“Transforming Rail in Virginia”

KTHW wrote: ↑Fri May 20, 2022 9:32 pm Long Bridge is probably one of the most important infrastructure projects given the amount of passenger and freight rail that traverses it, and the long route around it, should it ever go down for extended maintenance.

Once the project is done, VRE can operate like another Metro line between ALX and WAS by running all day 15 min frequencies, given that VA will own all passenger rail infrastructure between the two points, and is planning a yard just south of ALX to short turn trains.

I thought first street tunnel has a limit of 6 trains per hour?
I can't recall who set it, but if more possible, then yes, it'll take out union station metro crush load traffic. It will mean changing ticketing systems (VRE to e-ticket), but someone getting to VA from Maryland having options would be popular.

STrRedWolf wrote: ↑Fri May 20, 2022 10:38 pm Palmetto and Carolinian are day-time trains and are slated to switch to the ICT, so that cuts out those swaps. Ditto for the Regional. That means only the LD overnighters are swapping. The Crescent is NYC to New Orleans and takes 29+ hours. That's swapping. Silver Star/Meteor is swapping. The Cardinal is swapping. That's 8 swaps per day versus what, one every 30 minutes?

Do not forget the Capitol which often swaps its locos onto the others you listed. Once Amtrak starts getting more revenue cars that will probably require each LD trains to have at least 2 locos. If the FTW <> Meridian route comes into fruition by next3 years probably Crescent will need 3 locos for traveling the hog backs from BHM <> ALX. Also, the Auto Train often swaps out their P-40s to go to Beech.

Auto Train may need to go to 3 locos if the rumors of CSX allowing over 50 cars is true.

west point wrote: ↑Sat May 21, 2022 5:22 pm Do not forget the Capitol which often swaps its locos onto the others you listed. Once Amtrak starts getting more revenue cars that will probably require each LD trains to have at least 2 locos. If the FTW <> Meridian route comes into fruition by next3 years probably Crescent will need 3 locos for traveling the hog backs from BHM <> ALX. Also, the Auto Train often swaps out their P-40s to go to Beech.

Auto Train may need to go to 3 locos if the rumors of CSX allowing over 50 cars is true.

I only concentrated on swapping between diesel and electric. Engine equipment management (switching engines between all the lines going through WAS) wasn't my thought at all...

But if you're going that route, well, once we get the ICT's in, there's going to be a lot of P-40/42 and ALC engines Amtrak will have on hand. A reduction in swapping electric for diesel just frees up more engines to use in total.

Lower-level Track 22 at Union Station is being rebuilt to be an additional passenger track. I don't know whether it will have a high platform.

Literalman wrote: ↑Mon May 23, 2022 7:16 pm Lower-level Track 22 at Union Station is being rebuilt to be an additional passenger track. I don't know whether it will have a high platform.

Suspect that high will only be built now if it is positive that a high will not interfere with the expansion plans that have not yet been finalized.

Literalman wrote: ↑Mon May 23, 2022 7:16 pm Lower-level Track 22 at Union Station is being rebuilt to be an additional passenger track. I don't know whether it will have a high platform.

Would be nice if it were. Probably won't, because VRE and Superliners.

STrRedWolf wrote: ↑Tue May 24, 2022 3:37 pm

Literalman wrote: ↑Mon May 23, 2022 7:16 pm Lower-level Track 22 at Union Station is being rebuilt to be an additional passenger track. I don't know whether it will have a high platform.

Would be nice if it were. Probably won't, because VRE and Superliners.

I guess it's not possible to engineer a platform to be raised, when the time comes?

Further thought. 2nd Long Bridge should be started immediately and enough track to connect to CSX tracks. There is always the very slight possibility that CSX might derail a freight into the truss part of the bridge. That truss part is actually a swing bridge that sits on the center pedestal and may be much more vulnerable to damage or destruction by a freight derailment.

A construction contract and engineering bid has not been put out or even a request for interest. So, there might be a need to open it one last time to allow construction barges to pass to other side. Opening may no longer be possible. Probably a temporary construction bridge will be built much like what Brightline is doing at their rebuilt bridges.

The Long Bridge swing span has been deactivated, since the I395 bridge went in. The bridgekeeepers shack, and protection piers removed. Swing span last opened March 3, 1969.

New grant awarded. I think there is another thread on this

"Raleigh to Richmond Corridor Infrastructure Engineering & Safety Program (Up to $57,900,000)
North Carolina Department of Transportation

The proposed project will perform surveys and complete preliminary engineering for Raleigh to Richmond (R2R) Corridor Program improvements between Raleigh, North Carolina, and Richmond, Virginia. Included in this project is the construction of a grade separation on the S-Line in Wake Forest, North Carolina. The project will advance the next phase of the R2R corridor development, which will eventually result in new intercity passenger rail service on a state-owned route that will access currently underserved and minority rural communities with rail service, as well as improve travel times on the existing Amtrak Silver Meteor service."

https://railroads.dot.gov/newsroom/pres ... ove-rail-0

Here are the detail maps Richmond to Raleigh.

https://railroads.dot.gov/sites/fra.dot ... d_maps.pdf

west point wrote: ↑Fri Jun 03, 2022 4:22 pm Here are the detail maps Richmond to Raleigh.

https://railroads.dot.gov/sites/fra.dot ... d_maps.pdf

Half of the maps are mussing.

yes missing.quit tryingtofindthem. They are soewhere in us FRA

west point wrote: ↑Fri Jun 03, 2022 11:51 pm yes missing.quit tryingtofindthem. They are soewhere in us FRA

Part 2: https://railroads.dot.gov/sites/fra.dot ... d_maps.pdf

Interesting update out of the VPRA meeting. It looks like VRE is planning "core shuttles" between ALX and WAS once the new Long Bridge is completed. They would use the small yard south of ALX to lay over (presumably with MARC trains as well). I've been advocating for this for a while, but hopefully these (bi directional) frequencies will move us a step closer to turning the core VRE line into essentially another metro line