RAILforum: in genral about USRail and its HSR.

This is topic in genral about USRail and its HSR. in forum Amtrak at RAILforum.

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Posted by hyperrailnut (Member # 1559) on :

hi,

i am new member, regarding rail services, i came to know from my friends that travelling by car is the only option in states like tennesse, georgia etc.

i have seen 2,3 or even 4 multiple powerful engines like genesis hauling passenger trains(with few/many frieght cars). Is it due to gradients or does the workload justifies such practice?

Regarding HSR, i thought that there is a HST between New York/Boston/Washington-Chicago route, but very sad to hear that there is nothing like that. Is there any work on that project that has commenced?

Is the New York-Chicago route electrified? i hope it is.

Regards
hyperrailnut

Posted by reggierail (Member # 26) on :

Generally speaking 1 or 2 engines would be sufficient for most passenger trains if there were no gradients to require the additional power.
There is not presently high speed rail service between the NEC & Chicago. HSR service may soon develop between New York & Buffalo; Buffalo & Cleveland; Cleveland & Chicago. Someday there will be service along the entire route.
This is why we must keep our national system as the corridors will benefit the national system as well.
Reggie

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Posted by irishchieftain (Member # 1473) on :

quote:
Is the New York-Chicago route electrified?

Depends on what corridor you're talking about, since there's more than one. The ex-NY Central corridor (used by the Lake Shore Limited) is electrified between New York City (generally speaking) and the former Croton North station in NY State; the former Pennsylvania RR main line is electrified between New York and Harrisburg, PA. There was another NY-Chicago route, that being the former Erie RR main line, but that was never electrified and it only plays host to NYC area commuter trains and freights nowadays. The only electrified routes in the Chicago area are the ex-Illinois Central Metra commuter lines to Blue Island, plus the South Shore Line (currently North Indiana Commuter Transit District) between Randolph Street Station and South Bend, IN.

quote:
Regarding HSR, i thought that there is a HST between New York/Boston/Washington-Chicago route

There is a HST running between Boston, New York and Washington (not Chicago) on former New Haven and Pennsylvania RR lines, but thanks to some tremendous gaffes, speeds are held down for the vast majority of the route. Nowadays, the service is advertised emphasizing comfort, not speed, since the speeds of the train are matched by the older AEM-7s hauling Amfleet cars.

The former NY-Washington-Chicago train, the Cardinal (cut back to between Washington and Chicago nowadays) always had to change power en route.