NEC Future: S-Line (Petersburg, VA - Ridgeway, NC)

[SRich]

What is meant by buying railroad right-of-way? I know that track-miles means that the track passes from one owner to another, but i wonder what the RoW buying stands for. Trackage rights?

[gokeefe]

Actually I don't think so. There would be problems with claiming to commit equipment that is federally funded to the sole or even specific purposes of a state funded corridor without proper authorization from Congress.

I think they're signing on to capital investments in track improvments over a specific term. I think their arrangements with Michigan may be similar on some portions of that corridor.

The Massachusetts portion of the NEC is also state owned (but Amtrak operated). So it would seem they have several examples to choose from. It's a good reminder that "state supported service" is a phrase that can mean more than just "state supported trains".

[gokeefe]

What is meant by buying railroad right-of-way? I know that track-miles means that the track passes from one owner to another, but i wonder what the RoW buying stands for. Trackage rights?

There are two things occurring in this transaction. In one part from Washington to Richmond the railroad is selling half of the land (imagine two lanes of a four lane highway). As it so happens the "right of way" they are buying is half of an existing railroad corridor split down the middle so that two tracks would be for freight and two would be for passenger use. The reason why there are differences between track miles and right of way is because most of the passenger corridor to Richmond does not have third and fourth tracks present. Consequently the total land miles differ from the track miles. Virginia and Amtrak will have to build the 3rd and 4th tracks but they will now have the land to do so and an operating agreement with the adjacent freight railroad that will ensure cooperation.

Another corridor the "Buckingham Branch" is being bought in whole (land and all tracks). So in that case land miles = single track miles. There may be a few miles of long passing sidings which would mean more track miles as well.

The topic of this discussion is the so-called "S-Line" right of way which is land only. The tracks were torn up circa 1988. So no track miles to count there because there aren't any tracks!

It is worth noting that restoration of tracks over such a long corridor is virtually unprecedented in the U.S.. Furthermore even in the limited cases where tracks have been reinstalled it was always for very slow freight service, often to a single specific customer, and not high speed passenger rail.

[gokeefe]

Photo album showing greater detail of ground conditions in Norlina and Ridgeway.

[gokeefe]

Easy to forget that Amtrak once operated over this corridor ...

On October 26, 1986, the entire line to Norlina, N.C., was abandoned. I operated the last Amtrak passenger train, the Silver Star, over the Norlina Subdivision that night. Another few miles to Middleburg, N.C, has large trees growing between the two rails where once the Silver Meteor and Orange Blossom Special raced north and south.

[gokeefe]

Henderson, NC was an Amtrak station on the "S-Line" south of Norlina (Ridgeway) and a daily stop for the Silver Star.

It appears to have been added after A-Day.

[gokeefe]

Video taken in October 1986 from the rear of the Silver Star as it passed through Norlina one week prior to abandonment. The main line quality of the right of way with its wide shoulders and long straight aways is plainly evident.

[gokeefe]

Amtrak History Blog for 1986 confirming station closure at Henderson, NC that same year.

[SRich]

Mr gokeefe, thank you for you’re answer

[east point]

The way this transaction appears to be set up is
1.Va gets track 3 and where present track 4 from 1st ave tunnel to Franconia.
as well all the ROW under those tracks to the west boundary of the ROW. At Franconia Va will get track 2 and all ROW east under track 2 to the east boundary of the ROW. At Franconia the bypass track will be built as a Va owned track #1. Also several other portions of a track 1 will be built along side of the track #2 to be short sections of track1 going toward Richmond. A freight track #4 will be built north of Ashland. How passenger trains thru Ashland ? ? WASH - Richmond this whole section tracks are 1 -4 East to west.

How quickly Va will increase MAS speeds on tracks they own will become an interesting point. This poster can see with PTC going from 70 to 90 MPH track conditions permitting ?

[Bob Roberts]

How passenger trains thru Ashland ? ?

Curious about this as well, adding more tracks through the center of town looks.... disruptive.... (Railroad ave and Center st appear to be built in the ROW)

[rvlch]

Ashland was addressed in the very first post over in the Virginia thread announcing the deal: post.
per the Richmand Times Dispatch article
:
"It will not expand the two-track rail line that runs through Ashland, which the state already has promised to preserve."

[gokeefe]

How quickly Va will increase MAS speeds on tracks they own will become an interesting point. This poster can see with PTC going from 70 to 90 MPH track conditions permitting ?

The target speed published so far is 110 MPH (FRA Class 6).

[gokeefe]

Mr gokeefe, thank you for you’re answer

You are most welcome. Happy New Year!

It hasn't been directly addressed here yet but I would imagine dispatching will still be handled by CSX for all tracks. It would likely make the signal installation and maintenance much simpler.

[mtuandrew]

It hasn't been directly addressed here yet but I would imagine dispatching will still be handled by CSX for all tracks. It would likely make the signal installation and maintenance much simpler.

I suspect you’re right, for now. Would definitely be worth installing a fully parallel system though - aside from Ashland, the entire new line would be separate and able to function independently from the existing CSX RF&P Sub.