Re: Amtrak in Virginia updates (and other transportation)
PostPosted:Mon Jan 31, 2022 9:06 pm
Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Mon Jan 31, 2022 8:54 am Finally, could we clarify that the Commonwealth only bought the VGN West of Roanoke to Christiansburg (closer to VPI than where the N&W runs)? To the East of Roanoke, NS uses both the VGN and N&W as "one-way roads" to the Tidewater.Not as much these days. Both are bidirectional CTC with sidings. Both are cleared for intermodal. Intermodal and manifest can run on either. Traffic coming on/off the Southern to the South tends to run on the Virginian. Coal still tends to follow loads->VGN, empties->N&W
kitchin wrote:CSX is limited by its lease agreement in how many trains per month it can send back via the BBRR. It can send empties back via James River.
CSX does the same thing in Virginia for Newport News. Full cars along the James River line, empties along the so-called Buckingham Branch through Doswell.
orulz wrote:Sections will be upgraded from 70 mph running to 90 mph running. Refer to the Final Environmental Impact Statement on the DC2RVA site.
Looking at those maps, here's my takeaways.
Some of them are duplicates, or near-duplicates of your observations.
- It does not mention anything about a speed limit for DRPT's tracks. It even specifically calls out "High or Higher Speed Passenger Rail" as possibilities. It does mention that DRPT tracks in the RF&P right-of-way would be subject to CSX Operating Rules (link: http://www.chartertoconductor.com/wp-co ... e-Book.pdf) but as far as I can tell there's no restriction on speeds for passenger-only tracks, even when they're next to freight tracks. I could be missing something, but I'm hopeful!
[*]Also, I see nothing that would prohibit DRPT from installing overhead catenary wire to electrify their tracks. Again, could be missing something, but I'm hopeful!Nothing will change in Ashland or elsewhere, it will still be a 2/3/4 track mixed freight and passenger railway under CSX dispatch with an increased volume of passenger trains. The only difference is there are going to be extra tracks to park freights north of Ashland while waiting for any bottlenecks to clear. And now VA has equal say in how the line runs along with CSX.
[*]There appear to be no third- or fourth- passenger tracks provisioned anywhere, for higher speed passenger trains (eg Amtrak, SEHSR) to overtake slower ones (eg VRE). I guess if DRPT wants to do this, they will be up to their own devices to widen the right-of-way to make enough space for it.
[...]
[*]What they propose for Ashland is that DRPT gets one track and CSXT gets the other. I'm not sure whether this is better or worse than the current situation with shared freight/passenger on a two track RR.