roberttosh wrote:All the money in the world will not be able to address most of the issues I brought up and even if it could, CSX is never going to run a mainline out of Selkirk to New England by way of Rotterdam Jct, that in the future may require up to 10, 12, 14, or more backup moves per day creating an unprecedented bottleneck on a busy main line, especially when the existing B&A route is an unimpeded high speed route that checks all the boxes.
Certainty only comes with death and taxes. When you add strategic needs, political power and possibility; resources from infrastructure funding, sale of assets, and available horse-trading; a 25-year planning horizon; PSR operating philosophy; and, importantly, options, there is possibility at this time for creating utility in PAS for CSX to move some degree of east-of-Springfield traffic over from the B&A.
With history providing a possible clue to the future, a look to past examples of where freight was moved to make way for passenger rail; the evolution of Boston metropolitan rail freight, first addressed strategically some 60 years ago, and with necessary on-going strategic planning during the past 34 years; and, the activity leading up to a deal, the deal itself for sale of the B&A from CP-22 to CP-45, and then the results coming from the deal also provides some credence to the possibility.
In raising the issue of an "unprecedented bottleneck on a busy main line", the possibility of getting 38, 48, 58 freight and passenger trains in, out and through Worcester in the future also has to be part of that discussion. And, might a mix of resources and horse-trading, PSR operating philosophy, and options mitigate a potential Rotterdam Jct. bottleneck should CSX move B&A traffic over to PAS?
Screen shot from John DiPietro's 3/17/21 Youtube video
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