All things Harrisburg (Keystone) Line

NortheastTrainMan wrote: ↑Wed Aug 14, 2024 7:06 pm In all seriousness, I remember hearing of SEPTA going back to Coatesville as a terminus, but when I saw the track layout I was confused. Perhaps the interlocking isn't complete and there will be a full 3 track crossover. Because as it is now, it looks like it could tie up the system, and / or just have SEPTA trains waiting on the center track.

From the video, I saw that there was some extra track there that could allow it be turned into a full interlock.

Indeed, that switch is not complete.

This past Friday Oct 11, 2024, I took a trip (by train, of course) to Harrisburg for a book festival. My trains were Keystone 607 & 650. Along the way I noticed a few interesting things:
To Harrisburg (Keystone 607)
- Catenary removed on Track 1 at Lancaster, presumably for reconstruction. I noticed some workers on platforms / lifts where the catenary used to be. It was my first time seeing anything like that in person.
- Wrong railing from ROY to STATE / Harrisburg. We moved west on Track 2.

Eastbound (Keystone 650)
- Wrong Railing from Harrisburg / STATE to RHEEMS (IIRC). I understood it between ROY & RHEEMS due to construction. But not STATE & ROY. Perhaps it didn't make a difference since we wound up meeting a westbound Keystone at Mount Joy anyway.
- Wrong Railing from PARK to THORN. My YouTube Video -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uu4i0ldm_tc. FYI my YouTube video has chapters in case you don't want to watch the whole 15 minute video.

So, the latter (PARK to THORN) wrong railing was a tad unusual and a first for me. Given 650 stops at Exton, I knew the next optimal crossover would be at THORN. But I knew THORN was SLOW, it's like 15 MPH, vs flying through on 1 at 90 MPH or whatever the MAS is. It was either that, or switch over at FRAZER. THORN made more sense. I guess DOWNS could work too, maybe?

Looking back, I'm not 100% sure why we wrong railed. 99% makes me think it's because of the SEPTA train that occupied Track 1 at Thorndale. But there's a 1% chance it could be due to track work. Given I was sitting on the opposite side, I didn't see what was happening on 4 between PARK & THORN.

Aside from the move itself being unorthodox, we had to wait about 5-10 minutes at THORN before we went through the interlocking. I'm a little confused by this, because AFAIK we were the only two trains there, plus wouldn't it be apparent that an eastbound Amtrak train was fast approaching on 4? I was surprised we didn't just slow to 15 MPH and proceed through.

Could it be because eastbound crossovers at THORN (1 to 4) are more rare than westbound crossovers (4 to 1)? IIRC SEPTA trains that use Track 4 at Thorndale, may crossover to 1 at THORN, or possibly wrong rail to GLEN. I'm not 100% sure on that though.

In any case, I say all that to say, no two days are alike on the railroad & i crossed taking a diverging move at THORN off my bucket list .

Tie work between Park and Caln on No. 1, everything is running on No. 4 between Park and Thorn. The best signal you'll get going east at thorn to cross over 4-1 is a restricting or a slow approach. It is actually the inverse which is true, 4-1 westbound crossovers are less frequent and a truly Godawful move. Usually there's a few septas that will do that in the afternoon

CNJGeep wrote: ↑Sun Oct 13, 2024 9:15 pm Tie work between Park and Caln on No. 1, everything is running on No. 4 between Park and Thorn. The best signal you'll get going east at thorn to cross over 4-1 is a restricting or a slow approach. It is actually the inverse which is true, 4-1 westbound crossovers are less frequent and a truly Godawful move. Usually there's a few septas that will do that in the afternoon

Ah! I see. I unfairly blamed the SEPTA train.
Regarding crossing over at THORN 4-1, I'm somewhat surprised the dwarf doesn't display Slow Clear. I never got a good look at it in person, but I thought all dwarfs (PL-4 Pennsy Signals) displayed stop, slow clear, slow approach & restricting. Similar to the ones at JAY Interlocking in Queens, NY: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVKJ6Bzvjxs

Moreover I'm surprised that 1-4 crossover (eastbound i presume) is used more than 4-1 westbound. I'm aware of some of the SEPTA local trains you mentioned that terminate at Thorndale go 4-1.
Here's an example of one from Jersey Mike: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGF3egNHbk8

I think the SEPTA trains that go 1-4 are the express push pull trains. Once they discharge passengers on 4, they deadhead and cross to 1.

THORN altogether just looks unfavorable to make a diverging move. Is there a preferred way to diverge at all? I imagine it was a bit more seamless in the Pennsy days. But in 2024, trains move like Gary from Spongebob through there. It's like, imagine COUNTY having 15 MPH diverging moves. YIKES. Obviously they're 2 different locations with different demands, but you get the point.

Thanks for chiming in.

https://media.amtrak.com/2024/11/amtrak ... arrisburg/

Amtrak Welcomes Back Keystone Service Customers After Restoring Weekday Trains Between Lancaster and Harrisburg


HARRISBURG, Pa. – Amtrak today joined Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation Mike Carroll, State Representative Tom Jones and other partners to celebrate the full restoration of weekday Keystone Service and thank customers for their patience during the Harrisburg Line Track Renewal Project, which concluded earlier this month.

“Thank you to our customers for your patience as we expedited this important infrastructure investment between Lancaster and Harrisburg, benefitting Amtrak customers and the freight community for decades to come,” said Amtrak Executive Vice President of Capital Delivery Laura Mason. “Amtrak’s in-house construction crews achieved significant efficiency improvements compared with previous years, increasing production by 87% and reducing injuries by more than 80% from 2023. I am grateful to PennDOT, Norfolk Southern, and our shared customers for their support, cooperation and patience as we invested in the future of passenger rail in Pennsylvania.”

While this work was estimated to take approximately two years, Amtrak developed an accelerated approach that expedited the project with a combination of single and full track outages, improving work efficiencies and reducing the duration of the project.

Over the past eight months, Amtrak crews replaced more than 43 miles of track and installed 113,000 concrete ties during this major infrastructure project on Amtrak-owned tracks between Lancaster and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Amtrak customers and freight operators in this area can now benefit from improved ride quality and comfort, and increased service reliability thanks to these upgrades.

Amtrak worked with state partner PennDOT to preserve ridership and help ensure the continued success of the partnership. Amtrak provided replacement bus transportation at all affected stations and preserved midday Pennsylvanian train service through the area. This project also involved close coordination with Norfolk Southern and many freight shippers who use these same tracks to transport raw materials and finished products on the corridor.

Continued Improvements

As Amtrak enters a new era of rail, the company has made unprecedented investments to improve Northeast Corridor (NEC) infrastructure. Due to the scope and scale of investment demands, Amtrak is implementing innovative strategies like this to promote efficient and productive infrastructure project delivery.

Given the project’s success, Amtrak is actively exploring opportunities along the Northeast Corridor (NEC) to collaborate with stakeholders in developing and implementing innovative outages like the Harrisburg Line Track Renewal Project, which ultimately deliver benefits to the public more rapidly and cost-effectively.

Another example includes catenary upgrades on the south end of the NEC in Maryland, which have benefitted from expanded overnight work hours in partnership with Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA). These projects represent the importance of strong partnerships between Amtrak, state departments of transportation, freight railroads and other entities working together to advance important renewal projects and build a new era of rail in America.

Reactions

“Passenger rail is a crucial part of Pennsylvania’s transportation network,” said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll. “PennDOT is proud to support passenger rail through our state investments, and we’re pleased that Amtrak riders will enjoy the benefits of an improved Keystone line.”

“It’s exciting to have Amtrak service fully restored for our community! I am especially impressed and thankful for the hard work and coordination that Amtrak and their partners achieved,” said State Representative Tom Jones. “Together, they accomplished all the necessary improvements in just eight months, instead of the original estimate of two years.”

“Reist Popcorn Company relies on Amtrak’s Harrisburg Line to transport our popcorn crop and the improved service line between Lancaster and Harrisburg will allow us to receive our popcorn quickly and reliably,” said Reist Popcorn Director of Operations Doug Metzler. “Reist Popcorn appreciates Amtrak’s commitment to supporting local businesses like ours and making a difference for Pennsylvania’s farms and communities.”

“This project is Exhibit A proving that America’s passengers don’t need to wait for decades to see real payoffs from our taxpayers’ rail investments,” said Rail Passengers Association President & CEO Jim Mathews. “Amtrak’s project delivery team and PennDOT deserve our genuine gratitude for delivering vital improvements to an important rail line, not in two years but instead in just eight months. Accepting a little short-term disruption can get America’s rail passengers more and better trains faster than ever before, and Keystone riders are going to benefit right away from not just a smoother ride but also from much better reliability.”

I’m curious to know if any of the interlockings like ROY were upgraded with concrete ties too, or if new wooden ties were installed like-for-like.

I saw a video today of the #2 track at Thorn Interlocking with concrete ties on it. Is Amtrak planning to use the track to get around SEPTA trains? And is Thorn Interlocking going to be removed or they are going to rebuild it? There was "Plan The Keystone" page. I think they said they were going to remove the interlocking. But the site is gone.