BNSF Has its MIDCON Corridor

[samfp1943]

  I am posting this as a link to separate this from the other Thread now posting here by Sam 1. @ http://cs.trains.com/trn/f/111/t/209763.aspx

"BNSF Increasing Capacity to Haul Oil" .  

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www.tradecorridors.com/explore-the-corridors/midcon/impact/html.

[ The above link goes to a BNSF site titled "Corridors of Commerce". ]

Around here in South Central Kansas this MidCon Corridor seems to be unknown(?)      It is now known ( South of Wichita) as the Ark City Sub. This is the first mention I had seen anywhere of another, actual Name Designator [MidCon] for this particular line.

It is labeled Ark City Sub-called that by BNSF MoW nomenclature.

FTA:'...The MidCon Corridor is positioned to serve the energy independence needs of the United States. From transporting low-sulful coal that powers American homes and businesses, to handling the drilling sand and pipe for oil and gas shales from North Dakota to South Texas, to moving crude oil to pipeline heads in Oklahoma and Arkansas, to refined petroleum products from the Gulf Coast to markets throughout the United States, to ethanol from production facilities in the Midwest to blending locations across the country, and to wind energy components from ports and manufacturers to wind generating areas, the MidCon Corridor is an essential part of the energy industry necessary to reduce America’s reliance on foreign oil...

This Corridor is also critical to America’s position in international trade, serving as a conduit to bring American agricultural and industrial products to Gulf ports for export, and for imports moving to consumers. This role supporting import traffic will become even more dynamic when the Panama Canal expansion is completed in 2014..."

Some additional quotes referencing the MidCon Corridor (from the article)

FTA:"...Increased Capacity– BNSF has invested more than $220 million in the MidCon infrastructure in the last 10 years, including:

• Double Tracking – BNSF has spent more than $60 million in the last 10 years to double track portions of the MidCon. This makes for more efficient freight and passenger rail movement, rather than the stop-and-go required by trains on a single-track increasing the capacity of the corridor and reducing transit time.
• Maintenance – More than $1.4 billion was spent on the MidCon in the last 10 years to maintain its infrastructure to ensure the safe movement of goods. That is approximately $436,000 to maintain every mile.

   [ As an aside to this story.]   The Ark City Sub, south of Wichita, and down to Okla City seems to be the preferred route of the proposed extension of the "Heartland Flyer" Passenger train service now running from Dal/Ft.Worth to OKC.     I do not think that the former Rock Island (OKT Line/sub of the UP RR is even being considered for the Heartland Flyer, but it has been subject of conversations about rerouting SW Chief from Newton, Ks to the Amarillo area and westward.(?)

  There has been some mention that BNSF would not consider this new service until either Kansas or Oklahoma had agreed to funding service improvements for the new passenger service.       I know that that new service requires expenditures above those of regular freight rail levels.   Quite possibly, if BNSF is already spending its monies for upgrading, the cost of the new passenger service will be somewhat less than originally planned and asked for? 

[samfp1943]

A story and link from the Wichita Eagle of the 5th of September 2012 carries the following story

"Amtrak’s Southwest Chief might abandon western Kansas route, come through Wichita"

BY BRENT D. WISTROM
Eagle Topeka bureau

Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/2012/08/30/v-print/2468764/amtraks-southwest-chief-might.html#storylink=cpy

http://www.kansas.com/2012/08/30/v-print/2468764/amtraks-southwest-chief-might.html

FTA:"...Western Kansas may lose easy access to Amtrak’s Southwest Chief passenger train because of deteriorating tracks and the state’s refusal to spend tens of millions of dollars to improve them.

A new route for the Chief could include a stop in Wichita, though any decision would be years away.

Amtrak officials told the state earlier this year that the Southwest Chief – which runs daily from Chicago to Los Angeles with stops in Newton and elsewhere in Kansas – will likely be rerouted south after its stop in Newton if the state doesn’t pitch in millions.

Kansas transportation officials, along with their counterparts in Colorado and New Mexico, now say they can’t afford to spend $100 million in capital improvements and millions more in annual maintenance money to keep the route open..."

And additionally: FTA:"...Amtrak officials showed KDOT leaders a map of the potential reroute during a meeting last spring in Garden City. It showed the potential reroute would go through Wichita and Mulvane before heading west, with its next major stop in Amarillo, in the Texas panhandle, before connecting to Albuquerque.

( From Mulvane west it would be on the BNSF Transcon as the SW Chief towards Amarillo and West )

Not exactly sure how this would effect the extension of the Heartland Flyer, if at all?

Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/2012/08/30/v-print/2468764/amtraks-southwest-chief-might.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/2012/08/30/v-print/2468764/amtraks-southwest-chief-might.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/2012/08/30/v-print/2468764/amtraks-southwest-chief-might.html#storylink=cpy