Provocative Railway Age Article 9/10/20: "Private Sector Investment in NEC Operations?"

[johnpbarlow]

Excerpts:

So it may now be time to consider private-sector proposals for funding operations and infrastructure on the NEC and its branches. In this article, we will explore such a proposal for operations. It is offered by AmeriStarRail. and according to Scott R. Spencer, the company’s co-founder and Chief Operating Officer, it is “infrastructure agnostic” in that its operating model could be applied if Amtrak continues to own the NEC infrastructure, or if another entity takes it over.

and

One of the core features of the plan is to eliminate terminal operations for NEC trains at Washington D.C., Philadelphia, and New York. The key would be through-running. There is nothing new about recommending such an operation in New York City; it has been proposed by the Institute for Rational Urban Mobility (IRUM), ReThinkNYC and a number of other local advocates individually. The AmeriStarRail plan takes the concept further, and introduces through-running further south. Spencer points to potential efficiency improvements in equipment and crew utilization, new marketing opportunities, and freeing tracks at major stations for local rail services as potential benefits of through-running, as well as getting NEC trains out of Ivy City Yard in Washington and Sunnyside Yard in New York. He said the plan would result in “unlocking the NEC” and would offer “triple-class service” on every train, as opposed to Amtrak’s current Acela trains, which offer only the two premium-fare classes.

Link to the free Railway Age Article: https://www.railwayage.com/passenger/in ... aign=19471

Link to the detailed route maps and station track diagrams:
https://www.railwayage.com/wp-content/u ... -07-14.pdf

[John_Perkowski]

218+51+1

I do not see that happening anytime soon. I see it even less when the current numbers are 35% of cost and 56% of revenue. What I’d want to see now are the economics of the corridor in isolation.

[bostontrainguy]

Saw this and found the idea of running everything through New York and terminating at the far ends of the system rather revealing. Not for the service possibilities but for the Brightline inspired concept of using potential real estate development to justify and pay for rail transportation. Can you imagine the potential development possibility of Sunnyside Yards? Add a station there and you got a gold mine with a very short ride to the heart of Manhattan. Big move but certainly possible.

[Gilbert B Norman]

Everyone--

OPINION, imi OPINION vice Article

[STrRedWolf]

And a poorly thought out one at that.

1. There is no mention of any foot traffic study that would allow for combining of routes or routing to new areas (Jenkintown, Hoboken, Ronkonkoma)
2. There is no mention of any rail traffic and capacity study that would allow routing to new areas.
3. Presentation lightly brushes on needed construction (and that's putting it mildly).
4. Whole mess is light on details, included needed construction and infrastructure improvements. Who wrote this [[REDACTED]]?!?
5. This whole thing stinks of what the UK is doing with their rail system... and how it's failing.

In other words, it's a ploy to kill Amtrak. We've been down this road before -- it required the government to step in and take over operations... by creating Amtrak. We're doing it again. The UK is having the same exact trouble. Norway is starting to have the same trouble.

[Pensyfan19]

Quick question, is this company planning to take over operations on the northeast corridor or just to support it while Amtrak still serves the line under government-ownership?

[Jeff Smith]

Some familiar concepts in the article that have been discussed here before, including Amtrak service out to Long Island from both Empire and NEC; service via Kearny Junction to Hoboken; and inland service to BON and beyond via Grand Junction. New things; a diversion outside Philly on a SEPTA line, new platform set at NYP, and terminating in Alexandria. No discussion on modes: catenary; DC (over/under); and diesel. I don't see why they'd want to terminate in Alexandria, which would require a catenary extension. I've always liked the idea of LI service, although I'd skip Mineola and Central Islip, and not use the main line/Ronk, instead going out to Montauk. I like the inland idea as well, but is there an alternative to Grand Junction?

[STrRedWolf]

Some familiar concepts in the article that have been discussed here before, including Amtrak service out to Long Island from both Empire and NEC; service via Kearny Junction to Hoboken; and inland service to BON and beyond via Grand Junction. New things; a diversion outside Philly on a SEPTA line, new platform set at NYP, and terminating in Alexandria. No discussion on modes: catenary; DC (over/under); and diesel. I don't see why they'd want to terminate in Alexandria, which would require a catenary extension. I've always liked the idea of LI service, although I'd skip Mineola and Central Islip, and not use the main line/Ronk, instead going out to Montauk. I like the inland idea as well, but is there an alternative to Grand Junction?

Also take into fact that if you stretch the lines out past their current terminals and into those new terminals, those terminals have to be expanded to match the existing terminals so they can handle the new load!

If this was a real proposal, it would be soundly rejected.

[west point]

My biggest concern is the present trasffic density. There is no consideration of how different the passenger loads are on the various segments presently. A WAG on how just Amtrak load densities are:
1. NYP - PHL
2. PHL - WASH
3. NYP - New Haven
4. New Haven = BOS
5. NYP = ALBANY
6. WASH - ALX
7. PHL - Harrrisburg
8.. ALX - Richmond
9. BON - Portland
10. Springfiel - BON ( Speculation ))
11. ALX - Lynchburg/
12. New Haven - Springfield

This proposal would end up having too many seats empty and not generating revenue but costing $4.00 + per empty car miles

[STrRedWolf]

My biggest concern is the present trasffic density. There is no consideration of how different the passenger loads are on the various segments presently. A WAG on how just Amtrak load densities are:
1. NYP - PHL
2. PHL - WASH
3. NYP - New Haven
4. New Haven = BOS
5. NYP = ALBANY
6. WASH - ALX
7. PHL - Harrrisburg
8.. ALX - Richmond
9. BON - Portland
10. Springfiel - BON ( Speculation ))
11. ALX - Lynchburg/
12. New Haven - Springfield

This proposal would end up having too many seats empty and not generating revenue but costing $4.00 + per empty car miles

Present as in pre-pandemic. Now you know why I razz on a passenger and rail traffic study being missing. Having a worst case of "A crush-loaded 10-car double-decker hauled by an electric every 5 minutes, 24/7, out of NYP" means "you're nuts if you're cutting service on a good day."

But once again, we are not in any good days.

[mtuandrew]

I like STrRedWolf’s take on this. Short of the RKK extension on Long Island and possibly the SPG-BON service, this is a lot of foam without a lot of beer.

[CNJGeep]

I stopped taking this seriously the second they suggested running over SEPTA.

[Jeff Smith]

I stopped taking this seriously the second they suggested running over SEPTA.

Completely agree; I can't fathom why they need those extra stops.

I like STrRedWolf’s take on this. Short of the RKK extension on Long Island and possibly the SPG-BON service, this is a lot of foam without a lot of beer.

LOL, great saying. I could see the Ronk extension although I think you'd get more traffic out of Montauk/Hamptons.

I do favor through running, but I'm not sure of the efficacy of running a Keystone up to Springfield, to then transfer to Maine. I think a Regional already going to Springfield makes more sense to continue to either BON or BOS, but that's it.

[Pensyfan19]

Hence my original question:

Is this company planning to take over operations on the NEC from Amtrak, or will Amtrak still operate their regional services along this corridor (i.e. Acela, NE Regional)?

[mtuandrew]

Hence my original question:

Is this company planning to take over operations on the NEC from Amtrak, or will Amtrak still operate their regional services along this corridor (i.e. Acela, NE Regional)?

Looks like they’d do whatever makes them the most money from fares + government funding. Probably they’re angling to be the sole intercity operator, but not an infrastructure manager.

I stopped taking this seriously the second they suggested running over SEPTA.

Completely agree; I can't fathom why they need those extra stops.

Wonder if these guys are putting forward an ops proposal for SEPTA and NJT too.

I like STrRedWolf’s take on this. Short of the RKK extension on Long Island and possibly the SPG-BON service, this is a lot of foam without a lot of beer.

LOL, great saying. I could see the Ronk extension although I think you'd get more traffic out of Montauk/Hamptons.

I do favor through running, but I'm not sure of the efficacy of running a Keystone up to Springfield, to then transfer to Maine. I think a Regional already going to Springfield makes more sense to continue to either BON or BOS, but that's it.

Welcome

A Keystone extension over Metro-North could be disastrous for timekeeping. They’re the de facto Clockers now and need to keep bouncing between NYP, PHL, and HAR, and stay on home rails (none of this SEPTA business either.) You’d suck up a lot of time that would be better dedicated to more NYP-PHL round trips, the strongest city pair.