High Level Platforms

MS - What is your **SOURCE** for this information concerning new Amtrak high level platforms???
Without any distinct official Amtrak information this is again only rumors or heresay...

The Ellana list I did find is for ADA station upgrades - and there is nothing whatsoever mentioned about ANY
construction of high level platforms at the listed stations.

The Amtrak Accessibility pages have no information posted about any new high level platform construction.
If there is a specific future Amtrak plan that includes high level platform construction that link would be posted.
MACTRAXX

lirrelectrician wrote: ↑Sun Apr 24, 2022 8:22 pm Hello all,
From what I gathered the following stations are planned or under construction. Windsor Locks, Coatsville, Parkesburg, Downingtown, Rhinecliff, and Charlotte. I have heard that MARC was supposed to do Aberdeen. As for Westerly and Mystic, they can be done but the stations will have to be moved, I dont know if any planning has been done yet. . I also heard Hudson NY is planned but would have to be moved too. I assume Newport News will be high level and I think I remember that Staples Mills road in Richmond is supposed to moved to the other side of the tracks with high levels too. Then there is Chicago. I heard that Amtrak wants to look into using the old mail docks as a high level platform there. That gives me 13 stations out of 24.

As said before, Ardmore PA is currently U/C.

Coatesville is under construction. Downingtown starts in 2025 (sigh). Windsor Locks is starting construction soon. Kingston-Rhinecliff starts very soon, with the pedestrian bridge being turned over to Amtrak last week. Charlotte Gateway is under construction. Parkesburg is still in design.

Also, Greenwood, Mississippi's just opened.

If I had my say:

Cornwells Heights
Mystic
New London
Westerly
Hudson
Utica
Rome
Amsterdam
Windsor (CT)
Parkesburg
Lynchburg Kemper
Culpeper
Manassas
Quantico
Ashland
Alexandria
Richmond Staples Mill
Aberdeen

all need to be on the priority list. Then figure out what to do with Richmond Main, Providence and Back Bay.

Manassas, Quantico, Ashland, and Alexandria are all in the process of or about to be rebuilt and expanded as low level platforms to support increased VRE traffic. Virginia’s plans for RVR is to rebuild the station on the east side of the tracks leading to Acca Yard with high level platforms. RVM will also allegedly have high level platforms.

Roadgeek Adam wrote: ↑Sat Apr 23, 2022 9:15 am My opinion is that all NEC stations for all systems should be HLP for safety reasons. I realize there's limitations, but it needs to be done. Amtrak, MARC, SEPTA and MBTA need to step it up on HLPing their stations along the NEC. (NJT has Jersey Avenue as well, but that's the only one they need to fix.)

I can't speak to the other agencies, but all MBTA NEC stations used by Amtrak are already high level.

In MBTA territory, Hyde Park, Canton Junction, Sharon, Mansfield, and Attleboro all need full-length high-level platforms that aren't currently planned. (South Attleboro is planned for a rebuild as soon as this year.) Obviously none of them are served by Amtrak, but reduced dwell times are needed to get MBTA trains out of the way of Amtrak trains.

MACTRAXX wrote: ↑Sun Apr 24, 2022 1:18 pm After looking at Amtrak's website and then searching for "Amtrak Accessibility Reports" I found NO list of 24
stations slated to have high level platforms constructed officially

This recent report outlines the dollars planned for ADA improvements across the network over the coming years.
https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/proj ... Y22-27.pdf

The EGE wrote: ↑Tue Apr 26, 2022 1:50 pm In MBTA territory, Hyde Park, Canton Junction, Sharon, Mansfield, and Attleboro all need full-length high-level platforms that aren't currently planned. (South Attleboro is planned for a rebuild as soon as this year.) Obviously none of them are served by Amtrak, but reduced dwell times are needed to get MBTA trains out of the way of Amtrak trains.

Mansfield was JUST rebuilt with mini-highs. Due to freight operations in the area high-level platforms can't be done at all of these locations without significant investment for things like freight bypass tracks or gauntlet tracks. It should be at least 30 years until Mansfield needs work again.

CTDOT spent tons of money on gauntlet tracks at the Berlin, Meriden, and Wallingford stations but I don't think they've ever been used. At the Berlin station the polymer yellow edge bolted to the concrete platform is getting shaven off by the freight cars.

Why are mini-highs allowed, but full-highs aren't? Unless the freight is supposed to stop short of the mini-high in the course of its duties and reverse, it still has to go by it, right?

Here's an issue I have with high level platforms; but with "common sense" being so "uncommon" in this world, I don't know what can be done to address it.

A few years back, '08 to be precise, I observed a very scary situation at Riverside CT. Two teen aged girls were sitting on the high level platform WITH THEIR LEGS HANGING OVER IT. For a family wedding, my Sister had arranged with the Town to allow station parking (a Saturday) and from there, had busses for the two miles (narrow blindspotted road) to her house. Being immediate family, I was "all dressed up". I had to do something!! So I went over there "Hey you two; I'm not a cop, but you had best get out of there; a train could not stop in time and you and your legs would be severed".

I guess that scared them enough. For me, that Yellow line is still too close.

GBN - I understand how you feel...I have witnessed something similar and remember saying something to
the individuals sitting on the edge of the high-level platform and being very blunt about the potential
danger made them change their location to a safer part of the platform...

Sometimes no matter what type of facilities a station has there are those who do not realize or understand
the dangers that trespassing on live railroad tracks can be - this memory from the early 2000s stands out...

I got off a southbound SEPTA Trenton Line local train at Holmesburg Junction Station in Northeast Philadelphia
(about 10 miles from 30th Street Station) on a quiet Sunday afternoon and was waiting for a ride. HBJ has low
level platforms - four NEC tracks through the station area with an inner-track fence in the middle to separate
both platform areas. There are wooden platform planks leading on to both tracks on both sides.

I noticed an elderly man sitting by himself at the station - presumably watching trains on what was a nice day
weatherwise. At some point he wandered over off the platform onto the track planks out to the fence...
I then kept watch - and noticing an Amtrak train approaching I yelled "TRAIN COMING - GET OFF THE TRACKS"
Luckily that caught his attention and he got back onto the platform - but it was close enough for the engineer
of the oncoming train to blow the horn on passing - and was a scary situation for me to witness.

One benefit of high-level platforms is that they tend to reduce trespassing incidents at stations.
But - as we know - there are people that do not take the dangers that railroad tracks present seriously...
MACTRAXX

Mr. MACTRAX, I'm not suggesting that the Town of Greenwich comprising five distinct localities have MNR chop down the high level platforms as the four stations (Greenwich, Cos Cob, Riverside, Old Greenwich) within their Town Limits. Those platforms unquestionably add to the efficiency of passenger boarding and alighting and hold down on personal injury to passengers - as distinct from trespassers.

But they do provide an environment in which stupid people can do stupid things. You and I have both been eyewitness to such to such and rising to a level calling for intervention on our respective parts.

I was in Westerly last week and noticed that it straightens out just east of the station, so it is reasonable to think of high levels at that location, especially on the #1 track toward New York. On the other hand platforms at Westerly were re-done not too long ago and are already up to low-level ADA specs. Possible commuter rail service to Westerly (Connecticut is studying it, not sure where RI stands at the moment) could also drive high levels.

MattW wrote: ↑Wed Apr 27, 2022 11:22 pm Why are mini-highs allowed, but full-highs aren't? Unless the freight is supposed to stop short of the mini-high in the course of its duties and reverse, it still has to go by it, right?

Since they are very short in length, it is practicable to hinge the edges, and manually raise and lower same as required for a disabled passenger. See: https://csengineermag.com/train-station ... platforms/