A good idea, but can't be done: MARC Orange Line shuttle

Presented for review: a MARC shuttle between Deanwood and New Carrolton Metros

I think it's a good idea, but it won't work in the short time frame. Here's what I commented there:

The first negative is that the line is going through the Virginia Avenue Tunnel, which if I remember is being reconstructed. That means the single track is unavailable for ANY traffic. Well, there goes going to L'Efant Plaza.

The second is that the line may not be rated for passenger service, and it may take some time (more than a year) just to get CSX and the Federal Railroad Administration to push the paperwork to get it rated... and have CSX pay the FRA to do it.

That said, strike up Wikimapia and lets take a look.

The interlockings (aka track switches) in question are CARROLL to the north of New Carrolton Metro/MARC/Amtrak, LANDOVER to the south of the station, DEANWOOD near the Deanwood Metro station, and Metro's D/G next to Minnesota Avenue Metro. Okay, it's logical to have Metrorail trains turn at Minnesota Avenue. (Note, it is custom to list interlockings in all caps)

But then things get bad/expensive.

New Carrolton has a third track (track 1) but it needs access. The only way is to build an entranceway to the existing tunnel and then the platform (assuming 2-4 train cars long). Oh, and the elevator too. Hell, you might as well just extend track A up from LANDOVER and build a proper long-term platform there.

Landover Metro itself requires tunnelling to get to the other side, and that doesn't include what the station layout actually is. Then you can get to the platform.

Cheverly is much easier, as it's on CSX rail. You just need the platform, ramp, et all on one side, although you could do both sides...

Deanwood isn't accessible to both sides. The north side can be built but that's it. But you won't get an interlocking and you're stuck with one track. The DEANWOOD interlocking is over on the access to the Camden Line.

Minnesota Avenue is also the same as Deanwood.

In fact, the only interlocking you have is all the way in Anacostia, past the rail yard, and it's called... ANACOSTIA.

So, for a shuttle train, you got a good amount of reconstruction that won't be done until well after the repairs are done to ALL the Metro lines. That's just a waste, and both the FRA and FTA isn't going to approve it. CSX, Amtrak, WMATA, and MARC isn't going to front the money for it because of it. (For an idea on how long it would take with all the paperwork, look up the latest effort to replace Baltimore's B&P Tunnel, as well as four-tracking around BWI Amtrak station; in short, *years*)

Nice idea. But it's not going to work.

I didn't bother to post a comment at GGW because of how ridiculous the idea was.

No thanks. I'd rather drive and sit in traffic than get robbed or murdered on a daily basis. Whoever came up with this plan probably also wants an area dedicated to parking his unicorn.

One related thing does seem plausible: a temporary Penn Line platform at Cheverly during the closures affecting the eastern half of the Orange Line. All you'd need is a short wooden platform connecting to one end of the westbound Orange Line platform (similar to the track bridges that Metro-North uses, thought modified for the geometry here) plus some manner of letting MARC passengers past fare control. Total cost probably under $10k and it could be built in a weekend. You'd probably have to run that section of the NEC wrong-rail during the morning for the duration, but that's nothing that hasn't been done before.

During the days of the Pennsylvania and Penn Central Railroads prior to the existence of MARC and Metrorail there was a commuter platform east of the Landover Road overpass in front of the now unused Landover tower. The area is still accessible on foot from Old Landover Road.

Sounds counter-intuitive, but what about extra MARC service from New Carrollton, and just directing passengers to use the remaining Minn. Ave.-NC service to ride out to NC to pick up MARC. For a 16 day closure (three of which are a holiday weekend), that might make more sense than trying to build temporary station(s) elsewhere. Increased MARC shuttles from NC to Union Station would also alleviate the pressure on park & rides on other lines as well by giving NC and Landover parkers an easier alternate route.

It's all good except for one thing: If they can get the construction approved in time. The EIS and such takes ages!

Sand Box John wrote:During the days of the Pennsylvania and Penn Central Railroads prior to the existence of MARC and Metrorail there was a commuter platform east of the Landover Road overpass in front of the now unused Landover tower. The area is still accessible on foot from Old Landover Road.

SBJ: Yes-you describe what was Landover Station - which was served by the Baltimore-Washington local trains.
I believe this station was closed in 1979(?) after the Orange Line opened to New Carrollton in November 1978.

These were down to just two trains a day (to Washington AM, to Baltimore PM) and used MP54 MU cars until
Maryland DOT began funding these trains in that same late 70s era - introducing leased NJDOT Arrow Two MU
cars to replace these older cars. These runs were increased to four and added a peak hour train each way for
Baltimore. This was the beginning of what would eventually evolve into MARC's Penn Line service.

These schedules showed a stop at Lanham - and not Capital Beltway. Was this station located behind the shopping
center at a now-closed grade crossing there? Any idea when that station closed?

Getting back to topic: I like the idea of using New Carrollton as a transfer point to "backtrack" from Deanwood thru
Landover to transfer to MARC trains nonstop to Union Station. This may be the easiest alternative available.

The trouble of offering a MARC shuttle service as described is placing and serving a temporary station at either
Deanwood or Cheverly and then having to deal with CSX to run these trains with the constraints on the Virginia
Avenue Tunnel to L'Enfant Plaza. The original poster has no idea of the railroad bureaucracy that this service
would have to deal with. If this was going to be a long term project with a shutdown of months and not weeks
I think that there would have been much more of a need for this alternate service.

MACTRAXX

"MACTRAXX"
Getting back to topic: I like the idea of using New Carrollton as a transfer point to "backtrack" from Deanwood thru
Landover to transfer to MARC trains nonstop to Union Station. This may be the easiest alternative available.

A shuttle from Deanwood to New Carrollton would require the platform at Deanwood to be on the tracks west of the Metrorail station as the tracks on the east side go to Hyattsville.

Sand Box John wrote:"MACTRAXX"
Getting back to topic: I like the idea of using New Carrollton as a transfer point to "backtrack" from Deanwood thru
Landover to transfer to MARC trains nonstop to Union Station. This may be the easiest alternative available.

A shuttle from Deanwood to New Carrollton would require the platform at Deanwood to be on the tracks west of the Metrorail station as the tracks on the east side go to Hyattsville.

SBJ:

I was thinking of a Metro shuttle train running back and forth between Deanwood and New Carrollton as octr202
notes stopping Deanwood-Cheverly-Landover-New Carrollton. This could be just one trainset running back and forth
using one open track - during peak hours two shuttles could be operating using both tracks if necessary.

Running a MARC operated shuttle from either Deanwood or Cheverly to New Carrollton would be more problems
then it is worth during the shutdown period - a Metrorail shuttle train makes far more sense here...

MACTRAXX

"MACTRAXX"
I was thinking of a Metro shuttle train running back and forth between Deanwood and New Carrollton as octr202 notes stopping Deanwood-Cheverly-Landover-New Carrollton. This could be just one trainset running back and forth using one open track - during peak hours two shuttles could be operating using both tracks if necessary.

The reason why Wiedefeld has proposed total extended shut downs is the allow unrestricted access to the right of way to get the job done more quickly. more elbow room, no looking over the shoulder for a train on the adjacent track.

How about a S/S <-> Rockville shuttle; is that viable?

farecard wrote:How about a S/S <-> Rockville shuttle; is that viable?

To accomplish what?

MCL1981 wrote:

farecard wrote:How about a S/S <-> Rockville shuttle; is that viable?

To accomplish what?

There are closing planned on the western leg, exactly when is [now...] up in the air. A shuttle would allow people affected by those to instead get into the core from the east.

It's only single tracking. SS to Takoma with trains every 12 minutes and a bus bridge. Taking a MARC train backwards from SS to Rockville, then Metro from Rockville to downtown would probably take 4x as long as just dealing with the single tracking.