Delaware Third Track Project Starts

[ApproachMedium]

Amtrak doesnt care because without it being done, their trains still function without a problem and when its done it wont really provide a major speed up or anything.

[east point]

Amtrak doesnt care because without it being done, their trains still function without a problem and when its done it wont really provide a major speed up or anything.

That seems reasonable until SEPTA increases service and MARC starts service but until ? ? Also the unlikely Dover - WIL proposed service ?

[ApproachMedium]

That station at Newark DE seems to be moving at a similar snails pace so I really dont think there is any rush for either thing.

[EuroStar]

My first meeting as a consultant on this job was in late 2004. I (like many others) pushed paper and put up with This job for about seven years after that.

They never said as much, but in their actions, Amtrak never showed much interest in the job to expand the capacity of their corridor, and other factors piled on as well.

- Amtrak engineering reviews moved at a glacial pace, and then missed things that they claimed to care about later
- complete disconnect between what engineers/lawyers in philly and dc wanted, vs what their own field personnel needed.
- outlandish demands were made at the eleventh hour regarding c&s matters, upending years of negotiations, then retracted after delaying the project.
- consulting engineers were unwilling to seal plans on the existing bridge without abutment work, which Amtrak didn’t seem to think was necessary (but they wouldn’t say so or take responsibility for it, of course)
- Amtrak demanded that Delaware buy the rail (not just pay for it, buy/inspect/own it), then later decided against it
- Denrec decided at the eleventh hour that the wetlands were more critical than thought and wouldn’t allow the work, then acquiesced later. In retrospect it looks like attempted extortion.
- Amtrak demanded that Delaware hire and oversee the contractor doing all the grading and structural work, despite having little experience in railroad matters and creating a liability nightmare. I am not sure if they continued to demand that. Anyone know who’s doing the work?

And those are only the things I remember!

It’s a shame. The project seems like a win-win for both parties. Perhaps some lessons are in order for the whole state funding model that many parties seem so hell bent on?

In the private sector time is money. In the government time is job security for everyone on the payroll ...

[SRich]

...

In the private sector time is money. In the government time is job security for everyone on the payroll ...

Some times its beter to let the private sector build for public sector...

[Suburban Station]

In the public sector jobs are often cost plus (reward for bebeibebeinbebeibebeing over budget). Funds are not borrowed but come from a series of grants that havhavetheir own timelines. Public funding, esp from uncle sam, always has strings attached. Lastly, for an entity like amtrak, you cant expand capabilities without predictable funding. Amtrak does contract out a lot.

[gokeefe]

And those are only the things I remember!

Thanks for sharing. It's helpful to see behind the curtain every once in a while. I've seen similar dynamics at play with other government projects.

[ThirdRail7]

If you ask Delaware, this is a $51m project that finishes in January 2018, and if you ask Amtrak it is a $72m project that finishes in February 2017.

If you ask the Magic 8 ball if this 3 year, 5 year or 6 year project will be finished in 2019, 7 years after it started, it says:

[ThirdRail7]

After just over 8 swift years of work, the third track should be available by the end of the weekend. Congratulations are indeed in order. There's nothing like the satisfaction of knowing that you've completed an important project, safely and in a timely manner, while maintaining your commitment to your partners by showing them their faith was not misplaced.

It is particularly important when your goal appears to be to capture more state partnerships and run corridor operations while shunning a huge part of your service, by ignoring it and downgrading it. With this impressive display of turning a three to five-year project into an eight-year project, what state wouldn't want to throw money at the operation so they too can have this sort of attention to detail...and dogged determination? A lesser company would have likely given up after 6 years.

Well done, commanders!! Way to see it through!! Raises for everyone!!!

[RRspatch]

Eight years to build two miles of track between Yard and Ragan? I'm assuming no switch on No.3 at Yard (or did they kill Yard all together?) and maybe one new switch at Ragan? Unbelievable. Back in the 80's whole new interlockings were built at Grove, Bridge, Bacon, Holly and Phil all built within one to two years at tops. Heck, looking at Google maps I see Hanson looks almost done.