$117B Plan for Connect NEC 2035

[BaltACD]

CMStPnP

 

BaltACD

Speed is one thing.  Speed with safety is another thing entirely.  19th Century 100 MPH running was far from safe for too many reasons to enumerate.  19th Century lives were cheap and companies would end those lives by the hundreds and not think twice about why. 

Didn't SP set a record down Cajon pass with a freight train doing 110 mph before it jumped the track at San Bernadino in 1989?    

That was obviously far from safe!

[CMStPnP]

BaltACD

Speed is one thing.  Speed with safety is another thing entirely.  19th Century 100 MPH running was far from safe for too many reasons to enumerate.  19th Century lives were cheap and companies would end those lives by the hundreds and not think twice about why.

Didn't SP set a record down Cajon pass with a freight train doing 110 mph before it jumped the track at San Bernadino in 1989?    

[BaltACD]

ronrunner

We had high speed rail in the 1800s with 100 mph trains in Lancaster NY outside of Buffalo on the Empire State Express. 4 track mainline and 50 passenger trains in each direction. 

Speed is one thing.  Speed with safety is another thing entirely.  19th Century 100 MPH running was far from safe for too many reasons to enumerate.  19th Century lives were cheap and companies would end those lives by the hundreds and not think twice about why.

[Overmod]

ronrunner

We had high speed rail in the 1800s with 100 mph trains in Lancaster NY outside of Buffalo on the Empire State Express. 4 track mainline and 50 passenger trains in each direction.

But that was ragged-edge 100mph, only sustainable a few miles at a time, on a railroad whose management was starkly against adoption of any kind of systematic high speed except to foil the competition.   Even at more 'sensible' high speed the separation of freight and passenger on that narrow a track spacing led to frequent, and often spectacularly lethal, accidents -- no few deriving from speed differential in the same direction, not just opposing at high relative closing speed.  That in itself was not a model for safe HSR.

Then let's get into the section system for popular trains, where the first section leaves on the advertised and trips have to be timed so the last section arrives on the advertised.  And you have trains running within sight of each other at 85mph or better... on a railroad prone to prompt and unexpected 'crosstalk'.

[ronrunner]

We had high speed rail in the 1800s with 100 mph trains in Lancaster NY outside of Buffalo on the Empire State Express. 4 track mainline and 50 passenger trains in each direction. 

[Gramp]

I read a comment somewhere about the water level route...where you can travel three hours from New York and be no closer to your destination. 

[CMStPnP]

Overmod

Don't ask New York State for its fair share.

If the project ever gets approved and that is a big IF.   New York Politicians will see to it that it is entirely paid for out of the General Revenue Funds as they did or are doing with the Amtrak tunnel replacement project.    Meanwhile other states with interstate corridors will continue to be asked to pay a portion of the cost.

[Overmod]

ronrunner

and to heck with everyone else...

And how many of those "50 million" would ride trains built out to the NEC 2035 standards... compared to the buildout costs to achieve this in the Empire Corridor alone.

Don't ask New York State for its fair share.  Even its little piece of the NEC is a disaster (cf. the 189+g shocks recorded in Acela testing) and you have a choice of lateral clearance for expensive negative cant deficiency vs. new construction out into the Hudson to get necessary speed for the little NYC-to-Albany 'leg'... for a start.  More likely the thing would be an extension of the existing push to 110mph HrSR... with 125mph PRIIA being a tempting equipment possibility BUT the leap even to 150 being ridiculously expensive in line relocation/separation alone.  Have you looked at a grade survey for the B&A and considered a high-speed conversion?  Second-spine via Hartford appears comparable in cost and scope... 

Which gets us... just from the two East Coast elite cities as far as West Albany Hill.  If you thought the ex-Alton had too many grade crossings to bridge or eliminate, look at the ex-LS&MS from west of Buffalo to Cleveland... alone.

And that's before we look at the necessary feeder architecture to make the true-high-speed trains practical for many of that 50 million to ride.

[ronrunner]

High Speed rail for East Coast Elites and to heck with everyone else...like the Midwest I-90 NYC-BOSTON-BUFFALO.CLEVE..TOELDO..DETROIT CHICAGO  CORRIDOR  WHICH LIKE 50 MIILLION PEOPLE TRAVEL AND WORK ON

 

 

[daveklepper]

I need to comment on this.  One improvement is possible right now, with capitol expenditures limited to not much more than signs,  Some of the NJT MUs that tie up at Sunnyside during rush hours could run to the pocket track, Track 5, at New Rochelle and return to Trenton or whatever from there.  This would open-up employment possibilties in Connecticut for New Jersey residentss, and visa-versa.  As far as I know, there are no signal or power incompatibility problems.  The market for the Connecticut Metro-North service would be established, and then a real through service, including the Bronx stations, would use equipment of both authorities.

If LIRR third rail were installed on the Amtrak West Side line all the way north through Spuytin Dyvel  Bridge, and the former two west freight tracks restored from there to Riverdale with LIRR third rail, and a sngle platform for those tracks at Riverdale, some LIRR MU trains now running only to West-Side *Carpenter" Storage Yard, or reversing. at Penn Station could run to Riversale.  A year at most would be required for this added connectivity.

[daveklepper]

Edited and distilled from an article by Railway Age's Chief Editor William C. Vantuono:  July 14, The Northeast Corridor Commission released CONNECT NEC 2035 (C35): For $117 billion, a 15-year plan “the most ambitious reinvestment program in the NEC’s history, and a new way of planning” for it, a multi-agency, multi-year, shared action plan guided by a long-term vision.” Agencies:  Northeast state governments, the federal government, eight commuter rail agencies and Amtrak. A “detailed and efficient sequencing of infrastructure investments covering 150 projects and capital renewal efforts along the corridor. Implementation of C35 will result in a modern and resilient railroad with safe, reliable, and more frequent service; connections to new markets; and reduced travel times between communities.”   A "strong federal-state funding partnership to fund C35. The total investment needed to implement C35 over the 15-year period is estimated to be $117 billion in 2020 dollars, and the funding gap is approximately $100 billion, to be shared between the federal government and states. To maximize the detailed sequencing laid out in C35 and provide the certainty needed to make long-term investments in workforce development and equipment procurement, multi-year funding needs to be predictable and should fund the plan, rather than individual projects.”

C35 is also the start of the Federal Railroad Administration’s 2017 NEC FUTURE plan, improvements to NEC rail service,  both commuter rail systems and Amtrak. C35 will provide “a renewed NEC with the following benefits for a thriving Northeast region”: 

• $140 million annual travel-time savings for intercity and commuter rail passengers corridor-wide.
• 26-minute faster trips for Acela riders Washington D.C. - New York City.
• 28-minute faster trips New York City - Boston. 
• 25-minute faster trips for New Haven, Conn. - New York City. 
• 33% more Amtrak NEC daily service.
• Doubled service for several commuter railroads. 
• One-seat ride New Jersey - New York - Connecticut on NJT Transit, the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North via Penn Station New York. 
• Close-to 1.7 million U. S. A. new jobs and $90 billion in earnings over 15-years. 
• Affordable housing - high-wage job centers new connections. 
• Underserved markets served by New off-peak and reverse-peak
• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of 2.9 million car trips annually between New York and Los Angeles, and 60 million new rail trips annually, a lower carbon emitting than air/bus/auto. 
• A more resilient railroad 
• Reliable, frequent access to Innovation districts, ongoing development initiatives, transit-oriented evelopments, current examples Newark, Del., Philadelphia, Providence and Boston.

Railroad Administrator and NEC Commission Co-chair Amit Bose:  “Improving the NEC rail system is a vital multi-state effort.  C35 is a sequenced plan and a mobilizing force that not only puts people back at work renewing the NEC, but also supports new travel patterns as our economy returns to full strength.” 

NJ Transit President and CEO and NEC Commission Co-chair Kevin Corbett: “The corridor supports more than 800,000 daily passenger trips between the greater Washington D.C. and Boston region., It is imperative that together we seize this once-in-a-generation opportunity to replace aging assets, add rail capacity, improve performance, and enhance the customer experience along the entire corridor through the advancement of the vital and ambitious C35 plan.” 

Amtrak President Stephen Gardner: “C35 represents a big step toward the high-quality rail network our nation and this vital region deserve,” The investments in infrastructure laid out in this plan will lead to more modern, reliable and faster trains, expanded service, and a better customer experience that will benefit customers, economies and local communities along the entire Northeast Corridor and beyond. Amtrak stands ready to join forces with our partners and help deliver the C35 plan.” 

Several other NEC Commission members weighed in on C35. 

• Nuria Fernandez Federal Transit Administrator: “The cooperation through the Northeast Corridor Commission creating C35 will result in safer, faster, and more reliable travel for commuters throughout the Northeast region. It will also connect transit riders, all along the corridor, with the intercity trains which so many communities and businesses rely on to get individuals to work and essential services. C35 will do so while taking cars off the road, helping to lessen the impacts of climate change. I look forward to its full implementation.” 
• Jamey Tesler, Acting Secretary and CEO, Massachusetts Department of Transportation: “The C35 plan is the culmination of 2 years of hard work and detailed analysis. It also represents the start of a new level of coordination among Amtrak, NEC state and commuter railroads, and the federal government. Delivering sustained investment in the NEC and connecting corridors will improve mobility for millions of Americans, create jobs, open access to opportunity, support our fight against climate change, and continue to make the Northeast a global economic powerhouse.” 
• Peter Alviti, Director, Rhode Island Department of Transportation: “The C35 plan is collaborative, compelling, and timely and is important to the future economic growth of Rhode Island by providing faster, more frequent, and less expensive transportation alternatives between Providence and Boston and beyond. It supports the work that RIDOT is already doing to enhance our transit system in bringing Providence Station into good repair, building a new commuter rail station, and planning for an expansion of rail service at Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport. Rhode Island is ready to work hard to make C35 a reality. It is the way of the future.” 
• Joseph Giulietti, Commissioner, Connecticut Department of Transportation: “C35 rail investments are the building blocks for our country’s future and transforming the Northeast. As a blueprint for making tangible and significant social, equitable, and economic impact in countless communities, we have an opportunity to reshape how people move—where and why—for this generation and the next. Connectivity will be key to ensuring economic opportunities are created for all people.” 
• Janno Lieber, President of MTA Construction & Development: “This plan lays out how projects can be sequenced and coordinated to get the most work out of track outages, minimize customer impacts, and save money. To achieve these efficiencies, we need funding for all aspects of C35—commuter and intercity rail projects.” 
• Jennie Granger, Deputy Secretary for Multimodal Transportation, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation: “The C35 plan sequences over 150 projects and capital renewal activities over the course of 15 years. The plan’s sequencing of activities to bring the Corridor into a state of good repair is paramount, particularly along the Harrisburg Line where our signal and overhead power systems date back to the 1930s. The plan will ensure that passengers have access to safe, reliable, and comfortable service in Pennsylvania.” 
• Nicole Majeski, Secretary, Delaware Department of Transportation: “Delaware is excited by the opportunities the C35 plan provides for improving passenger rail service in Delaware and along the entire Northeast Corridor. It is a plan that will meet existing and future ridership mobility needs, and improve on-time performance and the environment.” 
• Greg Slater, Secretary, Maryland Department of Transportation: “The Northeast Corridor is the nation’s oldest and busiest passenger railroad. C35’s groundbreaking analytical approach will unlock achievable, measurable, and significant service benefits by 2035. Maryland is home to four major backlog assets on the corridor. The critical replacement of the Baltimore & Potomac Tunnel with a new Frederick Douglass Tunnel, in particular, will improve MARC and Amtrak service and benefit from C35’s project delivery sequencing and efficient use of track outages.” 
• Everett Lott, Acting Director, District Department of Transportation: “The C35 plan is an important step to ensure that the NEC continues to be a cornerstone of the Northeast’s development and driver of its economic success. The plan will not only create 198,000 jobs over 15 years in the Mid-Atlantic South territory, but also includes the modernization of Washington Union Station to improve the passenger experience and expand capacity through additional tracks and platforms.” 

For he complete CONNECT NEC 2035 plan and territory fact sheets: www.nec-commission.com/connect-nec-2035/.

The Northeast Corridor Commission was established by Congress in 2008 (49 U.S.C. §24905) “to develop coordinated strategies to improve the Northeast’s core rail network in recognition of the inherent challenges of planning, financing, and implementing major infrastructure improvements that cross multiple jurisdictions. The expectation is that by coming together to take collective responsibility for the NEC, Commission member agencies will achieve a level of success that far exceeds the potential reach of any individual organization.” 

The NEC Commission Board: One member from each NEC state—Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland—and the District of Columbia; four members from Amtrak; and five members from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Also included are non-voting representatives from freight railroads, states with connecting corridors and commuter rail operators.