Where would $2b do the most good?

[Wash]

Something else I haven't seen here... North South Rail Link?

That project is definitely nesiscary, but it'll cost far more than. $2b.

[troffey]

The most recent study puts the varying alternatives between 6 and 12 billion dollars. https://www.mass.gov/lists/north-south- ... -documents

There's ways to make those numbers come down, but not down to $2 billion.

[dgvrengineer]

Virginia owns fully half of the ex-RFP right-of-way, meaning they could install one, two, or four tracks without CSX having anything to do with it. The eventual goal is to take all passenger traffic off CSX. Only exception is Ashland, VA, where there is only room for two tracks with frequent grade crossings, and honestly there should be a tunnel or freight bypass.

I remember previous discussions about Ashland being a bottle neck. Pity. I wonder how SEHSR was planning to get around that (or were they just occupied with the Manassas line?). I think a bypass potentially works skirting around the downtown perhaps. Still, electrification makes sense at least as far as F'Burg, and a DM like the ALP45DP could bridge the distance. As far as Atlantic Coast Service HSR is concerned, you could just switch to the Charger or the Brightline Charger variant at Richmond, but the point is getting Acela type service at least as far as Richmond.

If there's to be a successful HSR extension (and not the CaliCrap (TM/Copyright all rights reserved el Jefe 2020) version) in the US, the 95 corridor is it.

The original idea proposed by the VADRPT was for a bypass on the west side of Ashland. The nimby's fought it until the state buckled and agreed to maintaining the status quo in Ashland. They wanted to send everything except the trains that stopped in Ashland via the bypass.

[mtuandrew]

Quick note about Ashland: short of a new-build bypass, the next best answer may be building a south-to-west connection between the ex-C&O and the ex-RF&P here. Send the non-priority CSX freights southeast at Doswell instead of down the RF&P.

—————

As for the $2b, I’ve reconsidered my earlier thoughts:

Dump it all into station improvements. ADA accessibility, waiting rooms (from adding shelters at flag stops to rebuilding NY Penn Station), public transit connections, signage, terminal track, staffing, rewriting and enforcing procedure - all of it needs to be improved. That includes in-car and on-car signage. Tad keeps rightly complaining about boarding procedure; Amtrak needs both physical plant and personnel changes to make it happen.

[Jeff Smith]

I'm just throwing ideas out there frankly, looking at the pretty, glossy big ideas. Andrew's ideas are well taken. I'd throw the money at frequencies.

[mtuandrew]

I'm just throwing ideas out there frankly, looking at the pretty, glossy big ideas. Andrew's ideas are well taken. I'd throw the money at frequencies.

Makes sense to me! We’re both looking at customer-facing improvements, at least in part, because that’s how we get the next $20 billion

[Jeff Smith]

Still, electrification is a huge, customer facing improvement that would pull commuters off 95 in N.VA if they had the capacities and frequencies. I don't have numbers in front of me to back this up, but I'm sure traffic exploded east of New Haven with the Acela's and electrification.

[Alex M]

For those pushing electrification of Virginia's part of the RF&P sub, I don't think CSX would approve of such a move, especially if you are talking about Acela type trains zipping along at 100 plus. A few years ago, two CSX employees were killed by a passing Amtrak passenger train while they were setting out a defective car opposite the Ivy City facilities. The CSX line is next to the NEC tracks there. Anything operating over 90 MPH on a line close to their freight line is a non starter for them.

[Wash]

For those pushing electrification of Virginia's part of the RF&P sub, I don't think CSX would approve of such a move, especially if you are talking about Acela type trains zipping along at 100 plus. A few years ago, two CSX employees were killed by a passing Amtrak passenger train while they were setting out a defective car opposite the Ivy City facilities. The CSX line is next to the NEC tracks there. Anything operating over 90 MPH on a line close to their freight line is a non starter for them.

Forgive me for my ignorance of the local track geometry, but is this a problem that could be solved with a couple thousand dollars worth of fencing?

[mtuandrew]

Forgive me for my ignorance of the local track geometry, but is this a problem that could be solved with a couple thousand dollars worth of fencing?

Several million dollars of fence perhaps, there’s a lot of track between Washington and Richmond.

[Tadman]

Here's an idea that wouldn't take even 10% - build out good wifi on all corridor trains. Invest in top notch stuff with high speed and large bandwidth. Perhaps use the same stuff the airlines use. Then charge for it. Get at least part of the money back.

The notion that everybody should have free wifi that can do anything is a fool's errand, because now the first ten guys on the train stream netflix, the rest of us get squat, and it's no more attractive than it was before wifi.

Also, Amtrak currently treats wifi as an expense like everything else. That means wifi gets in line behind all the other non-safety expenses for repair and upgrade.

If it were a profit center, even a minimal one, they'd assign a few dedicated guys to the system and it would work well. And it would be a genuine feature to attract riders.

[mtuandrew]

Here's an idea that wouldn't take even 10% - build out good wifi on all corridor trains. Invest in top notch stuff with high speed and large bandwidth. Perhaps use the same stuff the airlines use. Then charge for it. Get at least part of the money back.

The notion that everybody should have free wifi that can do anything is a fool's errand, because now the first ten guys on the train stream netflix, the rest of us get squat, and it's no more attractive than it was before wifi.

Also, Amtrak currently treats wifi as an expense like everything else. That means wifi gets in line behind all the other non-safety expenses for repair and upgrade.

If it were a profit center, even a minimal one, they'd assign a few dedicated guys to the system and it would work well. And it would be a genuine feature to attract riders.

Add a decent coffee bar/bar car to each train while you’re at it. If it means spending $50m to rebuild your Horizons, Amfleets, and Superliner cafes (also to spec such a setup on the Viaggios) and giving up some business class seating in order to sell $6 lattes, $10 draft beers, and $15 mixed drinks, even staffing an extra cafe attendant you’ll still come out way ahead in total profits.

[SRich]

Multiple targets can benefit:
Just only for Amtrak:

A) use the money to replace fixed catenary for constant tension catenary on NYC-DC part so that trains can run faster then 135 mph
B)electrify the new state/amtrak owned double track in Virginia.
C) A part for the gateway program (new tunnels/bridges) en rebuilding the old one.
D) Amtrak must buy ROW and lay double track from CUS to Kalamazoo (if there is money over, prepare it for future electrification)
E) buy that portion from BNSF where Amtrak is the only user.
F) buy the MTBA & MNRR/CDOT of the NEC and upgrade the entire NEC to 200 mph.

Just a few examples

[east point]

Multiple targets can benefit:
Just only for Amtrak:

A) use the money to replace fixed catenary for constant tension catenary on NYC-DC part so that trains can run faster then 135 mph
B)electrify the new state/amtrak owned double track in Virginia.
C) A part for the gateway program (new tunnels/bridges) en rebuilding the old one.
D) Amtrak must buy ROW and lay double track from CUS to Kalamazoo (if there is money over, prepare it for future electrification)
E) buy that portion from BNSF where Amtrak is the only user.
F) buy the MTBA & MNRR/CDOT of the NEC and upgrade the entire NEC to 200 mph.

Just a few examples

A: Yes but only on portions that can support 160 MPH until those slower portions ae upgraded for 160.
B: State owned double track in VA ? That is a wide spread assumption that is false. The CSX sale is only one track. It is possible that several sidings will be eventually built east of the tracks south of ALX.

[mtuandrew]

B: State owned double track in VA ? That is a wide spread assumption that is false. The CSX sale is only one track. It is possible that several sidings will be eventually built east of the tracks south of ALX.

Right now yes, but

Virginia owns fully half of the ex-RFP right-of-way, meaning they could install one, two, or four tracks without CSX having anything to do with it.

Electrification would be great once Virginia commits the money to make the RF&P a 125 mph road with 60 trains a day; it doesn’t make sense right now.