Recent updates to the NEC Master Plan

I found and read with interest the 2010 NEC Master Plan and the 2012 Vision Update. Both documents, although out of date, had lots of interesting information in them about the plans Amtrak has for the NEC and the reasons why those plans should be executed. Does anyone know if Amtrak will be compiling and publishing a more recent update to the NEC Master Plan?

I also noticed that neither document had any significant detail about any proposed or planned upgrades to the electric transmission and distribution used by the 25Hz and 60Hz electrification systems on the NEC. The sheer breadth and depth of service increases made possible by the new track, interlockings and yards in the plan would almost certainly require increases in 25Hz and 60Hz capacity, but neither document talks about this in any great detail (that I noticed). Obviously the proposals in both documents won't be built as written, but even if some of those projects are constructed and train services increase in response, more electricity Is going to have to come from somewhere. Are there separate documents published by Amtrak that talk about this type of capacity upgrade for the NEC?

Hmm, I seem to recall some recent additional capacity being put online. Not sure the details though.

Greg Moore wrote:Hmm, I seem to recall some recent additional capacity being put online. Not sure the details though.

Do you know where I could look on the Amtrak website to find out more?

The long-range planning is found at http://necfuture.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The latest document is a preliminary alternatives evaluation published November, 2014. http://necfuture.com/pdfs/2014_nov_prel ... s_eval.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Tier I EIS that is being developed under the NEC Future planning effort will be the guiding document for NEC capital spending and NEC projects for at least the next 10-15 years. So it matters. A lot. It will supersede the Amtrak NEC Master Plan and Vision documents which were primarily broad planning documents to advance the discussions about how to modernize the NEC.

The other key player is the NEC Infrastructure and Operating Advisory Commission. The Commission is comprised of representatives from each NEC state DOT, the US DOT, and Amtrak. In 2013, the Commission issued the Critical Infrastructure Needs on the Northeast Corridor report which is the successor document to the Amtrak 2010 NEC Master Plan, although the Commission report is an overview summary.

The more recent NEC Commission documents are the "NEC Five-Year Capital Needs Assessment: FY15-19" which lists a lot of track, power, bridge projects to be done and not nearly enough funding available.

This week, the NEC Commission issued the "NEC Commuter and Intercity Rail Cost Allocation Policy" which will guide how the operating and capital costs of the NEC are going to be allocated between the states, Amtrak, and the federal government (if Congress provides the money). Critical NEC document.

I don't know where else to put this, so it's going here. Concerning the Kingston RI by-pass track:

Crews were out doing a lot of subgrade work east of the track 1 platform, as well as brush cutting heading east towards the interlocking plant. I would judge that the current crossovers are at least 3/4 mile east of the station, and I presume the new third track would diverge there. It also seems as if there used to be a third track east of the station leading to the small yard in Kingston.

West of the station, there had been some grading done, and there is already a track there, although it's an industrial track and no doubt will be ripped up and replaced with better rail as the project progresses.

No sign of signal work, but I may have missed it.

This is a long short,
In that 2010 report they cite "The Northeast Corridor Infrastructure Master Plan, Phase I Project
Development Report, February 2008." Does anyone have access to that report?

Could file a FOIA request…