Station Developments

[Roadgeek Adam]

Does anyone have updates for SPG's new Platform C? (It was supposed to have opened last month.)

At Springfield, MA, as of November, they were putting finishing touches on when I crossed through on 448 and 449.

Also, Springfield, IL is getting a new station on 11th and Ridgely, a new multimodal facility.

[troffey]

The most recent update I can find (https://www.masslive.com/news/2019/11/s ... -year.html) is that is was scheduled to open by Christmas. Given the lack of news, however, that's starting to seem dubious.

[STrRedWolf]

One last note about the newer BWI station. The small-ish lobby shop Faber/Haber now has pre-packaged sandwiches, a bit on the pricey side for their quality. I grabbed a corned beef on rye on my way back home through here early on Tuesday... and I wish they had mayo packets around.

No word on if they're still burning Eight O'Clock coffee.

[buddydog]

article in today's brattleboro reformer:

https://www.reformer.com/stories/bellow ... ack,595336

ADMIN NOTE: Added fair-use quote

BELLOWS FALLS — Rockingham voters will be asked to spend $12,000 toward evaluating the historic Bellows Falls train station, now owned by Vermont Rail System, with an eye toward its eventual purchase.
...
The train station purchase would not include the land under it, Fox told the Rockingham Select Board Tuesday evening, and thus the town would be protected from any potential liability associated with the land, which is suspected to be contaminated.
...
Fox said Vermont Rail System would "never" make the repairs to the train station, and by having the station in town hands, the town could send a signal to federal grant agencies that it is serious about maintaining a transit station in the center of Bellows Falls village.

The train station funding request will be a separate article on the 2020 Town Meeting warning. Fox originally discussed asking voters for $120,000 to purchase the station outright.
...

[Jeff Smith]

PressAndJournal.com

Work is continuing toward building the new Amtrak train station along West Main Street in Middletown.

Amtrak crews continue to do the track-moving work that is essential to the project, Amtrak spokeswoman Beth K. Toll told the Press & Journal in an email on April 16.

Construction of the station is projected to be completed by Aug. 12, 2021. That’s an adjustment from July 21, 2021 that consulting engineers for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation had announced in early February.
...
PennDOT has budgeted $32 million for the station. The project includes extending West Emaus Street through Wood Street to West Main, and improvements to make it safer and easier for pedestrians to cross West Main Street near the new station.

[Jeff Smith]

MeridianStar.com: Amtrak to hire 2 station agents in Meridian, resume window service

Amtrak will be hiring two station agents to work at Union Station in Meridian, the company said Thursday.

The decision follows a Congressional mandate to provide customer service at 15 locations, according to a statement provided by Marc Magliari, the public relations manager for Amtrak Government Affairs & Corporate Communications.
...

[STrRedWolf]

Washington Union Station's Track 22 is getting overhauled to resume passenger service:

https://wtop.com/business-finance/2020/ ... -platform/

Skanska USA Civil Northeast has been awarded a contract to reconstruct Track 22 at Union Station.

Amtrak is using a $19 million grant from the Federal Railroad Administration to fund a portion of the project to convert the idle track into a lower-level passenger platform.

[gokeefe]

Now arriving ... Advance Infrastructure Limited ... on Track 22 ... making stops at Portal Bridge, Trump Tunnel, Moynihan Station, Norwalk Bridge and Boston South Station ... This is an extra fare train ... All passengers please be sure to have your tickets in order ... Thank you for riding .. Amtrak.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

[RRspatch]

Washington Union Station's Track 22 is getting overhauled to resume passenger service:

https://wtop.com/business-finance/2020/ ... -platform/

Skanska USA Civil Northeast has been awarded a contract to reconstruct Track 22 at Union Station.

Amtrak is using a $19 million grant from the Federal Railroad Administration to fund a portion of the project to convert the idle track into a lower-level passenger platform.

I believe track 22 currently serves as a staging for add-on diesels for south-bounds and electrics for north-bounds. In addition to restoring No.22 they'll also have to rebuild the overhead walkway from the lower level concourse leading to the platform. As for No.21 track that track can never come back as one the support pillars for the H Street bridge is right in the middle of the track bed. The 590 feet between that pillar and "A" interlocking is probably too short for turning a VRE train in the station if the south-end of No.21 was restored.

[STrRedWolf]

I believe track 22 currently serves as a staging for add-on diesels for south-bounds and electrics for north-bounds. In addition to restoring No.22 they'll also have to rebuild the overhead walkway from the lower level concourse leading to the platform. As for No.21 track that track can never come back as one the support pillars for the H Street bridge is right in the middle of the track bed. The 590 feet between that pillar and "A" interlocking is probably too short for turning a VRE train in the station if the south-end of No.21 was restored.

I'd put a short stub track for those diesels on Track 21, but then you'd have to have some room or some way to deflect any accidents away from the pillar.

[west point]

Are the pillars due to be relocated in the expansion plans for Union Station ?

[RRspatch]

Are the pillars due to be relocated in the expansion plans for Union Station ?

There is a plan to rebuild to Hopscotch (H Street) bridge -

https://www.hstreetbridgeproject.com/

The short video kind of makes it look like the support pillars will be moved onto the platform. If this is so maybe track No.21 could be restored. I'm sure Amtrak and VRE would love to have that track back. Hopefully someone at both have made this clear to DDOT.

[Westernstar1]

I've been waiting for a renovation of the old DRGW depot, in Grand Junction Colorado. However, although plenty of interest in its revival, it may never become a working Amtrak station. The station opened on Sept. 18, 1906, the same day as the San Francisco earthquake:

https://is.gd/p3qrbO

Richard

[STrRedWolf]

Baltimore Penn Station, midtown redevelopment projects could top $500M, begin this spring

In short:

• Project is gathering $500M in investment, Amtrak chipping in $90M
• Project leaders are pushing to put in a redesigned Light Rail station
• 8 story office and retail tower on Charles & Lanvale street.
• Station at Lanvale & St. Paul
• Apartment complex next to office complex (market-rate)
• Adding rail tracks for high speed access

Developer Bill Struever, principal at Cross Street Partners and a member of the development team, said groundbreaking for the Penn Station "head house" (the existing station) redo, and addition of the high-speed rail line is expected to begin this spring.
Recommended

"That will include $50 million in improvements to the main head house and $40 million into a new station north of Penn Station above the high-speed rail lines," Struever said. "I continue to be amazed during the pandemic at Amtrak’s continuing commitment to the Penn Station project."

[John_Perkowski]

I fixed Red Wolf’s post per his request