North Carolina NCDOT-Amtrak Carolinian Service

I also noticed on the Pinehurst trains that some of the NCDOT cars are looking rough, paint-wise. They need to be freshened up.

And I really think moving those cars and other F59 units as surplus sales was a mistake.

Isn't there an order for new cars or something like that? Perhaps that's why they sold the other equipment?

Lately it seems like that's the new fashion, to sell the old equipment before new equipment arrives and is tested. Amtrak is car-short and yet the Mexicans are running around with used Amtrak cars acquired in the last few years.

I'm not talking about the coaches. I am well aware of the fire and the rebuild needed.

I am talking about the 3 F59PH from Metrolink marked for surplus sales in particular, and the fact that City of High Point has not made a run since returning from California for the Diesel Aftertreatment system.

Even if they get Siemens trainsets, those will most likely be used on the Piedmont NCRR corridor service. The existing trainsets (and power need) would them be placed on the Charlotte to Wilmington or Raleigh to Down East service. Either way, it makes sense to convert more especially if you are running dual power in push/pull rather than the cab units, they are basically tying up up to 6 of your active locomotives (with a spare always being in Raleigh and Charlotte just in case). Having less than "just what is needed" seems like a problem.

For the coaches, right now, they have just enough to satisfy current service levels. For anything else (State Fair, Panthers games, US Open, Lexington Barbeque festival) then they do not have enough again.

For the record, they do use the cab cars, sporadically.

rallyrabbit wrote: ↑Thu Jun 20, 2024 7:27 am For the coaches, right now, they have just enough to satisfy current service levels. For anything else (State Fair, Panthers games, US Open, Lexington Barbeque festival) then they do not have enough again.

Same thing that Amtrak is doing with its LD fleet.

Historically NCDOT added coaches to Piedmont consists on weekends in the Fall to handle the bump in college student travel home (more than one conductor has used the phrase 'dirty laundry route') and Panthers games. While the new frequency will reduce that need somewhat, It will be a bummer to see a bunch of sellouts and a capacity crunch which I am sure is coming beginning in August.

Its also a shame that the Charlotte passenger equipment yard is still not being used. I believe it is 100% ready, but it will remain unused until Gateway Station (or a temporary Amshak) open up since it is a long way (on NS tracks) to get to from the current station.

Mr. Roberts, is the current Charlotte station that which the SRY built " out in the styks" early '60's?

Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Fri Jun 21, 2024 11:52 am Mr. Roberts, is the current Charlotte station that which the SRY built " out in the styks" early '60's?

Yes. But in this case, 'out in the sticks' just means the wrong side of downtown.

Its been made worse by the fact that a new station has been in the works for nearly 20 years, so no one involved with the current station has spent a dime to keep it up in that time.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/aifoF8SjKPGMr7WGA

The current station is not great, although it is a step up from Detroit in terms of cleanliness. The light rail blue line comes very close but that giant railroad yard in between negates any benefit. There is not a pedestrian bridge of any sort.

Turns out there is a new station being constructed slowly and the platforms are already there: https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2 ... ay-station

Looksl like there is a station at Johnson & Wales by the Yellow Line and also another one just south at the stadium. Unfortunatey while the host railroad goes to the airpor a few miles away, it does not appear Amtrak nor LYNX will.

rallyrabbit wrote: ↑Thu Jun 20, 2024 7:27 am Either way, it makes sense to convert more especially if you are running dual power in push/pull rather than the cab units, they are basically tying up up to 6 of your active locomotives (with a spare always being in Raleigh and Charlotte just in case). Having less than "just what is needed" seems like a problem.

There was no protect power in Charlotte (as of yesterday) and I don’t believe there has been any stored consistently here since they switched all the Piedmont gear to push pull. There was some work happening (two new / very updated sidings) around the Charlotte station yesterday. This was on the Tryon st side of the yard around 26th st. I have no idea what this is for, it may just be for industrial access. It would be weird if it were NCDOT passenger gear since the storage yard on the other side of town has been ready to go for a while (but needs Gateway Station to exist first).

As per usual (?) NS has not applied heat restrictions on the NCRR per the conductor on 72 yesterday at midday.

My other random observation from yesterday’s ride to Durham: there was an NS corporate dining car (heritage gear) attached to a work train in Linwood yard.

Tadman wrote: ↑Mon Jun 24, 2024 9:29 am Unfortunatey while the host railroad goes to the airpor a few miles away, it does not appear Amtrak nor LYNX will.

Gateway station has been a huge disaster of a PPP. The state took care of its track, platform and signal work on time and on budget but the private developer who’s responsibility it was to build the station building (in return for city-owned land) has been dragging their feet in the uncertain post-covid office market. Blame is getting passed between the developer, CATS (who has been slow in deciding the route for the Silver Line LRT*) and the state (who has been preventing Charlotte from moving ahead with transit expansion which has led to more uncertainty about LRT routing)

In terms of airport service: one of the intercity route expansion grants received by NCDOT is a Piedmont extension to Kings Mountain, that would include an airport stop. The LPA route for greenfield Atlanta-Charlotte HSR also includes a CLT stop. Finally, the next planned LRT line (the Silver Line) was originally going to run the width of the county from E-W and would include an airport stop as well. Unfortunately the state insisted that the transit expansion plan include more road spending, so the Silver Line east to downtown was abruptly cut. The Gateway Station to airport leg remains on the books. Expect a vote on an increased local sales tax for that in November (possibly). There has been talk that this vote would clear the way for the Gateway station project to be completed (I am dubious) and also some talk of a temporary Amshak.

Transit expansion has been stalled for a long while in Charlotte (in large part to the state blocking local funding initiatives). Unfortunately I have lost confidence in Charlotte’s ability to meaningfully expand transit (other than the Red Line Commuter route to the North).

Bob Roberts wrote: ↑Wed Jun 26, 2024 12:42 pm The state took care of its track, platform and signal work on time and on budget but the private developer who’s responsibility it was to build the station building (in return for city-owned land) has been dragging their feet in the uncertain post-covid office market.

This is obviously a tough call as Covid threw a very unexpected wrench into the commercial real estate market and I don't blame the developer for not wanting to invest in a multi-use building when there are vacancy rates in some cities of 25pct.

That said if all the railroad infrastructure is there, why can't the state build a temporary station such as a 10k sqft climate-controlled pole barn with a ticket window and some benches. Also it appears the Johson & Wales location is adjacent to the Greyhound station. Is there no way they can throw Greyhound a bone to make the Greyhound station a multi-modal station? As you can see this is not a stretch or a far fetched idea, it's an empty field, a greyhound station, and a train platform all adjacent. Also see the second pic, you have a light rail station right behind the Greyhound. This is a great setup for multi-modal and it's basically all done, just need to turn on the lights at the Amtrak station.

Is there yet any appetite for a WAS-CLT day train on the route of the Crescent ? Is that just too big affront to points east of GRO to envision a train that NC & VA should be thrilled collaborate on?

Arlington wrote: ↑Mon Sep 16, 2024 4:17 pm Is there yet any appetite for a WAS-CLT day train on the route of the Crescent ? Is that just too big affront to points east of GRO to envision a train that NC & VA should be thrilled collaborate on?

It really has not been mentioned at all. I think the option gets ignored because:

• The political center of the state's gravity is definitely between Raleigh and the A-Line cities

• The area north of Greensboro is pretty empty. Reidsville might get a stop, but there are no other benefits to NC for more connectivity north of Gboro

• I don't think NCDOT feels it has much to gain by sponsoring more trips out of state, especially when those trains have relatively few stops inside NC. Such a train would also eat up a long bridge slot -- something that is still scarce, even after after the new bridge is built

• I suspect the biggest reason is NCDOT does not want to antagonize NS by suggesting more passenger traffic on their main. NCDOT would probably prefer to keep their powder dry for more NCRR service

Having said that, it seems like extending an existing Lynchburg train further South would be relatively low-impact for NS?