Saratoga & North Creek Railway (ex-UHRR) - 2011

[daylight4449]

Commuter trips to Albany? WHAT?

Maybe it will remain a thought. Even so, such a run would make SNC one of the few private companies operating commuter service in North America.

[Albany Rider]

RE: Commuter trips to Albany

The business and tourist folks in Saratoga Springs have wanted a morning train connection to Albany and beyond to NYC for years. If the current plans for double track between Saratoga Springs and Ballston Spa and between Schenectady and Albany are completed, a window of opportunity may open. Both projects are fully funded. The Saratoga - Ballston project (on CP) has obligated funds. The Schenectady - Albany project is awaiting an agreement between CSX and government bureaucrats.

While North Creek would not yield commuters Sauatoga might because of traffic conditions on I-87 anticipated business growth due to current construction of a computer chip factory near Saratoga. At Albany, Amtrak Service south is frequent.

There was commuter service between Saratoga and Albany until about 1960.

Tony

[Noel Weaver]

Amtrak has the passenger running rights between Albany and Saratoga Springs so if commuter service is sometime established between these two points it wil most likely be operated by Amtrak.
Noel Weaver

[isaksenj]

Saratoga-Albany commuter service has been a point of discussion for quite some time; indeed, the Saratoga railroad station is actually a Capitol District Transportation Authority (CDTA) facility:

http://www.cdta.org/rider_guide_connect ... ratoga.php

And as everywhere esle, there have been studies:
http://www.planningconference.org/prese ... arsons.pdf

[hrfcarl]

Funny I have been wanting to ask if Saratoga & North Creek Railway could operate to Albany. With more scheduled Amtrak service through Albany, it would seem to benefit SNCR with those additional connections. So what would SNCR need to get such a run?

Really going out on a limb: If Saratoga & North Creek Railway could operate to Albany, would it then be possible for SNCR to add non dome car(s) to an Empire Service consist to/from NYP? Swapped in/out of the Amtrak consist at Albany with engine change? Too costly?

Thanks.

[march hare]

I'm pretty sure this would be the only commuter service in the US with a full length dome car.

Now for the real big question: where do the passengers get off in Albany? Rensselaer is out of the question--too far from where the passengers are really headed. The Central Warehouse property would require extensive demolition and replacement.

Maybe put a simple platform on the Bull Run connector, and shuttle buses from there? OGS is already running shuttle buses from the state parking lot immediately adjacent to the Bull Run.

[daylight4449]

They wouldn't be the first to have used dome cars in commuter service. The first dome car, Silver Dome, did see use in commuter service out of Chicago under the CBQ banner. I can't remember to what extent, but i have seen a handful of photos of Silver Dome in commuter service.

[Otto Vondrak]

I have an idea. Let's discuss the existing SNC operation. It's brandy-new and quite exciting... Let's worry about this commuter stuff when we actually see some tangible progress to report upon rather than rampant speculation.

Thank you.

-otto-

[D.Carleton]

Amtrak has the passenger running rights ...

Not to belabor the point but Amtrak lost any claims to sole operating rights over their routes with the Amtrak Reform and Accountability Act of 1997. Today any prospective operator can pony up with their own equipment (and LOTS of cash for insurance) and negotiate with a host railroad to run a passenger train. Iowa Pacific tried this with Union Pacific to run the Ski Train and Uncle Pete said "no way, we only deal with Amtrak" and we all know how that ended. Would Canadian Pacific be open to negotiate for operation south to Schenectady? Maybe. Would CSX be open to a third party between Schenectady and Rensselaer? Not likely.

[Albany Rider]

Otto:

Your reasonable idea to focus on the real here and now just sucks the life out of the rampent speculation that makes the internet so much fun.

Just because you are right, doesn't mean railfans will not take any opportunity to hope and dream or future rail glory !

Tony

[John 61]

Vacationing in Lake George Area this week and photographed the early afternoon turn at Thurman Station. Nice to see the ex-LIRR C-1's in action. More to come.

[Otto Vondrak]

Funny I have been wanting to ask if Saratoga & North Creek Railway could operate to Albany.

Nope.

-otto-

[Otto Vondrak]

Vacationing in Lake George Area this week and photographed the early afternoon turn at Thurman Station. Nice to see the ex-LIRR C-1's in action. More to come.

Thanks for sharing the pics! Nice to see a fully painted consist, even if those C-1's look a little goofy.

-otto-

[RussNelson]

Funny I have been wanting to ask if Saratoga & North Creek Railway could operate to Albany.

Nope.

Well, the tracks exist to do it. The trackage *rights* don't, and may never.

[thebigham]

Here's video of a S&NC train:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoB1iuxwjbI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cw3bFi18PWw