west point wrote: ↑Sat Apr 18, 2020 7:32 pm Design build will be the way to go. Yes it is more expensive but not that much. Probably environmental concerns will need to be dropped. There will be more environmental damage if the economy takes too long to recover.I'm a big design build proponent. Often you can find cost savings, or if the dollar amount is the same or more, the end product is much better and more modern. Also, if the end price is higher, you can ask the builders to remove some features. Design-build is a good way to maintain a budget, but all parties have to have the stone to do it.
I'd like to see more stations developed as design-build-operate. For example, on the Detroit route in places like Dearborn, instead of building a large hall that is mostly empty other than 6 pre-train hours, it would be nice to see a bustling transit-oriented development. Even if there is no real transit, just corridor trains. But consider what vibrance would be found in a building that has 25 luxury apartments, a smaller grocer, a small enterprise car location, a starbucks, a popeyes, etc... Consider also that the building would be paid for by others, and perhaps even return a dividend to the city or carrier.
Real estate dividends are one of the worst kept secrets of railroads.
The new Acela: It's not Aveliable.