The East Side Access Project Discussion (ESA)

Mod Note: You can find a topic on MNRR access to Penn in the MNRR forum. This is about ESA.

Latest update from the MTA website.

MTA officials have dedicated two tunnel boring machines that will create four tunnels under Sunnyside Yard in Queens, connecting the tracks of the Long Island Rail Road Main Line with the tunnel under the East River that leads to Grand Central Terminal. The tunnels, to be completed in October 2012, are the last to be built as part of the East Side Access project. The machines, named Tess and Molina by sixth graders at I.S. 204 in Long Island City, will start to mine next month.

Link to the press release:
http://mta.info/news/stories/?story=211

Will the ESA have clearences for the Dual -Mode trains or will it only be Mu's?

According to Tool, no.
http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopi ... 15#p598512

the two level tunnel under rooseveldt Island can only accomodate M3/M7 cars

Know this would mean 2 or 3 rail agencies working together for a common goal, so would never happen, but tech question: Is there clearance for catenary equipment IF one of the proposed Amtrak/NJT Hudson River tunnel projects EVER goes forward and wants to connect to ESA tunnels for GCT and Sunnyside access?

no there is not room for catenary equipment, the tunnel could not even accomodate m2/4/6 or m8 due to roof hump.

"the tunnel could not even accomodate m2/4/6 or m8 due to roof hump."

Sorry to bother, but is that true for the entire ESA tunnel system or just the section under the East River?

Thanks

the entire part under East river tunnels and the second level of Roosevelt subway tunnel all way to park avenue.
But what does it matter what part, it will be impossible to fix as its part of an existing tunnel

"But what does it matter what part, it will be impossible to fix as its part of an existing tunnel"

You are right about not being able to go under the East River, so that would be out of the question without another tunnel. I was just wondering how much of the project had that restriction.

I was more interested as to whether LIRR & NJT could share the ESA station space at GCT? IF the TBMs are still at the end of the ESA trailing tracks south of GCT, could they continue turning west to go under the Hudson River to replace the now dead ARC/The Tunnel project AND have a connection to WSY for LIRR?

Also, is there an online source for rail car heights? Usually I find lenghts and widths, but not always heights, even at the manufacture's sites. I usually find the info on this site (usually from your posts for some strange reason ), but have to read thru soooo many posts.

There will NEVER be a direct connection between GCT and NYP, water tunnel 1 is in the way.
NJT will not run to GCT cause there is no way to go once they get to GCT, The ESA tunnels are not Connected to any MNCR tracks.
top of a M-7 is 13 foot 1 1/2 " over rails

Since retrofitting the existing tunnels is cost prohibitive, there are savings (boring, ventilation, etc.) in desgining the new tunnels for the M-Series vehicles. As a result, there is no room in the 19'-6" diameter ESA tunnels for catenary or bi-levels.

"NJT will not run to GCT cause there is no way to go once they get to GCT, The ESA tunnels are not Connected to any MNCR tracks."

Since the NJT ARC/The Tunnel project was suppose to be a stub terminal, reversing direction at one of LIRR's 4 track/2 platform stations at GCT would not have been different - would result in reduction of train capacity over their 6/3 plan, but gain ESA for its riders. How much capacity would LIRR have lost giving up one 4/2 station to NJT for thru service to WSY with the other 4/2 station (no platforms at NYP)? Posts on the board give a thru vs reverse station at about 3:1 increase in capacity, but sharing a tunnel between GCT and WSY with NJT might bring this down to 2:1, so not much capacity loss. Guess question is can WSY handle additional trains?

Just want to be clear about the water tunnel issue: A tunnel can be gotten around/under/over water tunnel 1, so is the issue the vibrations/shaking from such contruction damaging this old vital water tunnel? Nothing can be done until WT3 is finally completed?

DEP in NY forbids any excavation within 100 foot of the water tunnel, even when its shut down for maintenance.
And if NJT were to use the ESA station , LIRR would loose at least 50% of its capacity.

ESA Update, New Video

East Side Access Soft Ground TBM Launch