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  • VRE Advancing L’Enfant Station and Fourth Track Expansion, Contributing to Virginia Rail Vision

  • Discussion related to DC area passenger rail services from Northern Virginia to Baltimore, MD. Includes Light Rail and Baltimore Subway.
Discussion related to DC area passenger rail services from Northern Virginia to Baltimore, MD. Includes Light Rail and Baltimore Subway.

Moderators: mtuandrew, therock, Robert Paniagua

 #1573271  by davinp
 
In the future, when MARC trains go to Crystal City, VRE's L'Enfant Plaza station will need to be expanded.

Virginia Railway Express (VRE) launched the alternatives analysis and concept design phase for the L’Enfant Station and Fourth Track project this spring. When complete, this project will replace the existing side-platform commuter station with an island platform, allowing for bi-directional service and operational flexibility. This project will also add a fourth mainline track to the existing three-track corridor, increasing service reliability and customer convenience.

https://www.vhb.com/news/vre-advances-l ... uQ1kCM9hJA
 #1573290  by Sand Box John
 
The right of way between 4th street and 7th Street was originally built by the Pennsylvania Railroad to accommodate 5 tracks The 5th track use to be on the north side of the existing L’Enfant Station platform. It was there to access the second floor of a cold storage warehouse that use to be on the south side of D Street east of 4th Street.

All that need to be done is move the move the L’Enfant Station platform east about 400' to allow the 4th track to cross 7th where the west end of the L’Enfant Station platform is today.
 #1573329  by Sand Box John
 
twropr
What they really need to do is realign the curves so that speed between Virginia Ave. and the bridge is more than 25-30 MPH. The 15-16 min (no intermediate stop) trip between Washington and Alexandria (8.2 miles) is unnecessarily long because of these curves.
Andy


The only way to reduce the radius of the curve between the Virginia and Maryland Avenue alignments is by taking the land that access the north side Government Service Administration headquarters. Widen the bridges over 7th and 9th Streets. Reduce the width of Virginia Avenue east of 7th Street. The new alignment of the tracks west of 9th street would be extremely close to the north side of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory headquarters. The alley on north side of the Government Service Administration building goes up hill to the access point of the building at track level. The bridge that carries the tracks over 7th street was totally rebuilt to drive the piles for the abutments outside the easement of the L'Enfant Plaza Metro station below. Those piles were driven to a depth that is lower then invert slab of the north end of the Metrorail station.

In my opinion the reducing the radius of the curve would not increase train speeds of any significant amount. The only trains it would benefit would be freight trains and Amtrak trains.
 #1573570  by Sand Box John
 
What A lot of folks don't realize is the two additional tracks added to the Long Bridge will be used primarily by CSX as the passenger platform at the L’Enfant and Alexandria stations will be served by tracks 3 and 4. Tracks 1 and 2 on the existing Long Bridge will become tracks 3 and 4 with tracks 1 and 2 being moved onto the new bridge. The new layout will eliminate all conflicts between passenger and freights between CP VA and AF. The new 4 track layout at the Alexandria station will be similar to what it was when Potomac Yards was an active freight classification yard as the tracks use by passenger trains to bypass Potomac Yards were on the west side.
 #1573588  by KTHW
 
Sand Box John wrote:What A lot of folks don't realize is the two additional tracks added to the Long Bridge will be used primarily by CSX as the passenger platform at the L’Enfant and Alexandria stations will be served by tracks 3 and 4. Tracks 1 and 2 on the existing Long Bridge will become tracks 3 and 4 with tracks 1 and 2 being moved onto the new bridge. The new layout will eliminate all conflicts between passenger and freights between CP VA and AF. The new 4 track layout at the Alexandria station will be similar to what it was when Potomac Yards was an active freight classification yard as the tracks use by passenger trains to bypass Potomac Yards were on the west side.
I don’t think that’s quite right. The RF&P currently has no track 1 in most places. Heading South, the westernmost main track is 3 and the parallel main is 2. Initially after AF-RP 4th track completes, CSX will ride on the new track 0 and 1. When Long Bridge is completed, tracks will be renumbered 1-4. The new long bridge will be for passenger trains and will be for tracks 4 and 3 (formerly 3/2) while the old long bridge will become 2 and 1 (formerly 1/0). The same would hold true for ALX, the new 1 will completely bypass the station, while 2 will have platform access but be primarily for CSX. 3 and 4 will continue to be the main boarding platforms for passengers there.

http://longbridgeproject.com/wp-content ... geDEIS.pdf
 #1573598  by Sand Box John
 
KTHW
I don’t think that’s quite right. The RF&P currently has no track 1 in most places. Heading South, the westernmost main track is 3 and the parallel main is 2. Initially after AF-RP 4th track completes, CSX will ride on the new track 0 and 1. When Long Bridge is completed, tracks will be renumbered 1-4. The new long bridge will be for passenger trains and will be for tracks 4 and 3 (formerly 3/2) while the old long bridge will become 2 and 1 (formerly 1/0). The same would hold true for ALX, the new 1 will completely bypass the station, while 2 will have platform access but be primarily for CSX. 3 and 4 will continue to be the main boarding platforms for passengers there.{/i}

http://longbridgeproject.com/wp-content ... geDEIS.pdf


I stand corrected. I was under the assumption that the new bridge was being built down stream of the existing bridge.

I hope the straighten out those S curves at both ends of the new bridge to allow higher speed over the entire length of new right of way.