Lackawanna Cutoff Passenger Service Restoration

More:

https://www.poconorecord.com/story/new ... 24094002/


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Dcell wrote: ↑Sun Oct 31, 2021 5:04 pm Bids are again delayed, now into next year, on the hopes more federal funding is approved to finish the Andover segment

I feel like NJT is purposely kicking this down the road in hopes that Amtrack will pick up the project. With the infrastructure bill now passed it seems likely. Out of the many Connect projects the Cutoff has a leg up by being privately owned (no freight) and right of way in tact / existing. I feel there is a very strong possibility this line finally gets restored

Mr. Dcell is likely on mark; if more Feddybux under IIJA21 can be squeezed beyond the FTA grants awarded to date, why not?

Mr. Cannoli, I cannot envision rebuilding the 28miles Andover-Slateford track solely to support "two a day" (Westward on Miss Phoebe's and Twilight Limited schedules). No matter the advocacy community sobs and cries, it would be an irresponsible allocation of public funds. Sec. Buttigieg is a smart guy; and hopefully so will be his successor (I don't think the Biden administration has too much more life left - Joe will not complete the term, but hopefully Kamala will keep Pete on for the balance of such), and he will realize that there's more to the project than relaying track. I'm thinking about the viaducts that were all part of this admittedly beautifully engineered piece of ROW. And how about the Delaware River bridge? I cringe anytime I have driven under it.

Oh; and finally the successor road, the Delaware Lackawanna, can't be more than FRA Class 2 and likely much is Class 1. Now let's get that up to Class 4 - the minimum Amtrak will regularly operate over.

Amtrak's plan calls for 3 daily NY Penn - Scranton with the following stops:

Newark Broad Street, Summit, Morristown, Dover, Blairstown, East Stroudsburg, Mount Pocono, Tobyhanna, Scranton.

I don't remember what NJ Transit's planned service levels were for Andover, however with Amtrak completing the cutoff I can definitely see NJ Transit going to at least East Stroudsburg. If there is local support I can see NJ Transit going as far as Mount Pocono, plenty of touristy destinations around that area (Kalahari resort, Camelback, Great Wolf Lodge, Mount Airy Casino etc..).

Until Gateway gets built I would imagine NJ Transit's service would originate at Hoboken Terminal. Perhaps 7-9 daily trips?

It occured to me that Martz would be well equipped to run buses from the Pocono stations to places like Mt Airy and the Outlet centers.

Tom V wrote: ↑Fri Nov 12, 2021 10:24 am Amtrak's plan calls for 3 daily NY Penn - Scranton

OK Mr. Volpini, let's add The Westerner to the schedule; '60 vintage DL&W, save The Owl, is back.

But still, rebuilding almost 100 miles of present "Class 0" and 1 up to 4 just does not represent prudent use of public funds. Joe will be long gone from 1600, and likely six feet UNOWARE, by the time this ever sees light of day.

Yes, I know Brightline is presently building 40 miles of fresh Class 5 track and upgrading 100 additional miles of double Class 4 -and it's ostensibly being funded by the private sector. It appears to me that the financing came from a group of "accredited investors", all "well connected", and are enjoying a rate of return (can't be sure it was a private placement) some six times greater than the benchmark 10yr Treasury. And who knows; if Brightline bellies (while it was a nice Disneyland ride - done it eight times myself - it never once "made numbers"), some "Tallabux" could "ease the pain" for these apparently connected investors.

Mr Norman wrote;

But still, rebuilding almost 100 miles of present "Class 0" and 1 up to 4 just does not represent prudent use of public funds.

Absolutely right. The traffic isn't there. The travel time between Scranton and NYC by highway would be an hour faster.

Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Fri Nov 12, 2021 2:51 pm

Tom V wrote: ↑Fri Nov 12, 2021 10:24 am Amtrak's plan calls for 3 daily NY Penn - Scranton

OK Mr. Volpini, let's add The Westerner to the schedule; '60 vintage DL&W, save The Owl, is back.

But still, rebuilding almost 100 miles of present "Class 0" and 1 up to 4 just does not represent prudent use of public funds. Joe will be long gone from 1600, and likely six feet UNOWARE, by the time this ever sees light of day.

Yes, I know Brightline is presently building 40 miles of fresh Class 5 track and upgrading 100 additional miles of double Class 4 -and it's ostensibly being funded by the private sector. It appears to me that the financing came from a group of "accredited investors", all "well connected", and are enjoying a rate of return (can't be sure it was a private placement) some six times greater than the benchmark 10yr Treasury. And who knows; if Brightline bellies (while it was a nice Disneyland ride - done it eight times myself - it never once "made numbers"), some "Tallabux" could "ease the pain" for these apparently connected investors.

When are public funds in this state ever used prudently? At least with this project the counties of Sussex and Warren will get some benefit from their tax dollars.

Absolutely right. The traffic isn't there. The travel time between Scranton and NYC by highway would be an hour faster.

The usefulness of this line is much more than the commuting aspect. So many debate the reactivation of the cutoff solely on the commuting figures. Do I plan on commuting to work? No, but I do plan on using the line frequently in both directions instead of driving for pleasure

Commuting is part of it. Part. The sheer number of cars on I80, the GW, I380 and other roads is overwhelming. Plus this could open up a lot more tourism to the Poconos without adding to car traffic. Maybe even to Scranton with Steamtown, Electric City, skiing, the Yankees farm team, the outlet centers. As to the commuting, it's people from a fairly large area that this could help, not just Scranton.

Public policy needs to be get get cars off the road. Preferably onto trains. Buses stuck in traffic are not an improvement.

R&DB wrote: ↑Fri Nov 12, 2021 3:25 pm Mr Norman wrote;

But still, rebuilding almost 100 miles of present "Class 0" and 1 up to 4 just does not represent prudent use of public funds.

Absolutely right. The traffic isn't there. The travel time between Scranton and NYC by highway would be an hour faster.

I remember being on a steam train trip to Tobyhanna over thirty years ago where a setup was in the station showing the exact same plan that is being pushed now. IMO the only thing this is good for is the politically connected study groups that receive millions of dollars to redo what has already been done.

Question. How will Amtrak fit these trains thru the north river bores? Off peak service ?

WashingtonPark wrote: ↑Sat Nov 13, 2021 10:19 am

R&DB wrote: ↑Fri Nov 12, 2021 3:25 pm Mr Norman wrote;

But still, rebuilding almost 100 miles of present "Class 0" and 1 up to 4 just does not represent prudent use of public funds.

Absolutely right. The traffic isn't there. The travel time between Scranton and NYC by highway would be an hour faster.

I remember being on a steam train trip to Tobyhanna over thirty years ago where a setup was in the station showing the exact same plan that is being pushed now. IMO the only thing this is good for is the politically connected study groups that receive millions of dollars to redo what has already been done.

So when this has been built, don't feel any obligation to utilize the service.

west point wrote:Question. How will Amtrak fit these trains thru the north river bores? Off peak service ?

Absolutely, I could see departure times from
Scranton to NY Penn at 6:00am, 12:00pm and 5:00pm. All would get you to the City outside of peak hours.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

R&DB wrote: ↑Fri Nov 12, 2021 3:25 pm Mr Norman wrote;

But still, rebuilding almost 100 miles of present "Class 0" and 1 up to 4 just does not represent prudent use of public funds.

Absolutely right. The traffic isn't there. The travel time between Scranton and NYC by highway would be an hour faster.

The traffic is still there (otherwise Martz would be in the poorhouse) and anyone who thinks the interstate is faster at the important times of day has never had to traverse I-80 in western NJ st those hours. However, Amtrak's proposed "service" is anemic at best and evidently designed to make the notion a laughing stock.