mtuandrew wrote: ↑Thu Jul 23, 2020 10:15 am
Tad, you’ve brought up two points I want to address: using stations at the “natural end” (my term) of a train’s route, and lack of connecting traffic at least through Chicago.
I’m not familiar with the routes of the Lincoln Service and Texas Eagle to know how they get to CUS from the southwest, presumably along the Heritage Corridor which best empties into Union Station.
Correct, GM&O all the way downtown to GM&O's historic terminus at CUS.
mtuandrew wrote: ↑Thu Jul 23, 2020 10:15 am Otherwise every other train aside from the Illini/Saluki, City of New Orleans, and Cardinal has a set route that leads directly to Union Station’s doorstep.
The Cardinal is questionable, and the Detroit trains historically used Central or LaSalle depending on the year. The post was inspired by the new-start plans to Rockford and Quad Cities, though. I remember seeing maps of Rockford service going over 2-3 hosts which is lunacy. Folks in Rockford just won't put up with that. They see it like this: " I can pay $12 and drive to Metra at McHenry or Geneva and get on a reliable train or $40 and get on Amtrak's science experiment." Same with Quad Cities. A handoff at Joliet where CN and UP already have their own in-line handoff, plus junction with BNSF, Metra, IAIS, and CSX? What a recipe for disaster. Just run it straight through on the Rock. No need for new infrastructure.
mtuandrew wrote: ↑Thu Jul 23, 2020 10:15 am Even if moved to LaSalle, the Cap, LSL, and Michigan trains won’t improve their timekeeping so long as Norfolk Southern Railway isn’t invested in being a good host.
So my comments only apply to corridor trains, but the MC trains historicaly went to LaSalle or Central. Since the MC connection to Central is no longer here, LaSalle works just fine and avoids the 55th street yard zone of NS, which is a mess.
mtuandrew wrote: ↑Thu Jul 23, 2020 10:15 am First, can they even run into Millennium anymore? You haven’t addressed that they would need to run under wire,...And what’s the relative cost of building out a station on the CN/IC Lakeshore Line versus building Grand Crossing/Nickel Plate connector?
Metra and South Shore run bilevels now, and Amtrak has detoured the Cap under wires. There have also been a few fan trips with domes. There is currently one unwired track and room for more at Randolph, but perhaps a short-turn at Roosevelt where Central once was, then back into 18th street where Metra can dump the toilets?
mtuandrew wrote: ↑Thu Jul 23, 2020 10:15 am
Second, by saying “people don’t connect between trains, therefore let’s take away the possibility of connection” you’re going against every transportation precept. The name of the game shouldn’t be giving up the possibility, but making the connection stronger through route improvements. For the CN trains that could mean running with an NPCU on the far end as a baggage car - the backing move into CUS then becomes that much easier.
From what I understand, backing movements require more than that. Currently a conductor rides the back of the shove, but a NPCU would require changing ends and a time-costly brake test. The way I look at it, if most major cities in the world feel connections are good to different stations, why is Chicago different?
The new Acela: It's not Aveliable.