The collapse of I-85 in Atlanta can be a call for temporary commuter service along the NS tracks from Toccoa., Cornelia, Gainesville, Flowery Branch, Buford, Suwannee, Duluth, Norcross, terminating at the Doraville MARTA station.
blue streak 1 The collapse of I-85 in Atlanta can be a call for temporary commuter service along the NS tracks from Toccoa., Cornelia, Gainesville, Flowery Branch, Buford, Suwannee, Duluth, Norcross, terminating at the Doraville MARTA station. Amtrak's Crescent timing and its middling OTP is not really available for this kind of service. This would require temporary short platforms at the mentioned stations and a longer platform at Doraville connecting to the MARTA station. Wooden platforms could be built within a week. Probably only one train from Toccoa but maybe start service from Gainesville. Have the trains arriving Doraville 0800 - 0830 and afternoon departing Doraville 1730 -1830. These times would avoid conflict with the Crescent. This service area would serve many of the persons who now take I-85 and GA 400 to jobs in Atlanta. Going just to Doraville gives a good connection to MARTA trains, the slightly used NS sidings for storage, avoids the problems of the Amtrak station in ATL. There would need to be emergency approval of bypassing ADA and other normal regulations but this administration's attitudes seem that they would approve such. Problem would be finding equipment maybe the 8 cars of the ski train would be a start ? Any known commuter agency with extra cars ? Sun rail does and maybe TriRail ? How to get GA DOT and Pols on board ??? I give up. They probably would not recognize that each car not into the ATLANTA maze helps everyone.
Doable? Sure. I think the hardest thing to figure out would be parking at the station stops.
I'm not sure if NS in the Squires era would move quite as fast on a proposal like this as it would have under Moorman. I wonder if GDOT has talked to NS and/or Amtrak?
-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/)
Interesting interview with MARTA's Keith Parker in here: http://news.wabe.org/post/closer-look-impact-atlantas-i-85-bridge-collapse
MARTA expects about 100,000 additional riders a day.
GRTA is running extra express buses on the I-85 and GA 400 corridors. I-85 buses are using I-285 to I-20 route. Extra runs are to Doraville. GA 400 buses are all terminating at MARTA Sandy Springs.
Parking lots can be cleared dirt lots if the space is available. "platforms" can be rudimentary, made of dirt with wood handicapped lifts. There is some used commuter equipment to be had, though it's old. The larger question is if there is capacity on the NS line.
No way.
They say the bridge will re-open by June 15. It would take the state of GA and NS five+ years to ever come to any agreement.
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