High Speed Rail Between Buffalo & Albany

http://www.buffalonews.com/home/story/596506.html

High-speed rail line to Albany boosted
White House will give plan serious consideration
By Jerry Zremski

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration will give serious consideration to a high-speed rail line from Buffalo to Albany as it parcels out $8 billion in stimulus bill funding set aside to modernize the nation’s passenger rail system, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said Tuesday. “This is a very bipartisan effort that includes a project that represents 60 percent of the state,” LaHood said after a meeting with the state’s upstate congressional delegation. “This part of the state is hurting, and obviously this would be an economic engine, and we obviously will take all of that into consideration.”

They couldn't build a dedicated HSR line from Buffalo to Albany if they spent the entire eight billion on it.

I'd love to see one of these stories just once explain exactly how a high speed rail line would help improve the economies of the areas it connects, and provide specific studies from places that have added HSR service to back up the claims.

As much as I'd like to see this (at the very least for the morbid curiosity of the whole thing), I heard two things that greatly surprised me.

1. They expect to easily be able to get the ROW from CSX. "Easily" was the way it was described.

2. They are claiming high speed, but only 110 or so MPH. That's just an Amtrak train. In fact, it was easy to intimate that Amtrak would run this service, too. It's definitely not high speed rail, and that's a concern to begin with...but now it's an Amtrak baby?

Dave Becker

This part of the state is hurting, and obviously this would be an economic engine,

Yup - all we need to do is raise passenger train speeds higher, and the state's economy will turn around, and there will be more jobs, and things will be great, just because the train goes faster! And some people actually believe this.

Its just New York politicians running their mouths off

lvrr325 wrote:I'd love to see one of these stories just once explain exactly how a high speed rail line would help improve the economies of the areas it connects, and provide specific studies from places that have added HSR service to back up the claims.

So would I!

As an overburdened taxpayer it would make more sense to me to invest a smaller amount to get EXISTING Amtrak trains running to schedule - in effect “speeding up” existing passenger trains dramatically.

Only if THIS demonstrates faster trains has a positive effect on upstate economic activity do we authorize additional spending for even faster HRS track and trains. (Recall the oversized Rochester Fast Ferry and how it was gonna "save" Rochester?!!)

lvrr325 wrote:They couldn't build a dedicated HSR line from Buffalo to Albany if they spent the entire eight billion on it.

You got that right! I doubt $8 billion would even cover the elimination of the literally hundreds of existing highway and farm grade crossings along the route (I believe mandated for 110 mph train speeds...), let alone pay for new HRS track, rolling stock, signalling equipment, etc.

pablo wrote:As much as I'd like to see this (at the very least for the morbid curiosity of the whole thing)

I would too Dave. But I just don't see it happening...

As a railfan, and railroader i love to see more tracks and more trains, nothing would make me happier. However I think the reality is that we just don't need this.
On the eleven o'clock news last night, local channel 2 (wgrz) played a phone interview with Congressman Chris Lee. The reporter asked him if there was a market for a high speed train and the Congressman's answer was that they would have to create the market. Sounds more like the ill conceived Rochester to Toronto fast ferry.

I could better support something like this if Buffalo were either a big city like Toronto or at least a growing city. We are neither. With people still leaving the area along with the continued raising of taxes....it's a project headed for the scrapper.

I love how things work around here. With the declining housing market, instead, Amherst says my house went up 30,000 in value. Can't wait till they use my extra tax contribution for their self appointed pay raise.

SST wrote:I could better support something like this if Buffalo were either a big city like Toronto or at least a growing city. We are neither.

Indeed! The Buffalo metro area is a mere shell of it's former industrial might of the previous century.

And it's the same in Rochester. If you've flown over Kodak Park recently you will observe huge empty areas where thriving industrial buildings formerly stood. The largest employer in Rochester for over a century now has only a few thousand discouraged workers left - and LOTS of empty space! And from all indications General Motors and it's spinoff Delphi's presence in Rochester are on the "fast track" to oblivion.

Finally consider this: Who - besides crooked politicians and special interest lobbyists - would want to travel to Albany anymore?!!

SST wrote:I love how things work around here. With the declining housing market, instead, Amherst says my house went up 30,000 in value.

If it's any consolation the town of Chili recently informed me the value of my house has increased by exactly the same amount. (I could wish!!)

This action would require new bridges, new grading, and much more. How much would they make CSX pay for it? What would be CSX's incentive to allow them to build along their ROW?

atsf sp wrote:This action would require new bridges, new grading, and much more. How much would they make CSX pay for it? What would be CSX's incentive to allow them to build along their ROW?

CSX wouldn't spend one penny on this, the money has been earmarked from the economic stimulus bill which just passed. CSX is working with the government however, which is where we get the $8 billion dollar price tag.

The line is already good for 100 mph until somewhere near Amsterdam, right? (As I recall, it's 110 mph Albany - Schenectady, and 100 mph Schenectady - Amsterdam.) The logical, incremental approach would be to add additional track where real estate exists, in the form of long passing sidings, without tackling new bridges, tunnels, etc for a continuous new track. Also, they can extend cab signals beyond Amsterdam and raise track to at least Class V (90 mph) standards.

Would it be diesel high speed, or do they want something like the Acela/electric?

Diesel, or perhaps gas turbine!

First there was the bridge to nowhere now it will be the thrill ride to nowhere. I think all the extra job's will be professional passengers unless they issue subpoena's if they run out of money.