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Amtrak service NYP <> ALB suspended due to flooding on MNRR

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Amtrak service NYP <> ALB suspended due to flooding on MNRR
Posted by blue streak 1 on Sunday, July 9, 2023 8:01 PM

Amtrak Advisory | Amtrak Service Temporarily Suspended between New York and Albany

Here is MNRR advisory

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Posted by MidlandMike on Sunday, July 9, 2023 11:04 PM

Here is a local TV story showing trees and water across the tracks.

https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/sunday-july-9-2023-flash-flood-new-york/

 

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Posted by blue streak 1 on Monday, July 10, 2023 12:51 AM

Maybe time for MNRR to raise these tracks that are subject to flooding? As well more and bigger culverts underneath track?

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Posted by BaltACD on Monday, July 10, 2023 1:08 AM

blue streak 1
Maybe time for MNRR to raise these tracks that are subject to flooding? As well more and bigger culverts underneath track?

Virtually ANYWHERE is subject to Flash Flooding - A localized storm cell with a lot of moisture hangs over a specific area for a period of time dumping out rain at multiple inches per hour for multiple hours.  No drainage systems are designed to handle that level of water in a short period of time.

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Posted by blue streak 1 on Monday, July 10, 2023 7:34 AM

It is not pretty.  Check MTA's link below.  It may not load due to high demand for pictures.  IMO  MTA does a fairly good job showing and telling customers what is causing problems.  Many other agencies could take a page out of MTA's playbook.

Metro-North Railroad Announces Service Change Due to Severe Weather | Flickr

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Posted by Overmod on Monday, July 10, 2023 11:10 AM

Since the Hudson River Railroad was built, there has been a drainage problem through the Hudson Highlands.  Storms can be violent (as Washington Irving fans may recall) and what can be a large area drains into one or two creeks that then have a substantial 'fall' to river level, encountering the low-level tracks on the way.  There is little effective way to provide proper storm drainage other than wait for the water to drain naturally once no longer flooding.

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Posted by zugmann on Monday, July 10, 2023 2:33 PM

blue streak 1

Maybe time for MNRR to raise these tracks that are subject to flooding? As well more and bigger culverts underneath track?

 

Those storms produced over 5" of rain in a matter of a few hours in some spots.  How high we making the tracks? 

It's been fun.  But it isn't much fun anymore.   Signing off for now. 


  

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Posted by BaltACD on Monday, July 10, 2023 3:23 PM

zugmann
 
blue streak 1

Maybe time for MNRR to raise these tracks that are subject to flooding? As well more and bigger culverts underneath track? 

Those storms produced over 5" of rain in a matter of a few hours in some spots.  How high we making the tracks? 

As I stated in a previous post - localized storms CAN DUMP COPIOUS amounts of rain in narrowly defined watersheds and create serious FLASH FLOODING.  Five Inches of water in any location that is not spread over several days will generate flash flooding conditions in VIRTUALLY ANY area of the country.

In my area Ellicott City was a thriving Industrial Mill Town founded by the Ellicott Brothers in 1772. The Patapsco River Valley has been plagued by Floods since its founding. Significant Floods have occurred in 1786, 1817, 1837, 1868, 1894, 1901, 1917, 1923, 1933, 1952, 1972, 1975, 1998, 2006, 2011, and 2016.  However, a new flooding threat happened in 2018 and 2020 - in those years localized thunderstorms dropped nearly eight inches of rain in the geographical area above the city - the flooding this time followed a creek that over the years had been made into a underground drainage tunnel following a route down Main Street to empty into the Patapsco River, Tiber Creek.  The localized nature of the storms throughly overwhelmed the Tiber Creek watershed's ability to drain into the Patapsco River - making a colossal mess out of the stores and businesses that inhabited Main Street.  A prime cause of the flooding, was a high level of development in the areas feeding the Tiber Creek watershed that caused significant runoff of paved areas that had previously been forest/farmland that would have absorb a lot of the moisture that fell upon it.

Local development actions can make Flash Flooding worse than it needs to be.

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Posted by blue streak 1 on Monday, July 10, 2023 6:07 PM

Everything suspended thru Tuesday.  Have to wonder why Amtrak would not initiate a pick up train thru Springfield.  From Albany it could run on rear of 448 leaving ALB at 1527 - Spriingfield at 1749 extra train to  NYP arrive about 2130 ?

Lv NYP 1230 SPG 1500 add on to 449 lv 1526 on 449 schedule to ALB.  Since Vermonter is cancelled north of SPG could use its locos and equipment to / from NYP?  Wait that would be too logical for hide bound Amtrak management.

 

@AmtrakNECAlerts

As of 4:53 PM ET, Due to ongoing severe weather conditions between Croton-Harmon (CRT) & Poughkeepsie POU), all Empire Service Trains between New York (NYP) and Albany–Rensselaer (ALB) will remain suspended until further notice. For assistance, please call/text 1-800-USA-RAIL.

 

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Posted by blue streak 1 on Monday, July 10, 2023 6:20 PM

Here is news report.  What is very interesting is where the track wash out is shown is how the ballast stasyed uner the concrete ccross ties. Reall shows how a tamper should act on ballast.

Metro-North Hudson Line service to be partially restored Tuesday after rainfall deluge (msn.com)

Start at time stamp 1:02

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Posted by NKP guy on Monday, July 10, 2023 6:32 PM

blue streak 1
Have to wonder why Amtrak would not initiate a pick up train thru Springfield

What would be the reasons Amtrak couldn't have #49 be routed over Hell Gate and up the NEC to New Haven, then up north to Springfield, where #49 could join #449 and head west?

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Posted by BaltACD on Monday, July 10, 2023 8:19 PM

NKP guy
 
blue streak 1
Have to wonder why Amtrak would not initiate a pick up train thru Springfield 

What would be the reasons Amtrak couldn't have #49 be routed over Hell Gate and up the NEC to New Haven, then up north to Springfield, where #49 could join #449 and head west?

Like Amtrak has a unused surplus of equipment and crews qualified on the territories involved. Dunce

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Posted by MidlandMike on Monday, July 10, 2023 9:56 PM

blue streak 1

It is not pretty.  Check MTA's link below.  It may not load due to high demand for pictures.  IMO  MTA does a fairly good job showing and telling customers what is causing problems.  Many other agencies could take a page out of MTA's playbook.

Metro-North Railroad Announces Service Change Due to Severe Weather | Flickr

 

A couple of photos show Ossining station which is in the electrified territory.  The top covering of the 3rd rail just emerges from the floodwater.

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