Railroad Forums
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electricron wrote: ↑Sun Jan 10, 2021 10:13 pmHere is an analogy, take it or leave it. Miami built a brand new shoe and Amtrak is saying the shoe is too small. Miami's answer is cut of your toes off and the shoe will fit. Amtrak's reply, we love our toes and therefore you can keep your new shoe. Our old shoe works perfectly for us, it is well broken in, and it fits.Not quite. Miami's (or Florida's) answer was, "We'll cut an end off the shoe and your heel or toes can stick out on days that they are swollen." Amtrak's reply is still the same.
Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Mon Jan 11, 2021 7:13 am Now where I am at a loss is understanding why Tri-Rail has not yet accessed the Miami Central facility. The "oh we still have to work on the PTC" lame-one is becoming a bit old. Considering many of us around here have "PTC of sorts" in our autos today (next hurdle is to have it force adherence to posted speeds and traffic signals), why can't it be perfected for the rails? Lest we forget, the enabling legislation, RSIA 08, was enacted twelve years ago.It’s not Tri-Rail’s fault. SFRTA installed the on-board equipment that FEC required for its proprietary-to-FEC PTC solution, in addition to the PTC on-board equipment required for its own “standard” system (Wabtec IETMS). FEC was unable to make their proprietary system work, and last year they gave up and decided to go with...Wabtec IETMS. They’ve had to start from scratch, and while Tri-Rail’s equipment is ready to go, FEC is not.
Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Tue Jan 12, 2021 1:30 pm The only Amtrak passengers that would be benefitted by the airport station would be those who desire to rent an auto (and willing to pay airport rates). Amtrak must have knowledge of "how many", but I would think that number is low. Passengers will either be "met" by friends/relatives, or will take a taxicab to destination.You completely lost me here Mr. Norman. Florida is a huge tourist destination and therefore a huge car rental market. I have often visited this area and whenever we have arrived at Hialeah we then had to Uber to a car rental agency or hotel which were near the airport station. There is a large number of hotels around the airport and none around the Hialeah station.
Backshophoss wrote: ↑Tue Jan 12, 2021 5:10 pm Might help if the airport goons offer to fix their mistakes at the intermodal facility and a few years of free use to Amtrak as the peace offering!!Trying to remember the details here. I kind of remember some talk about Amtrak never informing the architects about how long the platforms should be and maybe even approving the inadequate design. Whatever the reasons, the "airport goons" have fixed the most serious problem (trains blocking east-west road access). It seems more likely that Amtrak just doesn't want to do it.
electricron wrote: ↑Tue Jan 12, 2021 7:19 pm Amtrak long distance trains going to Miami are not double headed like Brightline trains, nor do their long distance trains have cabs opposite the locomotive like TriRail trains. So an Amtrak train would have to reverse at very slow speeds for miles to turn around. I doubt FEC would allow that.Silver Star does it all the time approaching Tampa.
