Railroad Forums 

  • Passenger tracks removed and replaced

  • General discussion of passenger rail systems not otherwise covered in the specific forums in this category, including high speed rail.
General discussion of passenger rail systems not otherwise covered in the specific forums in this category, including high speed rail.

Moderators: mtuandrew, gprimr1

 #1599731  by twropr
 
During the late 1960s and thereafter, several lines that handled passenger traffic in the US were either removed (or double track reduced to single); however, starting in 1978, some have been restored. Instances that come to mind (mostly in the Northeast) include:
Rotterdam (CP 9) - Hoffmans, NY (CP 11) - removed by PC circa 1971 and replaced by CR 10/28/78 NYS financed
Niverville (CP 187) - Rensselaer, NY (CP 1) - removed by PC circa 1970 and replaced by CR 10/79 NYS financed
2nd track Stuyvesant (CP 126) - Rensselaer, NY (CP 1) removed by PC circa 1969 and replaced by Amtrak 2017 US/NYS
financed
2nd track Springfield, MA-North Haven, CT - removed by Amtrak 1989 and restored North Haven-Windsor 2018 US/CT financed
2nd track Westboro (CP 33)-Worcester (CP 44) - removed by CR circa 1988 and restored by MBTA MA financed
2nd track Greensboro-Charlotte, NC, removed by SOU circa 1967 and restored by NS US/NC financed
Quantico Creek Bridge, VA single tracked by RF&P circa 1978; replaced by DT bridge by CSX circa 2010 VA financed
Any other instances you guys can provide?
Andy
 #1599739  by GWoodle
 
After 1971 with the demise of most passenger trains you may find most railroads single tracked their lines with longish passing sidings every 5-10 miles. Today those sidings are too short for the 200+ car freight trains. We have gone from an era of fast freight to slow haulers.
 #1599805  by Ken W2KB
 
GWoodle wrote: Tue Jun 14, 2022 8:17 pm After 1971 with the demise of most passenger trains you may find most railroads single tracked their lines with longish passing sidings every 5-10 miles. Today those sidings are too short for the 200+ car freight trains. We have gone from an era of fast freight to slow haulers.
Mostly because time sensitive freight is now mostly transported by truck and non time sensitive freight by railroad.
 #1617148  by jbvb
 
Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (Maine paying for the Downeaster) built a 2 mile stretch of double track mostly RR west of the new Wells, ME station. Work is in progress to extend it west to the edge of North Berwick. I think they also built or extended a siding in Scarborough, ME.

Over the past 10 years, Boston's MBTA partially restored double track between Andover St. in Lawrence MA and Wilmington Jct. in Wilmington MA. Earlier they'd restored double track between South Acton MA and Willows (east side of Ayer MA). I believe they also restored what had been double track in places east of Worcester, MA. During the 80s they restored double track on the old NY&NE entrance to Boston from Readville (Boston neighborhood) to South Boston, a mile or so from South Station.