keep hearing. State budget is in rough shape. I am sure they are holding any deployment date close to the vest due to the possibility that the General Assembly could trim their budget again at any time.

Discouraging? Yes. Wise in terms of managing expectations with the general public who does not follow rail service deployment closely? Also Yes.

According to local news sources the midday Piedmont (3rd RGH-CLT frequency) will start rolling June 5th. I think the 4th frequency between RGH and CLT is expected to begin in 2012.

New train has been loaded into the system!

There will be 2 "special" trains operated on June 4th from Raleigh and Charlotte, meeting in Greensboro for the usual speech making, back slapping, refreshments, etc. My contacts indicate that there will be about 200 invitees on each train. Governor is expected in Greensboro, though I don't know if she is taking the train. Amtrak brass down from DC and Philly, too.

Regular scheduled service will indeed start on the 5th.

It is now the end of July, What's the scoop with the former GO F59ph's? (NCDOT 1810 & 1859)

Scotty Burkhardt wrote:It is now the end of July, What's the scoop with the former GO F59ph's? (NCDOT 1810 & 1859)

I'll admit I don't know what the NCDOT's time line is for the locomotives you asked about.
TRE bought three Go F59PHs too, last year. They're just now getting refurbished.
I wouldn't necessarily expect the NCDOT locomotives to be ready for service until sometime next year.
Of course, I could be wrong. But, you can't always get what you want when you want it. It usually takes a little bit of time to get things done properly.

Since June 5, the Piedmont has been making two round trips per day, plus the one round trip by the Carolina.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFmguWnfB0s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JoNO_RB ... re=related

Since the train crashing into a truck earlier this year, some Piedmont trains have had to borrow a few Amfleet cars, as this video shows.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnK1qiS2oeE

electricron wrote: Since the train crashing into a truck earlier this year, some Piedmont trains have had to borrow a few Amfleet cars, as this video shows.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnK1qiS2oeE

Well, that's a unique consist! Any word on whether the damaged rolling stock will be repaired?

The new train is off to a good start; ridership in July 2010 was 15,426 versus 5,258 in July 2009. That's right, ridership *tripled* with the addition of the midday train, although the press release doesn't mention what happened to Carolinian ridership. We'll see if that holds up, but it goes a long way to making the Piedmont (always a laggard in my view) a more respectable service. Link to the NCDOT Press Release is here:

https://apps.dot.state.nc.us/pio/releas ... spx?r=3893

mkellerm wrote:The new train is off to a good start; ridership in July 2010 was 15,426 versus 5,258 in July 2009. That's right, ridership *tripled* with the addition of the midday train, although the press release doesn't mention what happened to Carolinian ridership. We'll see if that holds up, but it goes a long way to making the Piedmont (always a laggard in my view) a more respectable service. Link to the NCDOT Press Release is here:

https://apps.dot.state.nc.us/pio/releas ... spx?r=3893

Shouldn't be surprised at the numbers increase. Same thing happened in Illinois, and it's a known fact that frequency of service--not speed--is a better builder of ridership.

Here's the 5:30 pm train at High Point yesterday.

jmeechum wrote:Here's the 5:30 pm train at High Point yesterday.

Wow, they removed the F59's fiberglass nose shroud and painted the structure underneath?! Odd...

Its a home made nose, to replace those damaged in wrecks. When the F-59's were delivered they each came with an extra fiberglass nose, but over the years those have been "used up". My contact at NCDOT Rail says that new ones have been ordered but the lead time between order and delivery is almost a year, hence the home made job. Its called the "Darth Vader" nose.

Makes sense...any word on whether the GP40 in that recent collision/derailment will be repaired?

75 hit a dump truck yesterday in Morrisville. Luckily nobody was hurt. Also luckily, it was a dime-a-dozen P42 rather than one of NCDOT's locomotives.

Speaking of High Point, I've always wondered if there is room for a third track in the trench. Even looks like there's a short side platform in the background there that could serve a future track down there. As I recall, Eyeballing it I'd say the trench was probably designed to accommodate three tracks, an island platform, and a side platform. I also seem to recall a stairway and and space for an elevator leading down to that side platform from the station. Does anybody know for sure though?