Railroad Forums 

  • All things Pennsylvanian AND Keystone West

  • Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.
Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.

Moderators: GirlOnTheTrain, mtuandrew, Tadman

 #1580795  by njtmnrrbuff
 
I agree that the Keystone Service is like its own commuter service. First, there are many people who live in the more rural parts along the route who commute to jobs in Philadelphia and probably even Harrisburg. As for the future with 125 mph operation on the Keystone Corridor, there is a proposal to have the travel times reduced to a little less than three hours from New York Penn Station to Harrisburg. I would love to see that happen and it would benefit the Pennsylvanians.
 #1580920  by mcgrath618
 
Assuming that the Pennsylvanian trains get Chargers, PHL-HBG will be one of the few places in the country that they can max out.

The big hurdles I see are mostly from PHL - PAO. The curve between Overbrook and Merion is brutally slow. Not sure much can even be done.
 #1580977  by njtmnrrbuff
 
Yes, there is little that can be done to raise speeds between PHI and PAO. Maybe the speeds can be raised between 30th St and Overbrook but probably not by much and then the speeds would have to be the same between Overbrook and Wynnewood probably. There are very sharp curves between those stations. It looks like west of Wynnewood, the curves aren’t as extreme in many spots. It’s probably better to keep Wynnewood to Paoli at a top speed of 80 mph.
 #1580989  by CNJGeep
 
mcgrath618 wrote: Wed Sep 22, 2021 12:02 pm The big hurdles I see are mostly from PHL - PAO. The curve between Overbrook and Merion is brutally slow. Not sure much can even be done.
The curve between Merion and Narberth is 60/65/65/60.

The curve at St. Davids is 60 on all four tracks
The curve at Berwyn is 50 on all four tracks
 #1581006  by mcgrath618
 
njtmnrrbuff wrote: Thu Sep 23, 2021 9:13 am I just remembered that in Berwyn, there is a bit of a sharp curve east of the station. The real speed increases would have to be done west of Paoli.
This is, if I recall correctly, where the current higher-speed rail starts.
 #1581049  by R36 Combine Coach
 
njtmnrrbuff wrote: Mon Sep 20, 2021 6:54 pm I agree that the Keystone Service is like its own commuter service. First, there are many people who
live in the more rural parts along the route who commute to jobs in Philadelphia and probably
even Harrisburg.
Recall that the stillborn high speed Metroliner service to Harrisburg in the late 1960s was supposed to be a SEPTA
service and that even Silverliner II and IIIs were regularly used in single car Harrisburg locals during the 1970s.

At 104 miles, the Keystone is shorter than Manhattan to Montauk, just nine miles more than the Port Jervis
Line and 18 longer than the Hiawatha.
 #1581063  by rcthompson04
 
ExCon90 wrote: Thu Sep 23, 2021 8:08 pm West of there, Gap curve always required a significant slowing, as did another curve whose name I forget; fixing either of them is probably not economic.
There are two turns. One in Gap then the other in Atglen where the Low Grade came into the Main Line.
 #1581117  by STrRedWolf
 
mcgrath618 wrote: Fri Sep 24, 2021 6:44 pm Was at Levittown today and noted not one, but three Keystone trains with bookending Sprinters. Is something wrong with the Metroliners?
Ether that or they have enough Sprinters that they can book-end and save some time on engine swaps.

...scratch that, I'm wrong. Keystone doesn't go past Harrisburg, line's electrified. Wrong thread for that?
 #1592176  by STrRedWolf
 
Bob Roberts wrote: Fri Feb 18, 2022 9:00 pm How did this slip past us? Its interesting to see new frequencies begin to appear:
PITTSBURGH — Norfolk Southern and the state of Pennsylvania are finalizing an agreement for up to $170.8 million in infrastructure improvements that will allow a second daily Amtrak train between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, a route currently served by the Pittsburgh-New York Pennsylvanian.
https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews ... urg-train/
Hmmm... linked to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article:
The rail yard improvements in Pittsburgh, Johnstown, Portage, Altoona and Harrisburg would create more track space so freight trains can clear the main line for passenger trains to pass through. That work could take five years or more to complete...

Right now, the Pennsylvanian leaves Pittsburgh at 7:30 a.m. and arrives in Harrisburg at 12:53 p.m. The return trip leaves Harrisburg at 2:36 p.m. and arrives in Pittsburgh at 10:01 p.m.

The proposed new schedule would have trips leaving Pittsburgh at 7 a.m. and noon and return trips from Harrisburg leaving at 9:46 a.m. and 4:40 p.m.
So how is this $140-$180 million going to be used for on a line that's double-tracked... lets look at Google Maps...
  • Pittsburgh: Picairn Terminal, well, you just need to lay down a TON of fresh track, and add some fly-overs.
  • Johnstown: I'd say a fly-over or two.
  • Portage: Fly-over, maybe actually make a yard (closest is South Fork wye)
  • Altoona: Juniata yard. Fly-overs here.
  • Harrisburg : Once again, fly-overs.
$140-$180 million to do fly-overs and maybe some interlockings so freight can get out of the way of passenger trains going into/out of a yard? CHEAP!
 #1592244  by WashingtonPark
 
Sure glad AMTRAK didn't want to add 2 trains to the schedule. NS would probably want a couple billion dollars in taxpayer money to triple track everything between Harrisburg and Chicago to make sure AMTRAK sitting in Pittsburgh didn't hold up their trains coming in from the west.
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