There are varioous reports that Amtrak will lease this route from CSX early next year. My only puzzlement is that I thought Albany - Schnectady was already owned by Amtrak ??
This lease includes operational control, maintenance, and capital improvements. The devil is in the details and until we get all the specifics and a copy of the contract only speculation for reasons wil be all we can guess.
1. CSX may have balked at 110 MPH (?) service along with their freight trains?
2. Anyone know the present speed limits along this line??
3. This would probably reduce freight traffic of CSX and CP to off peak times?
4. CSX has a major shortage of signal personel as evidence of many signal employment openings system wide;signal delays around WASH and now on the WORC - BOS MBTA line from at least last Sunday thru today (WED). If Amtrak has enough signal equipment & personel; Amtrak will be able to eliminate the lineside code lines & install full PTC equipment instead of having to later upgrade signal system that may have been the case if CSX had done the work?
5. The money for the upgrades comes from turned back HSR funds that are now allocated to this line.
6. Wonder how much more money Amtrak will need for these upgrades?
7. No time savings have been published yet ?? That is the real bottom line "the saving oof passenger minutes"
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The lease did not surprise me too much since Amtrak probably operates more trains on that line than CSX does. Most CSX freight to the New York area is routed on the West Shore line.
Yeah...no real surprise here. CSX has only one or two round trips plus locals down the east side of the Hudson as intermodal and north-south through traffic are across the river on the former WS. I believe CP's NYC-LIC traffic is handled in CSX moves if at all anymore. Yes, Amtrak owns track from Castleton through the Capital District to just east of Schenectady, but it is single track with a few industries for CSX locals; CSX freight goes via Selkirk around Albany. BUT...with the improvements to be made for higher speeds and extra track, CSX, when and if they should take it back, will have a much more advanced and usable railroad then they have now done at government expense. Bruce Sterzing when president of the D&H lauded Amtrak and accompanying track upgrades for passenger trains because he (D&H) got a much improved railroad at government expense. Today both the railroad (CSX) and the government know what is going on. Private industry does rely heavily on government help for umprovments just like it always has.
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henry6 . Yes, Amtrak owns track from Castleton through the Capital District to just east of Schenectady, but it is single track with a few industries for CSX locals; Henry6: Thanks for the confirmation. Any chance the lease will include track west of the Schenectady point to maybe either the CPs joining of DH or CSX? . BUT...with the improvements to be made for higher speeds and extra track, CSX, when and if they should take it back, will have a much more advanced and usable railroad then they have now done at government expense. This has been a burr in my saddle for a long time. Many Pols say that the improvements are all for passenger but we here know better. When reading the PRIIA reports the 20 hours of no Amtrak ( single RT routes ) on has to wonder ?. With the improvements freight transit time will be reduced. A extreme example would be track speeds allowing a competetive route for intermodal where none was possible before. Track improvements reduces transit time, crew time costs maybe even eliminating a crew district, less exposure to grade crossing accidents. Faster freight car times over a 200 mile district of say 2 hours may reduce per diem of a 100 car freight 200 per diem hours. Multiply that by number of trains to get an idea of # of cars saved. Of course owning RR does not save per diem. The saving of the NCRR that NS receives with its many freights on the CLT - Greensboro - Raleigh - Selma - Goldsboro - Morehead City route needs to be calculated + any additional freight added due to decreased transit times. Maybe million ton mile hours saved? Bruce Sterzing when president of the D&H lauded Amtrak and accompanying track upgrades for passenger trains because he (D&H) got a much improved railroad at government expense. Bruce's point well taken. UP wanting upgrade help on the Sunset route when they are going to double track and rebuild for 70 MPH intermodals is a prime example. However the required upgrades for the San Antionia station for a daily Eagle should be paid for by some kind of Amtrak funding. I can see that the Raton pass route is another matter Today both the railroad (CSX) and the government know what is going on. Yes but the general public is mostly unaware. The POLs either do not know or delibertly ignore telling the truth to the public Private industry does rely heavily on government help for umprovments just like it always has.
. Yes, Amtrak owns track from Castleton through the Capital District to just east of Schenectady, but it is single track with a few industries for CSX locals;
Henry6: Thanks for the confirmation. Any chance the lease will include track west of the Schenectady point to maybe either the CPs joining of DH or CSX?
. BUT...with the improvements to be made for higher speeds and extra track, CSX, when and if they should take it back, will have a much more advanced and usable railroad then they have now done at government expense.
This has been a burr in my saddle for a long time. Many Pols say that the improvements are all for passenger but we here know better. When reading the PRIIA reports the 20 hours of no Amtrak ( single RT routes ) on has to wonder ?. With the improvements freight transit time will be reduced. A extreme example would be track speeds allowing a competetive route for intermodal where none was possible before. Track improvements reduces transit time, crew time costs maybe even eliminating a crew district, less exposure to grade crossing accidents.
Faster freight car times over a 200 mile district of say 2 hours may reduce per diem of a 100 car freight 200 per diem hours. Multiply that by number of trains to get an idea of # of cars saved. Of course owning RR does not save per diem. The saving of the NCRR that NS receives with its many freights on the CLT - Greensboro - Raleigh - Selma - Goldsboro - Morehead City route needs to be calculated + any additional freight added due to decreased transit times. Maybe million ton mile hours saved?
Bruce Sterzing when president of the D&H lauded Amtrak and accompanying track upgrades for passenger trains because he (D&H) got a much improved railroad at government expense.
Bruce's point well taken. UP wanting upgrade help on the Sunset route when they are going to double track and rebuild for 70 MPH intermodals is a prime example. However the required upgrades for the San Antionia station for a daily Eagle should be paid for by some kind of Amtrak funding. I can see that the Raton pass route is another matter
Today both the railroad (CSX) and the government know what is going on.
Yes but the general public is mostly unaware. The POLs either do not know or delibertly ignore telling the truth to the public
Private industry does rely heavily on government help for umprovments just like it always has.
Henry thanks for pointing out these items
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