There is a small problem with this proposed location. When the GM plant was in operation NS had a WYE for turning auto carriers if necessary. Have no idea if wye is still there orif one located nearby. Being able to turn Crescent layover equipment will be needed.
V.Paynethey are going to build a station 8 miles outside the city
It's much closer to the regions center of population than Peachtree.
It has better transit connections to Midtown, Buckhead and Downtown.
It's got paid, secure, overnight parking.
It has bus better bus connections.
It won't block access to to/from NS's Atlanta terminal from the Piedmont division.
It is a suitable spot for a Atlanta suburban station. It doesn't preclude the creation of any future downtown station.
-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/)
blue streak 1 http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/print-edition/2015/07/31/amtrak-in-talks-for-new-station-at-gm-plant-site.html?ana=sm_atl_ucp95&b=1438269645%5E17801322 This location although is near a good population base is about 8 miles NE of downtown ATL in DeKalb county. Will leave it others to point out other problems.
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/print-edition/2015/07/31/amtrak-in-talks-for-new-station-at-gm-plant-site.html?ana=sm_atl_ucp95&b=1438269645%5E17801322
This location although is near a good population base is about 8 miles NE of downtown ATL in DeKalb county. Will leave it others to point out other problems.
Only one I can think of. Would still have to travel down to Howell to turn the train on those days they short turn at Atanta.
This is a good idea!
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Wow, so the Atlantic station site and the gulch site are both dead projects due to the state not coming up with funding, but they are going to build a station 8 miles outside the city just to get a hold of a mix of private money in a larger redevelopment than the Atlantic project?
Funny how NRPC finds money to self fund NEC stations like the Philadelphia rebuild. This sounds like Phoenix, AZ again. Just leave it to the state's whims. However, maybe this will get metro Atlanta moving and the best situation will come about with a metro station and a parkway station to lower access costs for a larger addressible market size. An even more ideal situation would be a parkway station 8 miles to the west of downtown, then let reservations overlap the 16 mile segment.
Maybe we need a federal agency to coordinate these questions, we could call it the Federal Railroad Administration. Wait, we already have one that employees about 900 "heads". Or we could have a national passenger train operator to serve everyone equally...
It seemed so weird (and uninivitng) that the Amtrak stop for Atlanta sits on top of a freeway overpass; too bad the Atlantic Station proposal (just to the west) fell through. Something just northeast (closer to Buckhead) could work too.
That said, I think the long-term goal could be to have a downtown station (Georgia Dome to sync with MARTA) and a suburban station (Norcross or Duluth?) to address the growing suburban population. From my understanding of MARTA, I don't think Gwinnett County would be behind paying for MARTA to go past Doraville; thus, MARTA connectivity is achieved with a downtown Amtrak station.
...my $.02
Need to retract some negative thoughts. This location can provide the necessary space to build a 2 - 4 track station possiibility a future commuter rail stop, storage facilities enabling the removal of high traffic Crescent cars from northast of Atlanta for the low Crescent traffic west of Atlanta per PRIIA. It may even be that the present Brookwood ( Peachtree ) station could become a quick stop.
Another site mentioned that this station could later become a suburban station if and when a downtown station is built. This proposal may get ATL political establishment off their duffs to build the proposed downtown station.. The location is well outside Atlanta city limits and is in DeKalb county which has a love hate relationship with ATL. Believe it is actually in the city of Doraville and would be a common stop with MARTA's present end of line stop for that MARTA route.
This location is on NS Charlotte - Atlanta mainline. In the long run the location is ~ 10 - 12 miles from Howell tower / junction which is the junction of routes from Knoxville, Chatanooga / Nashville, Brmingham, & Athens / Florence from the north. From the south Howell connects rails to Montomery, Fitzgerald / JAX, Macon - Waycross - JAX, Savannah, & Augusta. The ten miles from Howell to this proposed location probably would be very restricting for schedule time keeping if even half of those locations were served at this station.
For additional track provision has been made to build a third track from Suluth to Peachtree station Third could be built on to Howell but would be very expensive probably closing Brookwood station and a new span over I-75 .
I suppose one question is whether this location would serve Atlanta's Amtrak ridership base for the future? Another would be whether the Doraville location would be suitable for any new services to Chattanooga and beyond northward. My recollection is it would not.
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
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