Anacostia light rail project

[BaltOhio]

I've tried this question on the Washington Metrorail board with no real result, but maybe I'll catch somebody different here. My question is, is any work actually being done on the long-promised Anacostia light rail line? There was a groundbreaking ceremony a while back, and the cars (built in Ostrava in the Czech Republic) have been completed for some time. But other news seems nonexistent.

[CarterB]

Fairly recent article on Anacostia LRT: http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=1414

[BaltOhio]

Thanks for the link -- a fascinating, if frustrating discussion. The bottom line, I guess, is that everybody is still arguing and nothing concrete is happening. Sigh...

[jhdeasy]

I was curious about progress on this project, so I drove over to southeast Washington DC one afternoon last week for a look.

New track has been laid down for a distance of about three city blocks, from the vicinity of the Anacostia Metro station southwest along Firth Stirling Avenue to South Capitol Street outside the perimeter fence of Naval Station Anacostia. Workmen were on site, working various tasks. I did not see any catenary support structures.

Here is some additional information on the District of Columbia Department of Transportation website:
http://ddot.dc.gov/ddot/cwp/view,a,1250 ... 34060|.asp

Phase I, currently underway, appears to be construction of the Operations & Maintenance Facility at 2750 South Capitol Street, laying about 0.75 miles of track and repaving Firth Stirling Avenue.

The FAQ section of the website indicates initial revenue service will be late 2012.

[Aa3rt]

Some recent construction photos from a friend who lives in Alexandria, VA...

http://fullertography.blogspot.com/

[jhdeasy]

The Phase 1 line in Anacostia strikes me as "A short line from nowhere to nowhere thru the middle of nowhere." The only positive thing I can say is that it may allow some folks to ride a few blocks on a streetcar, rather than walk a few blocks, to/from the Anacostia Metrorail station. The Metrorail station appears to be the only traffic generator on that line.

[hutton_switch]

The only positive thing I can say is that it may allow some folks to ride a few blocks on a streetcar, rather than walk a few blocks, to/from the Anacostia Metrorail station. The Metrorail station appears to be the only traffic generator on that line.

Access to the Anacostia Metrorail station is for the most part, limited to commuters arriving via private conveyances, taxis, and Metrobus due to its construction on the west side of I-295. There is little capability for commuter foot traffic to safely access the station from the Anacostia neighborhoods due to lack of decent sidewalks and crosswalks associated with I-295 and the Suitland Parkway. The light rail will help out significantly to bring in commuters from these neighborhoods.

[BaltOhio]

So as I understand it, construction has started and by 2012 some 1.5 miles will be in operation. I guess that amounts to progress in the 21st century. Too bad we're not back in those primitive pick-and-shovel days of the 1880s, when the 524-mile Nickel Plate Road was completed between Buffalo and Chicago in 18 months, start to finish. Or even in 1911-12, when the Philadelphia & Western built its Norristown extension in 15 months, including some heavy rock cutting and high fill work and that endless bridge-trestle over the Schuylkill River in 15 months. But this is, after all, Washington.

[Sand Box John]

I posted the below in the Commuter/Transit and Light Rail > Washington MetroRail Forum > Anacostia Corridor Demonstration Project thread on 11 01 2009:

DC Streetcar Project

Phase I

Phase II

Phase III

Anacostia Streetcars Construction Progress 03 2009 to present.

Reconstruction of H Street, NE Progress 11 2008 to present (Project includes the installation tracks, traction power conduits and overhead pole bases.)

Reconstruction of Benning Road NE Progress 02 2008 to present (Project includes the installation tracks, traction power conduits and overhead pole bases.)

[Sand Box John]

D.C.'s new streetcars arrive from Czech Republic

December 15, 2009 - 12:57pm
Adam Tuss, wtop.com

It is likely that only one lowboy rig will be used to transport them to Greenbelt. Expect all three of them to be at Greenbelt by the end of the week.
I predicted their arrival at The Port of Baltimore in this post at greatergreaterwashington.org

[Sand Box John]

From The District of Columbia Department of Transportation Face Book web site:


December 15, 2009, Port of Baltimore, moving towards a crane to be transferred to a truck


December 15, 2009, Port of Baltimore, Cars 902 and 903


December 15, 2009, Port of Baltimore


December 15, 2009, Port of Baltimore


December 15, 2009, Port of Baltimore, a glimpse inside


December 15, 2009, Port of Baltimore


December 15, 2009, Port of Baltimore, passengers can open the doors with the push of a button


December 15, 2009, Port of Baltimore, a close-up of one of the trucks on car 901


December 15, 2009, Port of Baltimore


December 15, 2009, Port of Baltimore, the delicate operation to transfer the vehicles from the cargo skids to flatbed trucks


December 15, 2009, Port of Baltimore


December 15, 2009, Port of Baltimore


December 15, 2009, Port of Baltimore

[BaltOhio]

thanks, John -- a nice sight, finally. I understand that they were brought out for exercise fairly faithfully in Ostrava over the past couple of years, so they should be ready for action. Now I guess we just wait until 2012 to see them again.

[Sand Box John]

"BaltOhio"
thanks, John -- a nice sight, finally. I understand that they were brought out for exercise fairly faithfully in Ostrava over the past couple of years, so they should be ready for action. Now I guess we just wait until
2012 to see them again.

You may get a chance to see them sooner then that, from District of Columbia Department of Transportation Facebook page:

It will take a few weeks to get the streetcars ready for their public debut, but soon as we can we will invite residents to come see one for themselves. For more information about the streetcar program please visit www.ddot.dc.gov/dcstreetcar.

For now they can be viewed from the shoulder of the outer loop of the Capitol Beltway MD I-95/495.

Took this one this evening, DC Streetcars parked on track 22 in Greenbelt Yard.



Never in my wildest fantasy would I have ever believed that anything other then heavy rail rapid transit cars would have found there way onto metrorail property.

[Aa3rt]

Thanks for all the great photos and keeping us updated John. Check out the link I posted earlier in this thread for some updated construction photos from John Fuller.

[Sand Box John]

"Aa3rt"
Thanks for all the great photos and keeping us updated John. Check out the link I posted earlier in this thread for some updated construction photos from John Fuller.

Can’t take credit for the Port of Baltimore pictures.

Here are a couple more night shots.





Here is the link to the pictures I took of Benning Road on 08 02 2009