by mtuandrew
David Benton wrote:can the well cars operate on the nec if they only have one container in them ???I believe so, but you'd have to consult Amtrak's clearance standards. As long as the NEC meets full Plate B standards, you'd be fine for shipping single-stacked containers - the width at, and just above, the rails is constant from Plate B through Plate H. See here for AAR Plate standards. The problem comes when you want to operate through New York Penn Station. Amtrak doesn't allow freight through the North River tunnels, and the detours suck (either up to Albany, or across New York Harbor on a carfloat.)
David Benton wrote:i wonder what sort of market there would be for such a service boston - Washington .Possibly. But like I noted, service between those places gets tricky with the carfloat in the middle. This might possibly be fast enough to warrant service between New York and Washington (including Philadelphia and Baltimore), but you have to weigh the 125 mph running against the need to shift from train to truck.