Northeast Corridor Track Capacity (PHL-WAS)

Apparently Delaware DOT and Amtrak recently added an additional track (bringing it up to 3) on the NEC near Wilmington and Newark eliminating a two track bottleneck.

"WILMINGTON, Del. — Amtrak, the Delaware Department of Transportation, and the Delaware Transit Corp. have completed a $71.2 million project adding 1.5 miles of third main track on the Northeast Corridor between Wilmington and Newark, Del. The project, which also includes bridge replacement and other improvements, eliminates a two-track section of the corridor." Trains Mag Newswire

In thinking about it, I always assumed the exPennsy NEC was at a minimum three tracks from NYP to DC. Apparently not. How much of the NEC is only two tracks? (And that begs the question, how hard would it be to add additional trackage).

Offhand, I'd say that there are a few areas of double-track on the NEC at present.

- most of the New Haven to Boston segment
- approaches to New York Penn
- approaches to 30th Street Philadelphia
- Baltimore (B&P tunnel)
- Susquehanna River bridge crossing vicinity

There may be more but that's what I can recall.

In terms of adding more tracks, there are plans to increase capacity at a number of the areas listed above. As you might expect, since many of these bottlenecks involve key bridges and tunnels or many miles of track, the cost of improvements is extreme.

add to that Gunpowder River bridge (Edgewood - Chase MS)
and the long stretch from Landover to essentially Ivy City (New York Avenue)

Well, the "High Line" section of the NEC certainly should have had four tracks a while ago as well as those new North River Tubes. The waiting game for Gateway Project is endless and is not only a headache for Amtrak passengers but NJT's as well. In fact, NJT runs a lot more trains through the tunnels than Amtrak does.

The Hellgate Line portion of the Corridor needs to be four tracks in as many spots as possible, especially of MNR starts running trains serving the East Bronx. MNR is supposed to do that. That includes building a brand new Pelham Bay Drawbridge to support four tracks and faster speeds. I think the stretch of the Hellgate Line from Harold to Gate Interlocking might remain two tracks given the fact that the topography is sloppy on both sides.

NY&LB wrote: ↑Tue Dec 08, 2020 11:56 am add to that Gunpowder River bridge (Edgewood - Chase MS)
and the long stretch from Landover to essentially Ivy City (New York Avenue)

Especially the Anacostia River bridge - that’s the only two-track choke point that can’t be easily expanded with bulldozers and ballast.

The Anacostia River Bridge should have its track capacity doubled or at least triple tracked. Not just that bridge but the right of way itself from Ivy City to whatever the interlocking is where the NEC leaves CSX around Cheverly. This will not only benefit Amtrak but also MARC trains, especially if more MARC trains ever get added between DC and Baltimore which is a must.

A few more:

In Philadelphia, from just east of the Schuylkill River, Amtrak, SEPTA from Chestnut Hill West and Trenton, and NJ Transit from Atlantic City, share one track across the river and through a duckunder beneath the tracks headed west (used by the East-West trains to Harrisburg and beyond back in the day) until the split where trains for 30th St. Lower Level bear left and SEPTA trains for the Upper Level bear right. 'Twas ever thus -- it's been a choke point for 90-some years and I don't see any fix for it.

From HOLLY interlocking (south of Claymont), where the freight tracks diverge for Edge Moor Yard, passing underneath the northbound passenger track, to Wilmington, is double track, but at least without intermediate local stations.

From BACON to PRINCE (North East to Principio on old timetables). This would probably be the easiest to fix.

The long bridge over the Bush River, south of Aberdeen, is another double-track stretch.

I forgot to. mention that southbound SEPTA trains for Wilmington, unless continuing to Newark, need to run south on Track 2 from LANDLITH, just south of Wilmington Shops (sorry, Maintenance Facility) to WINE, at the north end of Wilmington station, in order to platform on Track 1. That problem has existed since the introduction of the Metroliners resulted in the raising of the platform between Tracks 2 and 3 to accommodate them and the consequent displacement of. the Wilmington locals to Track 1, previously used by northbound through trains. That problem has existed for about 50 years and could be alleviated by adding a facing crossover from 3 to 2 as part of WINE, but it just never made the cut.

And can anyone please explain this?! The section of double track can easily be solved by a series of switches or interlockings between SEPTA and Amtrak before this divide, and the equipment that utilizes the two tracks that are currently bumpers can be moved to empty space in 30th street yard, or just place a few storage tracks at the "boneyard" of a wye.

If they want to use the empty space on the western half of the wye, then:

how is a third track normally signaled , I would presume bidirectional , or does the middle track become the 3rd track ?
I.e is it available from both other tracks , in both directions?

David Benton wrote: ↑Wed Dec 09, 2020 12:37 am how is a third track normally signaled , I would presume bidirectional , or does the middle track become the 3rd track ?
I.e is it available from both other tracks , in both directions?

All tracks between Philadelphia and Washington are signal for operation in both directions. In the Amtrak NEC rule book this is referred to as rule 261. There is no established direction on these tracks.

The new 3rd track between "Yard" and "Ragan" actually helps SEPTA the most as meets between SEPTA trains can now take place between "Brandy" and "Ragan" (Wilmington area).

njtmnrrbuff wrote: ↑Tue Dec 08, 2020 9:36 pm The Anacostia River Bridge should have its track capacity doubled or at least triple tracked. Not just that bridge but the right of way itself from Ivy City to whatever the interlocking is where the NEC leaves CSX around Cheverly. This will not only benefit Amtrak but also MARC trains, especially if more MARC trains ever get added between DC and Baltimore which is a must.

The two track stretch between "CP Avenue" (Washington) and "Landover" has several issues that will need to address sooner or later and at considerable cost.

1) Between CP Avenue and the north-end of Ivy City yard the tracks run alongside the CSXT line on the west and a tall hillside on the east. This is the location where the CSXT track make a sharp curve to the west passing over the Icy City yard lead tracks on a bridge. Moving the CSXT tracks over to add two additional Amtrak tracks would make this curve even sharper (stringline) which I assume CSXT would not allow. On the eastside between CP Avenue and Ivy City yard the tracks run alongside a steep hill along which New York Avenue runs. Halfway along this hill is a hotel built on stilts currently called The Red Carpet Inn (aka The tilton Hilton). Between the hillside on which New York Avenue and the hotel rest on and the CSXT tracks to the west adding two tracks here will not be easy or cheap.

2) Moving on starting at the north end of Ivy City Yard to the New York Avenue Route 50 overhead bridge the tracks run on a raised embankment with warehouses on either side. By using old sidings on both sides of the ROW you might be able to thread four tracks through this section. It will require a lot off dirt work and you'd probably need retaining walls where the two outside tracks are up against the warehouses.

3) From the rute 50 overhead bridge to Cheverly is the REAL problem on this two track segment as the tracks pass through the Anacostia flood zone. Between the Anacostia river bridge and the CSXT overhead bridge the tracks regularly flood during heavy rain and thunderstorms. Raising the tracks between the route 50 bridge and Cheverly will have to be done sooner or later as rising sea levels will cause the Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac river to raise which in turn will backup the Anacostia river. While I'm not sure about the clearance under the Route 201 Anacostia Freeway the clearance under the CSXT bridge at Cheverly is already too tight. A new higher CSXT bridge would have to be built along with longer approaches to it for heavy freight trains. If you're going to build an elevated railroad on pilings through this flood zone you might as well go with four tracks. This, like I said, will have to be done sooner or later and will cost BIG $$$.

4) Between Cheverly and Landover there's probably JUST enough room to squeeze two more tracks in between Route 50 on the west and the Metro Orange line to the east. Between "Landover" and the future interlocking at "Hanson" there is room for four tracks.

Adding capacity is easy .... just bring LOTS and LOTS of money.

Actually I would suggest four tracking the line between "Hanson" and "Winans" first with "Carroll" and "Bridge" reconfigured for MARC on the outside tracks and Amtrak on the two inside tracks. With the exception of the Anacostia flood zone work the two track section isn't that big of a deal when you consider how many trains Amtrak and NJT run between "A" interlocking and "Hudson" which is a similar distance.

Hmmm lots of capacity issues south of Baltimore into Washington per some of the prior replies ... could the B&O route be used from Baltimore instead of the NEC (Pennsy) to take some pressure off the NEC? How does the running time compare on these two competing MARC routes?

Moderator Note: renamed, now covering Philly to the DMV. Let’s discuss the racetrack and the shore line elsewhere.