NC Piedmont vs truck load of bricks

[Phoebe Vet]

The tractor trailer, loaded with new Mercedes, got the frame hung on the slightly elevated crossing and could not move.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/local/story/612705.html

The crossing hump was clearly signed.  The train was still in the county, only 10 minutes out of Charlotte, it's point of origin.

(Notice there were more than 10 people on it.)

It was the second car/train accident on the same rail line in 6 hours.  A Norfolk Southern train hit a minivan in Kannapolis about noon.  Kannapolis would have been the Piedmont's first stop.

[BaltACD]

Sam1

Speaking of Amtrak, according to its year end FY 2008 operating report, the number of passengers carried on the Piedmont in 2008 was 65,941.  This is quite different from the governor's figures.  I'll go with Amtrak's numbers.

Figures lie...Liar's figure!

Each party reporting figures have their own vested interests to protect.

[matthewsaggie]

BaltACD

Sam1

Speaking of Amtrak, according to its year end FY 2008 operating report, the number of passengers carried on the Piedmont in 2008 was 65,941.  This is quite different from the governor's figures.  I'll go with Amtrak's numbers.

Figures lie...Liar's figure!

Each party reporting figures have their own vested interests to protect.

 And they both may be correct. Amtrak uses a Oct-Sept year for their counts and NC uses an July-June period for all our counts and budget work.

 -Matthewsaggie in NC

[Deggesty]

Phoebe Vet

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/local/story/612705.html

Read the newspaper story, and figure out how the train was traveling, according to the reporter.  Winston-Salem has not had passenger service since the inception of Amtrak.

Johnny

[Phoebe Vet]

That's just a newspaper reporter doing their usual thorough investigation.  A passenger tells the reporter she is enroute to Winston Salem, so the reporter assumes the train is going to Winston Salem.

Winston is a bus connection unless the passenger made the short drive from Winston to Greensboro or High Point to catch the train.  Remember that people use the name of the nearest city when giving directions.  She doesn't necessarily live IN Winston.  Greensboro is a multimodal station.  The bus bays are right next to the tracks.

http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCC&cp=36.068869~-79.787824&style=h&lvl=16&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=2198.60205716267&cam=36.068869~-79.787824&scene=39181774&phx=-0.050526932437458&phy=-0.44297713274009&phscl=4.89778819368446&encType=1 

 

[matthewsaggie]

 

I saw that when I read the article in the paper the other morning and had to laugh- reporters are becoming increasingly ignorant or lazy, and I work with a number of them at the Observer on a regular basis.

The bus connection to Winston Salem is at High Point and is run by Winston Salem Transit under contract with NCDOT. Works well, since 80 and 73 are through High Point within minutes of each other in the AM and 79 and 74 are through within minutes of each other in the afternoon. (well mostly, 79 can be a problem) Walk upstairs, pay the driver $2 and get on. Serves Winston Salem State University and downtown Winston Transit center. The stop by WSSU is very near the old Winston Salem Station.