Ok the article makes sense when it says land is evaporating and if this ever wants to get done they need to act now. I agree the land should be acquired.
I also liked the comment further up in the thread about electrification. Without it there is no way a 1 seat ride to Penn is going to happen for a long long time.
But again let me restate my opinion. At current 156K passengers per year for the airport, even if we assume tremendous growth of lets say 2000 percent over 10 years, we are still only at roughly 3 million passengers. Assume again that 10% use the train, that still means only 800-1000 per day. Keep in mind that Airtrain EWR only sees 4.5% total passenger use or 10% of local area resident use. This is not a case of build it and they will come. For this airport to have the kind of passenger volume we are talking about it is going to need a lot of large international aircraft landing here as opposed to JFK/EWR, and this will take longer than the next 10 years to develop and to do that the PA needs to build a customs facility.
Also on the comment about the PA and parking fees, what solid proof do you have to back up this statement? Whilst many of us may feel this way, it is not a public position that the PA has ever taken.
BTW - here is a link showing all US airports that have rail access. Missing are, LAX with LRT across from airport with shuttle bus, MKE with Amtrak station and shuttle bus, BWI with Amtrak/MARC and shuttle bus. SEA/TAC is supposed to have service by 2009. Also BOS with shuttle bus link to blue line. Interesting to note that CLE Hopkins was the first US airport to provide a rail link (and right to the terminal) in 1968.
http://www.apta.com/research/stats/rail/airport.cfm
Railroad Forums
MNRR West of Hudson (WoH) Study - Stewart Airport
- Discussion relating to the operations of MTA MetroNorth Railroad including west of Hudson operations and discussion of CtDOT sponsored rail operations such as Shore Line East and the Springfield to New Haven Hartford Line
Moderators: GirlOnTheTrain, nomis, FL9AC, Jeff Smith
35dtmrs92 wrote:I thought I heard that Moodna Viaduct could accommodate two tracks. If that is so, with a substantial investment, it shouldn't be an issue.It has been said before, but it is not true. Moodna Viaduct has always been a one-track structure.
Passaic River Rat wrote:Also speed limit on Moodna Viaduct is quite unlikely to become any higher than it is today by much.35dtmrs92 wrote:I thought I heard that Moodna Viaduct could accommodate two tracks. If that is so, with a substantial investment, it shouldn't be an issue.It has been said before, but it is not true. Moodna Viaduct has always been a one-track structure.
I made some interesting finds in an old MTA 1973 book I have called "the ten-year program at the halfway mark, 1968-1973)". This is directly from the MTA at the time.
See this other thread where I posted some info about airport rail links and Stewart in particular - all are mentionned in detail in the book.
EL connection to Penn station is listed as well with a cost tag of $150 million.
http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopi ... 280#437280
See this other thread where I posted some info about airport rail links and Stewart in particular - all are mentionned in detail in the book.
EL connection to Penn station is listed as well with a cost tag of $150 million.
http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopi ... 280#437280
Tom V wrote:Notwithstanding that wherever traffic justifies it I think electrification should be the preferred option. If the intention is to run a relatively intense shuttle service to an airport the choice should be electrification.I also liked the comment further up in the thread about electrification. Without it there is no way a 1 seat ride to Penn is going to happen for a long long timeAccess to the Region's Core includes dual mode diesel/electrics to service non-electrified territory.
Passaic River Rat wrote:Two corrections - first the Graham Line was built as double track east and west of Moodna, with a gauntlet track over the bridge; That's two tracks, though only one train at a time could pass over the structure.35dtmrs92 wrote:I thought I heard that Moodna Viaduct could accommodate two tracks. If that is so, with a substantial investment, it shouldn't be an issue.It has been said before, but it is not true. Moodna Viaduct has always been a one-track structure.
Second, the Erie RR contemplated double track, and Moodna is designed to accomodate a second track with additional construction, There are provisions to place an additional girder to the outside of each of the current two girders on which the bridge ties lie. If you look up at the bridge from below this is very apparent.
Would it really be necessary to double track Moodna Viaduct? We're not talking about the Northeast Corridor here... its still the Port Jervis Line. Even in the worst case senario, a meet at the bridge would cause a westbound train to lose maybe 2 or 3 minutes at most.
Does anyone know where I can find the current speed limits for all points on the Main/Bergen Line? It seems trains used to go through Ramsey a lot faster than they do now but I could just be imagining that too.
Even if 3 times as many trains as today were to operate on the line double track would not be neccesary, maybe longer sidings with high speed switches.
If Conductors are in charge, why are they promoted to be Engineer???
Retired Triebfahrzeugführer. I am not a moderator.
Retired Triebfahrzeugführer. I am not a moderator.
Umm no. First, the plan for the Stewart Link is to make it completely double track (maybe with the exception of Moodna). Second, MN cant even operate ANY reverse peak trains on the Port Jervis Lines because it is single tracked. The sidings are only good for midday and weekend trains but after 3:00pm or so, there arent ANY eastbound trains until 9:00pm. This wont work if you want people to use the train to the airport. Flexible, frequent service is needed on the line. If you want to operate 78 trains per day on that line (26x3) with single track, I think you're gonna have 1 MAJOR traffic jam.
Could you show documentation on the double tracking, as I have seen no documents or budget items to the effect at either MTA or MNCR.
If Conductors are in charge, why are they promoted to be Engineer???
Retired Triebfahrzeugführer. I am not a moderator.
Retired Triebfahrzeugführer. I am not a moderator.