Just giving an update....
The former Rock Island between Dallas and Ft. Worth is what the Trinity Railway Express operates on.
http://www.trinityrailwayexpress.org/
What I have been able to dig up on this is the Amtrak switch off from the Union Pacific is conditional on these two items:
1. $8 million in additional double tracking via the stimulus funds that were awarded Texas earlier. I am not sure what the status of this project is in the area of completion.
2. $15-17 million in a new HSR grant application that will install Positive Train Control on the entire TRE line. This is up for approval and has not been granted yet. The application is against the HSR funds that Florida rejected recently.
I've ridden the TRE recently and it is running faster and smoother between Dallas and Ft. Worth, they have been working on the track / roadbed and it's noticeable.
Once the above two projects are completed, they plan to approach Amtrak on moving the Texas Eagle over to the TRE line. Additionally, they wanted to create a new Amtrak stop at DFW Airport Centerpoint station. Not sure WHY Amtrak needs to stop there but I suspect DFW wants to add Amtrak as an option? Not sure.
Anyone here anything else on this? I think once this move is completed it will speed up the transit of the Texas Eagle between Dallas and Ft Worth as it will no longer have to back into the Ft. Worth station, it can just run through the station like the TRE trains do. It will also help decongest the Tower 55 area interlocking a little more. :)
Anyone else hear anything else on this project. Just curious if I missed anything?
I ride the Texas Eagle on a regular basis from L.A. TO Dallas and return. While in Dallas I ride TRE as well as DART. The Eagle has been using TRE row for at least the last 7 years as does UP and some short lines. It is my thinking that the Eagle will still need to back into or out of Fort Worth Station as it uses BNSF line from north of San Antonio to Fort Worth and UP on to Dallas north. I really don't think the funding issues are related to Amtrak but more to the enhancement of the area rapid transit system.
CMStPnP Just giving an update.... The former Rock Island between Dallas and Ft. Worth is what the Trinity Railway Express operates on. http://www.trinityrailwayexpress.org/ What I have been able to dig up on this is the Amtrak switch off from the Union Pacific is conditional on these two items: 1. $8 million in additional double tracking via the stimulus funds that were awarded Texas earlier. I am not sure what the status of this project is in the area of completion. 2. $15-17 million in a new HSR grant application that will install Positive Train Control on the entire TRE line. This is up for approval and has not been granted yet. The application is against the HSR funds that Florida rejected recently. I've ridden the TRE recently and it is running faster and smoother between Dallas and Ft. Worth, they have been working on the track / roadbed and it's noticeable. Once the above two projects are completed, they plan to approach Amtrak on moving the Texas Eagle over to the TRE line. Additionally, they wanted to create a new Amtrak stop at DFW Airport Centerpoint station. Not sure WHY Amtrak needs to stop there but I suspect DFW wants to add Amtrak as an option? Not sure. Anyone here anything else on this? I think once this move is completed it will speed up the transit of the Texas Eagle between Dallas and Ft Worth as it will no longer have to back into the Ft. Worth station, it can just run through the station like the TRE trains do. It will also help decongest the Tower 55 area interlocking a little more. :)
I wrote a letter to Amtrak's President in 2006 recommending that they switch the Texas Eagle onto the TRE, thereby eliminating the backing movements in Fort Worth, as well as the need to throw a manual switch for the approach track into Dallas Union Station. I got a nice letter back from the VP of Operations thanking me for my suggestion, which in and of itself surprised me.
A few months later I was visiting Dallas Union Station one Sunday afternoon, and I noticed an Amtrak locomotive and Superliner coach at the end of the platform. It turned out to be the spares that Amtrak kept at Fort Worth. The engineer told me that they had just performed a test run over the TRE.
I was subsequently told by a DART official that Amtrak had approached the TRE about running The Eagle over the TRE, but TRE management did not think that they could accommodate it. Hopefully, with the funds that you referred to they will have the resources to hoist The Eagle between Dallas and Fort Worth.
I believe that Amtrak did install or have installed an automatic switch on the approach track to Union Station and, therefore, The Eagle no longer has to stop short of the station to have a train person de-train and throw the switch manually.
I am keen to see how this plays out.
Avianwatcher I ride the Texas Eagle on a regular basis from L.A. TO Dallas and return. While in Dallas I ride TRE as well as DART. The Eagle has been using TRE row for at least the last 7 years as does UP and some short lines. It is my thinking that the Eagle will still need to back into or out of Fort Worth Station as it uses BNSF line from north of San Antonio to Fort Worth and UP on to Dallas north. I really don't think the funding issues are related to Amtrak but more to the enhancement of the area rapid transit system.
The Eagle runs on the UP from San Antonio to Temple, where the train switches to the BNSF for the run up to Fort Worth. Upon departing Fort Worth it runs on the UP to Joilet, where it goes over to the Canadian National for the last lap into Chicago.
If The Eagle could use the TRE, it would not have to back out of or into the Fort Worth Intermodal Transportation Center. It can run on the TRE, When it gets to Dallas it will be coming into the station from the north, as opposed to the west, and will be positioned to continue its journey on the UP without any unusual moves, which is the current case. The southbound train will follow the same path in reverse with no unusual switching or backing required.
My experience as of 3 months ago was that the Eagle and TRE used the same row between Fort Worth and Dallas.
Avianwatcher My experience as of 3 months ago was that the Eagle and TRE used the same row between Fort Worth and Dallas.
correct me if I am wrong: Amtrak now has trackage rights over TRE. However crews are not qualified on TRE so takes a pilot to run that route and TRE will not guarantee trip times??
I don't know what you mean by "row" but the Texas Eagle is still using Union Pacific between Dallas and Ft. Worth. Amtrak also has seperate platforms in both stations.
row= right of way
I ride both the TRE and the Texas Eagle from time to time. Amtrak routinely uses UP, nee Texas & Pacific, track between Dallas and Fort Worth via Arlington, thus requiring the time-consuming back into Fort Worth's station. TRE uses the old Rock Island/Burlington Route track via Irving. I understand Amtrak has permission to use the TRE route but doesn't want to lose its existing UP arrangement, why I don't know. Adding an Amtrak stop at Centrepoint for the DFW airport shuttle bus certainly wouldn't hurt anything. Separately, Fort Worth's Intermodal Transportation Center deserves high praise. It combines Amtrak, TRE, intercity bus and local transit services. This is what all cities should do!
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