Binghamton NY - New York City NYC Passenger Rail Discussion

At 90 or even 80 mph, however, you can't get there by car faster, which is why people have been asking what it would cost to make the upgrades. And frankly the two-hour drive is a drag.

Of course, the real point to a link along this route would be Cortland/Ithaca service, which I have a personal desire for. Given that it would reestablish a link between that population cluster and the Entire Rest of the Railway System, it might get more passengers than you think. I've done the one-hour drive from Ithaca to Syracuse, and the one to Binghamton, and the two-hour drive to Rochester. The half-hour drive to Cortland would be a godsend.

There are far more pointless services: the Ethan Allen Express, for instance, in its current super-truncated state, at its current absurdly slow speed.

Otto, I think the only way this thread would die is if you instituted mandatory drug testing before posting on it. I can't believe this> "90 or even 80 mph, however, you can't get there by car faster, which is why people have been asking what it would cost to make the upgrades. And frankly the two-hour drive is a drag."
If I drive my car 80 mph from SY to Bing I can't beat a train? I tell you what, I'll even stop and park along 81 while your in the Cortland station transfering passengers to the Ithaca service( yeah right) to make it a fair race. Cars = convenient door to door service (you people get that right?) Who's going to pick you up at the Binghamton station to take you Aunt Mable's house? She can't she's home making the gravy. IT'S NOT 1940 ANYMORE!!!!

What your not considering is the new gas prices that are coming. Or do you think we'll have 20 cent gas again like 1968, or whenever. Also as you get older your health is not that great, your reactions slower..still want to drive? Look around you, you have more and more older people all the time, want us on your road? Aunt Mable has moved downtown to the new transit apartments not far from the train station. Because of the high energy prices, the suburban houseing is a ghetto now. You see people out there, don't have to work, and pay the gas prices anymore. People don't want to be trapped in the middle of nowhere because they can't drive or pay the fuel cost. So trains and downtowns have made a big comeback. it's 2020 now. Transit ridership before the high price of gas killed the jobs (always does) was breaking records. The highway trust is about to go bankrupt again. Because people are driving less.(Government Motors is broke) The mortgage crisis was started by people who lived way out in suburbia and couldn't afford to drive to their jobs 70 miles away anymore. The cheap affordable houseing was not cheap anymore. They had nothing invested in the houses so they moved away. Properties with transit and rail service held their values better. The day of the car is not over. But the trend here is down. And with millions more driving in China and India driving the price of fuel up it isn't cheap to drive anymore. The trains are not empty anymore it's not 1960.

Oh, come on. You put so many hypotheticals in that we depart from reality. IF gas goes back up, IF we are too old to drive, IF the ghettos suddenly switch places from the inner city to suburbia, IF we all suddenly prefer taking a taxi from the rail station to destination instead of driving door to door. I AGREE!!! If we're going to create a fictional situation where autos made no sense then yes, I'd prefer rail.

I've got a long-lost ex-brother-in-law who lives somewhere out in the Kent area. Let's get government money, re-lay the west Hojack, then put in light rail to serve each farm out there! It would sure beat driving to his door!

If you are really serious about THINKING there is a big need for carrying people in that corridor, it would be far less costly to invest in a fleet of luxury buses, and maybe grant them 75 MPH on the Interstate. No, I don't really want to see this, but since we're playing "what if" I'll toss that out.

If we are to have a serious discussion of practicality that's fine. If we're going to conjure up all sorts of conditions and implausible assumptions to arrive at something that supports the desired conclusion, give it - and us - a rest!

I gave up on this thread..but it keeps coming back again and again..I will say that you will hear some BIG news on this project before long. I don't know which way the study is heading but something will come out by the end of the year. I emailed Broome county and got the information from the sources. I simple asked the question about the amtrak study and was shot down about it not happening..well it is ongoing and ready to conclude..thats a fact.
This whole debate is silly..most logical people know mass transit is a good investment. Other developing countries like China are building up railroads because of the future..gas prices and all the other reasons. Rail is a good alternative..people may not use it all the time, but its good to have..especially when there is a snow storm and cars/buses can't get through. The light rail in NJ through Jersey City and the River Line in south jersey has been successful..in terms of property rates and smart development. Transit villages are popping up all over. Hey..maybe we are heading back to a time before cars became common. Cars will always be needed, but the correct development and rebuilding cities around transit stations, might go a long way in bringing cities back and preparing for the future

By the way - the mortgage crisis was NOT started due to people in suburbia being unable to drive to their jobs. Whether you blame the government for insisting loans be made to those people who could not afford them, or you blame greed of the lenders, the lack of rail passenger service was not a factor.

What's next - blaming cancer, Alzheimer's, alcoholism, drug abuse, and the inability of the Bills to win a super bowl on insufficient passenger service?

Hey..maybe we are heading back to a time before cars became common.

Like I said - the discussion has long since departed from reality.

Nice selective quote..read the sentence right after it!

Hey..maybe we are heading back to a time before cars became common.Like I said - the discussion has long since departed from reality.

Noth Jersey wrote:" This whole debate is silly..most logical people know mass transit is a good investment. Other developing countries like China are building up railroads because of the future..

Pass Rail said:"And with millions more driving in China and India driving the price of fuel up it isn't cheap to drive anymore....."

Ok which is it guys? First, I never suggested gas will ever be 20 cents per again, I have know idea where you got that from.
Second, most logical people wouldn't make a broad over reaching statement like above. Mass trans does indeed make sense in places like Jersey, lower Ct and the greater NYC area. You can wish it till the cows come home but upstater's are NOT going to get out of their cars for a mass trans ride to Bing. Yeah I'm sure there are some (oldsters, college students) who will ride(like they do now) but hardly the numbers to justify the Billions$$$$$$$ needed to make it happen.
It's a pipe dream. As to the government promoting public transit well, they promote everything. Cash for Clunkers is sending what message to the motoring public? It's not TAKE THE TRAIN. Speaking of which I ask again what ever became of the original Cash for Clunkers? Most of you remember the 7 turbo dwarfs
that Snow Job White (Pataki) "invested" how much in? Hi Speed rail to nowhere for a line where it actually made sense to do it. It's madness.

Interesting article, but Binghamton is not Beijing. Note the phrases "connecting two of the country's most prominent economic areas" and "is being built to improve journey times and ease pressure on existing railway corridors" and "More than a quarter of the country's population lives close to the line".

Not really relevant here.

All high speed routes have connecting lines. Which Binghamton would be. With Tilt trains and small investment and connections to the west at Syracuse this route would do ok. This rail line like the highways would be very good for the towns and citys it goes thru. Youtube has vid on German Tilt Trains if anyone wants to see what I talking about. No, there's not the business for 20 trains a day anymore. But the business was always there for 2 or 3. Didn't Binghamton just lose it's air service?

OK, WHY did Binghamton just lose its air service (if that is the case)? Probably because not enough people got on board a plane at the public-funded airport to make it worthwhile. Given the cost estimates to restore passenger rail to the area, it would be cheaper to pay the airlines to fly the few affected passengers for free.

"Small investment"? They're talking about Billions before they even get started! Why would the rail line be very good for the towns and cities it goes through? If you're stopping at small towns you're killing the speed aspect. And if people can drive or take the bus there now, what will be changed by having (at great expense) a train? We just don't NEED it.

"Didn't Binghamton just lose it's air service?" Yes as did the Mohawk Valley where I live. Your making our point for us. If there was a need for air service (a growing and thriving business community) it would still exist. People are moving out of this state so the justification for an expanding passenger service is what? Who's going to pay for something that might (Chuck Schumer's exact word) bring economic expansion? No other country in the world has the
highway system we have here or the airline service either. The continued comparison to Europe and Asia is apples and oranges. I viewed Amtrak 286 today in Utica. 5 people got off and a dozen or so got on two of which were deadheading employees. I don't know how many were on the train but observing the windows as it departed most were "headless". Expansion of commutor and metro service is probably a wise "investment". Expanding intercity rail upstate is beyond foolish. Thank you but not with my dollars.

One point that I would like to make here. "Deadheading employees" are these employees Amtrak people? If so they ride free BUT if they are deadheading CSX employees and deadheading under company orders, the company furnishes a form to Amtrak paying full fare for their ride. The employees ride free but the freight railroad pays Amtrak for their ride. Some former Penn Central and prior employees still have free transportation priviledges with Amtrak for personal travel but company business travel is a different story these days.
Noel Weaver

I always remember from my experiences with Empire Service was that Utica was never a big pickup/discharge point. Come to think of it, I think I saw more people usually get on at Rome instead.