3rd Track for White Plains

[Erie-Lackawanna]

There is sufficient right of way owned by MNR the entire distance to NWP. The physical obstacles, while formidable, are not insurmountable. They are the rock wall underneath the Bronx River Parkway overpass at the north end of Scarsdale, and the elevated right of way through White Plains.

The apparently insurmountable obstacle is funding. Overcoming the physical obstacles is very expensive, and given other priorities, has kept this project off the books.

Move along, dreamers. Unless you can come up with a couple billion to donate to the project, it won’t happen any time soon. I advocated for the Scarsdale platform replacement project to be done in such as way as to allow for future construction of a third track. It was looked at seriously, and the formidable cost was what relegated the project to the freezer (not even the back burner).

Jim

[njtmnrrbuff]

Yes, there seems to be a lot of space along the right of way for three tracks north of Bronxville and up to North White Plains. The northbound platform at Scarsdale will probably have to be moved a little closer to the downtown area. I do see what Dutch is saying about those parking spaces right alongside the tracks. That's just south of the station and opposite Cornerstone Childrenscenter. I don't know what good it would do to just extend the third track a little over a mile from Crestwood.

[Jeff Smith]

NO,the redevelopment of White Plains started the same time as the then "NEW" White Plains station was built,
destroying a well built NYC that was there.all in the QUEST for a modern city,to bring corporate HQ's out of NYC.
Any land grabs by MN via condemnation would create the craziest court case yet.

Hoss,

Not sure if you realize I'm speaking of the Bronx River Parkway side, and another center platform. There's no development on that side.

[Jeff Smith]

There is sufficient right of way owned by MNR the entire distance to NWP. The physical obstacles, while formidable, are not insurmountable. They are the rock wall underneath the Bronx River Parkway overpass at the north end of Scarsdale, and the elevated right of way through White Plains.

The apparently insurmountable obstacle is funding. Overcoming the physical obstacles is very expensive, and given other priorities, has kept this project off the books.

Move along, dreamers. Unless you can come up with a couple billion to donate to the project, it won’t happen any time soon. I advocated for the Scarsdale platform replacement project to be done in such as way as to allow for future construction of a third track. It was looked at seriously, and the formidable cost was what relegated the project to the freezer (not even the back burner).

Jim

Not sure if I've said this before, but glad to have you back.

I'm sure any such attempt at a third track, especially through WP, would be very expensive. But given infrastructure stimulus money where would you put this project?

[Erie-Lackawanna]

Not sure if I've said this before, but glad to have you back.

I'm sure any such attempt at a third track, especially through WP, would be very expensive. But given infrastructure stimulus money where would you put this project?

Thanks. I’m mostly a lurker, and it’s better that way. 😁

I’d put it well behind much higher priority upper Harlem capacity improvements, including expanded Brewster Yard, 7-10 new DC substations between NWP and Brewster, and a new signal system. Without ALL of those projects being completed, the third track does absolutely nothing, because you can’t run more trains north of CP 124 without those improvements.

Currently, none of those projects is fully funded, and except for 3 substations, they aren’t even partly funded.

Jim

[njtmnrrbuff]

I didn't think about those other Harlem capacity projects mentioned. It looks like Brewster Yard can be expanded. It's been a while since I rode the Harlem Line north of North White Plains. What benefits would the new signalling system do to the Harlem Line altogether, even if the third track doesn't get extended beyond Crestwood at all?

[Backshophoss]

Jeff,there're flood control issues along the Bronx River and the Saw Mill River that tend to flood out the "Parkways" nearby.
would require a flood control setup that equals what is done in ABQ to control the monsoon rains,LOTS of concrete ditches!!
Westchester county cannot afford that type of flood control

[Jeff Smith]

Thanks Hoss and Jim. They can always reclaim Pawling Yard lol. That'd go over real well /s. Can they cram more tracks into Brewster? I imagine they could create a powered running track north of Southeast, or maybe Put Junction? No space anywhere else....

[Backshophoss]

The ROW is 2 tracks wide ,just short of CP DYKE.(Tower X),The yard (PUT JCT) is up against the woods on the west side,
There's development along the east side(houses,light industry).
Believe the old roundhouse site is the only space left.
Along the Wye tail track(OLD PUT ROW),depending on how much of that ROW that's MN owned,room for at least 1 or 2 yard tracks
headed west.
Never understood why CR ripped out the passing siding at Pawling,the "Rake off" blocks were just north of that siding.
would create real havoc if the parking lot was lost to a new passing siding there,its needed however.

With a RDC you could use the Wingdale coal siding to clear up worst case.

[Kurt]

I didn't think about those other Harlem capacity projects mentioned. It looks like Brewster Yard can be expanded. It's been a while since I rode the Harlem Line north of North White Plains. What benefits would the new signalling system do to the Harlem Line altogether, even if the third track doesn't get extended beyond Crestwood at all?

I thought the plan for Brewster yard expansion was to expand north into the current permit parking lot next to the Southeast Station. A new parking lot would be constructed East of the station in the current wooded area. Metro North would have to negotiate with the Town of Southeast.

[johndmuller]

While it might be difficult to fund the third track thru to NWP, there are things that could be done consistent with widening the ROW or in anticipation of widening the ROW. For example, the ROW might benefit from being redesigned in some areas (like Hartsdale and Scarsdale to provide for island platforms instead of the outside platforms now in use. Scarsdale could switch to a single island platform and use the extra space to put in an interim 3 track configuration. Hartsdale residents might be more sanguine about construction of two island platforms if they were told that they stood to gain some use out of them, like the occasional express stopping there.

Some portions of the third track could be built and used as temp storage for trains or overtake sidings. Other between station areas could just be regraded and widened as funds are available to lessen future project scope.