Don't laugh, that WAS on the table at one point.
"It belongs in a MUSEUM!"
-Indiana Jones
-Indiana Jones
Railroad Forums
NHV 669 wrote:Doesn't the swing bridge need to be replaced anyway?Yes, at last check to the tune of well over $10 million.
Tracks already exist for a regional light rail system around Portland. These tracks are either publicly owned or a strong claim can be made for their public use.I didn't say it was a very good case....
When U.S. railroads were built, they were heavily subsidized by the federal government (taxpayers) providing free or very-low-cost land for rights of way, for example. Lightly used or unused tracks exist between Portland and towns along the Western Division of the old Maine Central Railroad, south toward Kittery and north to Brunswick, Rockland, Augusta, Lewiston and intermediate towns.
markhb wrote:A Maine Voices column in Thursday's Press Herald makes a case for a Portland light rail system:UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.................................Tracks already exist for a regional light rail system around Portland. These tracks are either publicly owned or a strong claim can be made for their public use.I didn't say it was a very good case....
When U.S. railroads were built, they were heavily subsidized by the federal government (taxpayers) providing free or very-low-cost land for rights of way, for example. Lightly used or unused tracks exist between Portland and towns along the Western Division of the old Maine Central Railroad, south toward Kittery and north to Brunswick, Rockland, Augusta, Lewiston and intermediate towns.
they were heavily subsidized by the federal government (taxpayers)With that argument they should take a highway and convert it to light rail as they are 100% government owned and paid for. Ooops, that would inconvenience those in power who don't take mass transit but drive (or are driven) locally.
Bangor Daily News wrote:Lawmakers on the Legislature’s Transportation Committee heard Tuesday from a diverse lineup of speakers touting a bill that would complete a study examining the economic impacts of a passenger rail link between Portland and Lewiston-Auburn.Read the rest of the article at: http://bangordailynews.com/2015/03/11/n ... d-support/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The study would also develop a specific rail service development plan that would likely determine how many daily trips between the cities would be offered and how the system would link into the state’s existing passenger rail system and schedules.
. . .
Lewiston Mayor Bob Macdonald and state Rep. Peggy Rotundo, D-Lewiston, both offered their support for the bill. Macdonald, a conservative politician, said he supported the bill because it would benefit his growing economy and support jobs and the ability of residents in his town to find jobs.
. . .
Androscoggin County Chamber of Commerce President Chip Morrison said a passenger rail connection for the Twin Cities to Portland has been a top priority for chamber members for the past 20 years.
Morrison repeated Tuesday his belief connecting Maine to Montreal via Lewiston-Auburn and Oxford County could be “the largest single economic development project for Maine.”
BM6569 wrote:Did they leave the junction in at Yarmouth when the tracks to Brunswick were upgraded?The diamond is there as the SLR still occasionally runs down to Portland. There's a connecting track between PAR/SLR, but I don't know that anything other than MOW equipment can actually use it.
MEC407 wrote:Passenger trains can operate up to 59 MPH in dark territory, so a lack of signal upgrades wouldn't shock me. Even with signals, I don't think the Downeaster operates above 60 on the POR-BRK route. (correct me if I'm wrong; just recalling something I read in a news article a while back.)It could be a problem for PTC implementation. Right now the only commuter rail operation that is outright exempt from PTC compliance is LIRR Greenport Scoot*, which only runs 3 round trips per day in dark territory. 6 total trips is the current maximum you can stay dark with absolute zero PTC installation under the law on a qualifying RR, so Greenport is the only one not in hurry-up mode for compliance (like, say, Metro North-Waterbury is) unless the upper limit is lifted >6 with tack-on legislation. Which it *probably* will, but you can't assume that with a whole lot of confidence today.
United States Congress wrote:¯\_(ツ)_/¯Given how many loose ends are left untied with who qualifies for what around what threshold...well, I don't even think the FRA can answer that question today with how many holes and unanswered questions there still are in the regs. So...uh...somebody kind of needs to get an answer on that before saying with any degree of confidence how far their money's gonna go. And if that's not the agency tasked with overseeing deployment of this freakshow who can answer the question, I don't know who is. I suspect nobody does as of 6/3/2015.
BandA wrote:Maybe open up remote lines to private speeders. You could have a Google app that provides the PTC on an Android phone and connects to the speeder's propulsion by USB. Railroad would fly an automated drone over the line once a day before service to check for obstructions.Uber for rails? Hmmmmm
I can dream...