Acela Speeds

[ApproachMedium]

You would be surprised how well all of that works now. The stops in maryland are so far apart north of baltimore where its 2 tracks, and thats ONLY for one stop, edgewood. Its not a big deal. The MP36s can only do 90, everything else now is good for 125 so with the siemens they fly. They have at least 4 electric sets in service a week it seems like now so they tend to use them a lot more for the stuff that goes all the way to perryville.

The thing with the tunnel though is that 30mph MAS in the tunnel is for everything. Once you get out of the tunnel, theres ways to pass the faster trains around the slower trains and the "delays" are all figured into the timing of the trains. Amtrak leaves, MARC follows right behind. Problem solved.

[east point]

In other words, <balmer>CAPACITY CAPACITY CAPACITY!!!</balmer>

AMEN There are reports that there are more trains PHL <> WASH now than in WW-2, That is even though there are more 3 and 4 track sections now ( not many miles ? )but not enough to allow especially Perry <> WASH to be as fluid as it was in WW-2. MD and Congress need to work on getting all mileage 4 track.

[ExCon90]

However, there was a lot of freight traffic in WWII and afterwards, including perishable hotshots--with friction journals--using the same tracks, but they managed. Of course the MAS for passenger trains was 80, a lot closer to freight-train speeds.

[ApproachMedium]

They might have more passenger trains but there was def a lot more freights and they ran all day long. Right now they only run overnight.

[daybeers]

Where are the biggest bottlenecks on NEC South?

[R36 Combine Coach]

Where are the biggest bottlenecks on NEC South?

Quite a few two track segments south of NYP: B&P Tunnels, Bush, Gunpowder, Susquehanna rivers, the entire segment between NWK and NYP (including Portal). Portal is the biggest, hundreds of trains including NJT commuters on those two tracks daily.

[ExCon90]

Scheduled stops at Trenton and Metropark don't help either considering the number of trains (including SEPTA) that have to stop there. There's also a certain amount of constriction on the 2 tracks between Wilmington and HOLLY (just south of Marcus Hook); part of that problem could be solved by a new crossover at the north end of WINE permitting a southbound move from 3 to 1. That's been needed since the island platform was raised for the Metroliners, but it never seems to make the cut when it comes to budget time. Also, I assume SEPTA, the primary beneficiary, would have to pay for it; good luck with that.

[mtuandrew]

ExCon: that would probably be a DelDOT line item, and a good grant proposal.

[STrRedWolf]

ExCon: that would probably be a DelDOT line item, and a good grant proposal.

DelDOT would be the main one. I know folks have been itching to extend MARC up to Wilmington/Newark to connect to SEPTA.

[ApproachMedium]

Just because part of the railroad has two tracks does not mean it is a "bottleneck" The only real bottlenecks right now is the lack of 3 tracks wilmington and ragan, which is hopefully going to be done in my career and The B&P tunnel when there is delays. When running normally, the B&P is scheduled well enough where its not a huge problem.

30th street can be a bottleneck for some trains. There really needs to be 3 tracks going in and out to alternate high speed/regional/long hauls based on time of day/priority. It doesnt have to be 3 tracks all the way to the 4 track section but at least something where when one train departs the other train can depart at the same time and run parallel for a short distance while the priority train gets ahead. Keeping trains moving helps them make up time or not loose time. Keeping them standing wastes time.

[RRspatch]

Where are the biggest bottlenecks on NEC South?

Between Baltimore and Washington you have to bottlenecks.

The first one is the B&P tunnel. There are plans to build a new three or four track tunnel. The three track plan would keep the B&P tunnel and single track it. The four track plan would replace it. All they need to do is find the money.

The other one isn't so much a bottleneck as it's a capacity problem. I'm referring to the entire Washington to Baltimore segment. I know this segment well as I dispatched it during my CETC 1 days. Going northbound you have two tracks (No.2 and No.3) from Washington (CP Avenue) to New Carrollton (Carroll) NOTE: there is no access to No.1 track at "Landover". From "Carroll" to "Winans" (north of BWI) you have three tracks numbered 1, 2 and 3. From "Winans" to "Bridge" (a misnamed interlocking if there ever was one) you have four tracks numbered A, 1, 2 and 3. From "Bridge" to "Charles" through the B&P tunnel you have two tracks numbered 2 and 3. The usual operating practice is to run north on A, 1 and 2 and south on 3. The problem is southbound trains all use No.3 track between Baltimore and Washington. As long as everything is on time it all works. The problem is an out of slot/late Amtrak will usually end up following a MARC local all the way to DC and getting in the process a good deal of delay. Yes you could hold the MARC local at Baltimore for the late NER or ACELA but that might/will delay the northbound MARC turn at DC which in turn will delay that sets turn at Baltimore and so on down the line (schedule cascade). Now there is a plan to extend track A from Winans down to Grove. Supposedly the EIS has been done now all they need to do is find the money. Eventually if Amtrak and MARC traffic continues to grow the fourth track will have to be extended down to Carroll/Hanson and a third track added Hanson (new interlocking that will replace Landover) to CP Avenue. None of this will be cheap.

[east point]

Our concern with the lack of 4 tracks is two fold. One is the problem when any train is not on schedule. The second is either planned or unplanned maintenance. Then when you have both at the same time ? MARC has been taking cascading delays for the past few months because of ongoing track work. Just having capacity for regular on time schedules will always hiccup when the above problems happen.

[STrRedWolf]

Our concern with the lack of 4 tracks is two fold. One is the problem when any train is not on schedule. The second is either planned or unplanned maintenance. Then when you have both at the same time ? MARC has been taking cascading delays for the past few months because of ongoing track work. Just having capacity for regular on time schedules will always hiccup when the above problems happen.

To expand on this:

You mitigate a lot of this by going four track. If an Accela or Regional is late, it's separate from MARC track. Maybe a MARC express is late, but that's it. It doesn't cascade as bad. If a track is out-of-service for any type of work, it's only one track, you have three that you can schedule around. It's not that bad of a hit.

[ApproachMedium]

Our concern with the lack of 4 tracks is two fold. One is the problem when any train is not on schedule. The second is either planned or unplanned maintenance. Then when you have both at the same time ? MARC has been taking cascading delays for the past few months because of ongoing track work. Just having capacity for regular on time schedules will always hiccup when the above problems happen.

The reason they have had problems is AMTRAK does track work like people with ADD. They start things in all kinds of different places and dont FINISH THEM. They are all over the place from NY to DC with projects right now. They drop a switch here, a switch there and quit and go on to something else. That delaware project finally got moving really good. they started doing rail replacement between davis and ragan but stopped and ran off the Maryland to do the same, as well as undercutter and TLM work. its crazy. I cant keep up with it.

They are trying to add a new interlocking near New carrolton. They dropped two crossovers and havent done anything since. They are doing work on track 1 between NCR and Odenton.

[R36 Combine Coach]

Just because part of the railroad has two tracks does not mean it is a "bottleneck" The only real bottlenecks right now is the lack of 3 tracks wilmington and ragan, which is hopefully going to be done in my career and The B&P tunnel when there is delays.

NWK-NYP is a bottleneck, especially with Midtown Direct and RVL trains now thrown in. Before 1996 there were no added trains beyond NEC and Coast Line Long Branch service.