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Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.

Moderators: GirlOnTheTrain, mtuandrew, Tadman

 #762623  by Lackawanna565
 
I read somewhere that Amtrak might buy tilting trains for the keystone corridor. I can't fine the article now. Just probably a idea and that's how far it most likely go.
 #762651  by Suburban Station
 
Lackawanna565 wrote:I read somewhere that Amtrak might buy tilting trains for the keystone corridor. I can't fine the article now. Just probably a idea and that's how far it most likely go.
IF California and florida don't hog all the money and the Keystone gets the money to upgrade to 125, replace interlockings and signalling, i might really start to make sense.
 #762684  by hi55us
 
Lackawanna565 wrote:I read somewhere that Amtrak might buy tilting trains for the keystone corridor. I can't fine the article now. Just probably a idea and that's how far it most likely go.
would that be something that the state buys? My guess is that PDOT doesn't have the $$$ for them.
 #763069  by Nasadowsk
 
Would be better to use it as a test case for an Acela/ Regional replacement. It's questionable just how much time savings would be with tilt, given that the FRA won't allow the Acelas to run around curves at speeds that (actually) require tilt, anyway. Once you start seeing 9 inches unbalance allowed, tilt makes sense from a timetable standpoint. But at 6-7, it's a $200 amusement park ride.
 #764315  by jp1822
 
Suburban Station wrote:well, it appears the only ARRA funded improvements will be the elimination of the final three grade crossings.
They should have coupled this with putting in high level platforms along the Keystone route, as this has been known to "speed up" the boarding and de-boarding process, thereby accumulating time to shave a few minutes, at least off the route. This would have also put the Keystone Corridor in line with the NEC with being a more handicap accessible railroad.
 #764394  by mkellerm
 
jp1822 wrote:They should have coupled this with putting in high level platforms along the Keystone route, as this has been known to "speed up" the boarding and de-boarding process, thereby accumulating time to shave a few minutes, at least off the route. This would have also put the Keystone Corridor in line with the NEC with being a more handicap accessible railroad.
Pennsylvania didn't ask for high-level platforms as separate projects, which is why they aren't getting any (at this point). PA made two project requests:

* Eliminating the remaining grade crossings between Phila and Harrisburg
* Planning study for Keystone West

Both of those requests were funded. PA also made three corridor requests:

* Rebuilding interlockings between Phila and Harrisburg, rebuild 3rd track, and add high-levels at Ardmore and Exton.
* Reinstituting service between NY and Scranton
* The Pittsburgh commuter mag-lev

All of these were rejected (thankfully in relation to the maglev). I expect the Keystone East improvements will be funded at some point (maybe even this year), but PA may have made a strategic mistake in not submitting some of the components as Track 1 projects.
 #764413  by jp1822
 
mkellerm wrote:
jp1822 wrote:They should have coupled this with putting in high level platforms along the Keystone route, as this has been known to "speed up" the boarding and de-boarding process, thereby accumulating time to shave a few minutes, at least off the route. This would have also put the Keystone Corridor in line with the NEC with being a more handicap accessible railroad.
Pennsylvania didn't ask for high-level platforms as separate projects, which is why they aren't getting any (at this point). PA made two project requests:

* Eliminating the remaining grade crossings between Phila and Harrisburg
* Planning study for Keystone West

Both of those requests were funded. PA also made three corridor requests:

* Rebuilding interlockings between Phila and Harrisburg, rebuild 3rd track, and add high-levels at Ardmore and Exton.
* Reinstituting service between NY and Scranton
* The Pittsburgh commuter mag-lev

All of these were rejected (thankfully in relation to the maglev). I expect the Keystone East improvements will be funded at some point (maybe even this year), but PA may have made a strategic mistake in not submitting some of the components as Track 1 projects.
Ok - then they should have made a request to get high level platofrm in place from Philly to Harrisburg..... This coupled with the grade elimination process, would make sense for high speed Keystone Corridor Service.
 #764461  by j653
 
This article (http://articles.lancasteronline.com/local/4/248033) includes comments from PennDOT.
Long-term plans call for upgrading interconnecting switches, signaling and traffic control on the line. Those changes, expected to cost an additional $490 million, would allow trains to travel at 125 mph, said Rich Kirkpatrick, state Transportation Department spokesman.

"The primary goal is to reduce travel time," Kirkpatrick said. "Even though it is a 110 mph corridor, they have to slow down dramatically when they hit those switches," he said of the trains.

...There is no timetable to do the switching and signaling work, he acknowledged. Stimulus funding is only paying $2 million for planning.
On hi-level platforms, Elizabethtown is currently undergoing renovations. High-level platforms are part of the plan. And the renovations are being paid for by ARRA funds, though not from the HSR basket. I believe Paoli and Ardmore have hi-level platforms plans in the works.
 #764567  by Suburban Station
 
Middletown is in the planning stage
http://planthekeystone.typepad.com/plan ... lowup.html

the requests included a lot, I think excluding stations that amount was ~$280-300. would have built a modern railroad
Improvements to Interlockings - Interlockings are intermediate locations where trains can change tracks to avoid congestion or divert around obstructions

Reactivation of an Existing Express/3rd Track from the Paoli Station to the Atglen Interlocking

Rehabilitation of the Overhead Electrical Lines (catenary and transmission lines)

Automatic Block Signaling and Centralized Control from Lancaster (Cork interlocking) to Philadelphia (Zoo-JO interlocking)

Relocation of the Electrical Substation at the Paoli Station (existing building to remain intact)

Construction of high-level, ADA-accessible platforms at the Exton Station

Upgrades to the Ardmore Station
http://www.planthekeystone.com/highspeedrail.html
Pa. left at the station for high-speed funds
By Paul Nussbaum

Inquirer Staff Writer

President Obama yesterday revealed his plans to spend $8 billion on high-speed rail projects heralded as the start of a new era in American transportation, but Pennsylvania's share will be only a tiny fraction of that amount.
Pennsylvania's $25.6 million - or 0.3 percent of the total - will go to improving the Philadelphia-Harrisburg "Keystone Corridor," which carries 14 Amtrak round trips a day, and $750,000 to studying expansion of passenger service between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, where one Amtrak train operates daily in each direction.
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20 ... funds.html
 #766229  by Suburban Station
 
...When — and if — the switches and signaling upgrades are made, train travel time from Lancaster to Harrisburg would be cut in half, from 30 minutes to 15, Kirkpatrick said...
Travel time from Lancaster to Philadelphia would be reduced by 10 minutes, from an hour to 50 minutes, he said.

There is no timetable to do the switching and signaling work, he acknowledged. Stimulus funding is only paying $2 million for planning.

The stimulus funds, however, are fully paying for the construction of a bridge that will allow Eby Chiques Road, between Mount Joy Borough and Rapho Township, to cross over the Amtrak line.
...
Preliminary engineering work for the project is nearly complete, and final design work is expected to be done in September. With that timetable, construction likely would begin early next year and take about two years.

Kirkpatrick said the project is being accelerated. He expects construction to begin by the end of this summer and the overpass to be open by summer 2012.

Kirkpatrick said there are similar timetables for the rerouting projects.

One of those is Irishtown Road, in East Lampeter and Leacock townships. Plans call for that crossing to be closed and parallel connector roads to be built on both the north and south sides of the Amtrak line, Royer said.

That project is expected to cost $4.2 million, Kirkpatrick said.

The other road to be rerouted is Newcomer Road, in Rapho Township and Mount Joy Borough. Newcomer Road would be blocked at the railroad tracks, Royer said. To compensate for the break in the road network, plans call for extending East Donegal Road parallel to the the rail line, between South Jacob Street and Longenecker Road, Royer said.

That project is expected to cost $1.4 million, Kirkpatrick said.

Stimulus funding coming to Pennsylvania also includes $750,000 to do a preliminary study of the improvements needed to lengthen the high-speed rail line from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh.

Ridership on the eastern end of the Keystone Corridor increased by more than 30 percent, to 1.2 million, between 2006 and 2009, after Amtrak and the commonwealth completed $145.5 million in improvements that helped to boost train speeds from 90 mph to 110 mph, PennDOT reported.

Along with the stimulus money going for the at-grade crossings, Royer said the ongoing $8.5 million renovation of Lancaster's Amtrak station and the $9.4 million upgrade of the Elizabethtown Amtrak station are both being paid for with stimulus funds. Those station renovation projects are expected to be completed late this year or early in 2011, he said.

"Things are coming together," Royer said of the Keystone Corridor.
http://articles.lancasteronline.com/local/4/248033

it sounds like they expect 25 min of improvements. 15 min to harrisburg is a huge improvement. of course, the keyword is IF
 #766278  by mkellerm
 
MudLake wrote:Sounds like "new math" to me. The timetable claims 36 miles from Lancaster to Harrisburg which would make an average speed of 144 mph if traversed in 15 minutes.
My understanding is that the switching and signal upgrades would reduce the total time between Harrisburg and Philadelphia by 15 minutes. Someone obviously got their wires crossed.
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