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The July issue of TRAINS has an article entitled, "What's Ahead For Amtrak". The article has a listing of planned developments and upgrades, for Amtrak, in the coming years.
*Chicago/Quad Cities - 2 rounds trips daily over the Iowa Interstate and BNSF starting in 2014.
*Chicago-Detroit-Pontiac - 232 miles to be upgraded for 110 mph to reduce time by 5.5 hrs
*Chicago/Dubuque - Once a day train between Chicago and Dubuque by late 2014.
*Chicago/St. Louis - by 2014 a 1.3 billion upgrade to cut time down by 45-55 minutes.
*Jacksonville-Miami - A new 350 mile route using the Florida East Coast Railway.
*Portland-Brunswick - 2 of the 5 Boston-Portland, Maine round trips to run up to Brunswick by late 2012.
*Raleigh-Charlotte - An additional Raleigh-Charlotte train to add to the two already running.
*Richmond/Norfolk - An extension from Richmond to Petersburg, VA via CSX and NS to Norfolk, VA, by autumn.
*Seattle/Portland - $800 million to the Cascades to tighten schedules and up the Talgo round trip trains from four to six.
******************** Questions:
*The article states that a new 350 route via Florida East Coast Railway is "all but certain"..what impact will it have on the Silver Meteor and Silver Star?
*Chicago/Dubuque - With both the California Zephyr and Southwest Chief going into Iowa (however breifly) from Chicago, is a Chicago to Dubuque run, over CN, really necessary? Is it an important commuter route?
*Chicago-Detroit-Pontiac - is there still any hope for some sort of Detroit to Windsor Amtrak train to link up with the VIA?
*Chicago/St Louis - No mention of a daily Cardinal..can we hope for that?
*Seattle-Portland - I would like to see, with more Talgos, a morning run between Seattle, Portland, and Eugene which would allow the Cascade to get into Eugene at a earlier time. Now it gets in at 8:50 PM (507) and 11:45 PM (509).
Richard
Tanner929 Member # 3720
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We need to regional the railroads. The fleecing of tax money began with the railroads. Until people can get quality service on train trips less then 60 miles they will not be booking train trips 100 miles away. The Federal Government and State Government compete with themselves then wonder why they continue to lose money. Could a private rail company compete? Of course not the history of corruption between railroad builders and politicians is longer then that of military fraud.
notelvis Member # 3071
posted *Chicago/Dubuque - With both the California Zephyr and Southwest Chief going into Iowa (however breifly) from Chicago, is a Chicago to Dubuque run, over CN, really necessary? Is it an important commuter route?
I believe that the real interest here is in adding Rockford, IL to the national rail passenger service map. Amtrak had service to Dubuque in the 1970's and very early 1980's so there is precedent in serving that endpoint as well.
Ironically - during the 1990's I worked for a number of summers with a youth organization in Dubuque, IA. Had this operation - called the Blackhawk - been around at that time, I would have been a regular rider.
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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To address Richard's inquiry regarding a "sidebar" within an article addressing the strengths and shortcomings of the Boardman administration, all save one of the routes addressed depend upon the largess of local level funding; none will move forth without such.
The exception; a JAX-MIA reroute of one train over the FEC, and which would be Federally funded. I for one do not think that is a sure bet. I believe the private equity firm, Fortress Investment Group LLC, who acquired the FEC through a leveraged buyout is looking for a buyer that will bail them out of a bad deal (FEC makes $$$$ running a railroad; not so after debt service payments are made). Having a passenger train operate where none presently does would only complicate a deal with a private party, such as a merger with one or both of its JAX interchanges. It would even complicate a deal with the State, which considering the State has more to lose from poor service with the South Florida maritime ports than do either CSX or NS (consider all the other East Coast ports they serve) is where I think the FEC will end up.
Here are additional thoughts of mine regarding future passenger train operations over the FEC:
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No specific schedule details have been reported about the new Cascades trains, but there are several holes in the current schedule that need to be filled. An early southbound train from Portland to Eugene (with an evening northbound return) looks like the first change that will be made. Between Seattle and Portland there will be an early morning northbound departure from PDX and a late evening southbound departure from SEA added to give passengers a chance to spend a full day in Seattle. Currently the first northbound train arrives in Seattle about noon and the last southbound train leaves at about 515pm. There's also talk of possible express service from Seattle and Tacoma to Portland.
yukon11 Member # 2997
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I will very glad to see an early train from Portland to Eugene, Vincent. Good news.
The last time I was at Union Station, in Portland, they wouldn't let Cascade passengers use the Metropolitan Lounge. Is this still so? They told me the Lounge was only for Empire Builder passengers (possibly passengers with sleepers?). I don't know what the current policy is.
Richard
sojourner Member # 3134
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I think a train to Dubuque that stops in Rockford and Galena will be great--commuters to Rockford, tourists to Galena, and longer-distance commuters and other travelers to Dubuque.
yukon11 Member # 2997
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quote:Originally posted by sojourner: I think a train to Dubuque that stops in Rockford and Galena will be great--commuters to Rockford, tourists to Galena, and longer-distance commuters and other travelers to Dubuque.
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The August issue of "Railfan and Railroad" makes mention of a proposal, by the Iowa Interstate Railroad, of a new passenger train service between Chicago and Omaha:
The article states that Amtrak is also interested, but I'm not betting on it.
Richard
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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Richard, no question whatever the Iowa Interstate (Rock Island Line) serves the most potential base for passengers - more so than the UP (C&NW Overland Route) and definitely more than the existing Amtrak BNSF (CB&Q) route.
The IAIS is definitely receptive to passenger train movements, and their cooperation with the sponsors of the NRHS Convention this past June is laudable (certain Mr. Guenzler will concur), but note my use of the word "movement" as distinct from "schedule".
You're addressing a road that has become increasingly busy. The Holiday Inn Express in Coralville at which I stay when I visit my Amana friends, has "rooms with a view". There was definite;y action to be seen, and if I may say so even after I went to bed, heard.
IAIS is fortunate that they hold access to much of the lucrative food processing traffic generated at Cedar Rapids - industries that are staying put even in a globalized economy.
However, much of IAIS remains 49mph "dark" with jointed rail and to me does not seem to be in a position to support passenger train operation such as an extension to Iowa City of the proposed Chi-Quad City train and a reroute of the Zephyr as the Cedar Rapids Gazette article suggests may occur.
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