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Owen Evans of the Carolina Association for Passenger Trains sends this email regarding what North Carolinians may expect to see from NCDOT's share of HSR stimulus funds -
"The word is, $620 million will be spent between DC and Charlotte.
$75 million for adding a third track from Arkendale to Powell Creek in Virginia. (Through Quantico and over the new bridge at Possum Point.) This will probably help VRE most, but Amtrak stands to benefit as well.
$25 towards three new crossovers on the A-line
$520 million for improvements between Raleigh and Charlotte.
Looking at NC's stimulus applications, I expect that the $520 million will cover: (1) The CRISP CSX/NS grade separation in Charlotte, which will allow passenger trains to go all the way to the planned station at Trade Street (2) Better layover facilities in Charlotte for more / longer trains (3) Full double track between Greensboro and Charlotte (4) 2 new passing sidings between Raleigh and Greensboro (Clegg-Nelson and Graham to Haw River) (5) 3 new grade separations (Morrisville Parkway, Hopson Road, and Klumac Road)
...and a number of other minor improvements, like platform extensions, curve realignments, etc.
I expect that the exact scope of the improvements within NC will be announced this afternoon.
Nothing goes towards the S-line from Raleigh to Petersburg though, which is a disappointment, but when you have 50 states and $8 billion, you have to pick and choose somehow. I'm also disappointed to see only $75 million going to Virginia; I would have liked to see $200 million or so to build the Acca Bypass."
George Harris Member # 2077
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If there was ever a place that met the "shovel ready" criteria, North Carolina is it. They have a bunch of well thought out improvements just waiting for money.
palmland Member # 4344
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David, do you know the specifics of the track improvements in Charlotte? Does this mean the new station there will be built anytime soon?
NC certainly does deserve the funding it received. I was surprised that there was no mention of the larger project- HSR Washington to Atlanta. I would have thought some initial work might be done on the Richmond to Petersburg segment. This would leave only the Petersburg to Raleigh line former SAL line restoration to link to NC's work, Raleigh to Charlotte.
Looks like the "Brosnanshack' SRY built when they were "anti-passenger'. It doesn't appear to be "uh exactly' Downtown.
Somewhere in my collection I have a photo of the Crescent taken there during August 1964 while a Charlotte-NY Pullman line was added to the consist (fans of en-route pick up/set out cars would have loved that train as such were done at Atlanta, Greenville, Charlotte, Greensboro - Asheville cars for Mr. Presley, and Wash).
notelvis Member # 3071
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Palmland,
Plans have been on the books for a new Charlotte station for years. The NCDOT even trotted them out for Norm Minetta to 'inspect' during his 'kill amtrak' roadshow a few years ago.
From what I gather, this funding will not be used towards the station itself but to in some way mitigate congestion at a NS/CSX crossover north of downtown.
As for the former Seaboard line between Raleigh and Petersburg, that project is not quite shovel ready. The final ROW (which may not mirror where the former tracks once were) has not been determined. Besides, the funds awarded are only a fraction of what would be needed to get the tracks back. I think that NC is being prudent in concentrating on projects that will bring incremental, tangible improvement....
In other words, it will be evident what the NCDOT is doing with the money much sooner.
palmland Member # 4344
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thanks, David. Here is what good ol' Wikipedia has to say:
"In 1991, the city of Charlotte announced the proposed site along West Trade Street as the preferred location for a replacement facility for the existing Amtrak station along North Tryon Street.[2] The North Carolina Department of Transportation began the acquisition of property for Gateway Station in 1998, with the 27-acre (110,000 m2) acquisition complete by February 2004.[3]
Announced publicly in August 2005, the proposed Gateway Station is envisioned to serve as both a multimodal transit center in addition to both office and retail space.[4] Costing an estimated $100 million to complete, this is presently the site of the Charlotte Greyhound bus terminal and was the previous location of the Southern Railway train station until 1962 when it was demolished.[4] As originally presented, the station will feature an underground station for CATS buses, a 100,000-square-foot (9,300 m2) office building, and soaring lobby for other rail and bus services in the building's atrium.[4]"
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Quite a project and as I recall from the drawings of it, the station was very impressive - as it should be for $100 Million. I guess the trackwork must be just north of downtown where CSX and NS converge at a large ADM plant - prime real estate that I'm sure the city would rather have as condos than a nasty old industry.
GBN - actually the present station isn't bad. I suspect it will become a coach yard when the new one is built. As to set out Pullmans, it seems to me the Peach Queen reigned as the train with the most enroute Pullman work. Certainly in its prime the Crescent wouldn't be bothered by mundane stuff, perhaps more in later years.
George Harris Member # 2077
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The set out pullman (and coaches as well) at Charlotte was the sleeper for the Augusta Special. The coaches to/from Augusta GA ran with the Crescent between Washington and Charlotte, thus the note in the pasenger timetable on the Crescent: "no coaches Charlotte to Atlanta."
Before this combination, the Crescent ran by itself all the way and the combined Augusta Special - Asheville Special were one train between Washington and Greensboro.
South of Atlanta, the Crescent always had coaches, so far as I know.
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