The videos are interesting. Overweight people taking pictures of other overweight people taking pictures. This is probably the end we'll see of this proposed train. Not enough population to support the service and once grandpa and grandma take junior for a train ride a couple of stops down the line they'll be back in their cars because the highway will be both cheaper and faster. Plus they can travel on their own schedule and carry all their "stuff" alot easier. OKC to KCUS RIP.
[quote user="Jim200"]
Extending the Heartland Flyer north to Newton KS is a no brainer and should have been done long ago. The cost is low and the connections at Newton are very good with both the east bound and west bound Southwest Chief. The return trip southward through Wichita to Oklahoma City is also good, although at an early hour. This is not a perfect Kansas City to Oklahoma City trip, but that would take more money and equipment. Also it should be noted that Oklahoma City and Wichita would now be more directly connected by rail to Chicago and many other cities. They would also be indirectly connected westward with a fair route to Denver, which some of the people from Dallas, Austin and San Antonio could also decide to take.
Amtrak needs to continue connecting the "dots" as money becomes available. Atlanta should not have to go north in order to go south to Florida. Nashville and Columbus OH need to be connected to the system. There are other cities which are poorly served or not directly connected.
[/quote well said. + 1
I think the key to success on any of these routes, would be the ability to out run the automobile. With the exception of the NEC, I don't see it.
We need some mode of transit that splits the difference in time between the airlines and the car. And priced accordingly as well.
JPS1Not so good from the looks of things. There is no direct track from Austin to Houston. The Austin and Western owns the line as far east as Giddings, but it only operates it to Elgin, where it interchanges with the UP. The line from Elgin to Giddings has been quarantined. There is no direct line from Giddings to Hempstead. There is a line from Hempstead to Houston, and there is a line from Houston to Galveston. Getting from Austin to Houston on the current rails would be a roundabout exercise. TXDOT has identified Austin to Houston as a potential passenger rail corridor, but developing it probably would require a large sum of money. Turning the corridor into a viable passenger train corridor appears to be a long way off.
So my take on this is your quoting from the 2011 rail corridor study, which I would point out is 6 years old. Nevertheless if you read the study cover to cover, Austin was initally reached via a now partially abandoned branch off the former Houston and Texas Central Railway's Houston to Dallas mainline which UP now operates as part of the SP Merger. Much of the Western part of that branch is used by Capital Metro and has been restored to decent enough shape that a passenger train could make good time over it. The Eastern part of the branch needs work and no trains operate currently to Giddings.
However the study goes on, the state examines extending their existing purchase and rebuilding of the branch from Giddings to Hempsted which would connect with the UP Eureka subdivision. Which would give them a direct route to Houston from the Austin Depot as it would restore the former H&TC branch fully. Also examined was a route to College Station.
So while there is no direct route now, there might be in the future depending on how the state spends it's money.
Dallas to Houston is going to have almost zero support while the High Speed Rail proposal remains on the table. People are going to ask why they should pay for a competing train that does not even run at half the speed of the proposed HSR train.
Sunday, June 11, 2017.
The AMTRAK Inspection Train was to run on Friday June 9,2017.
Route via BNSF from Ark City to Mulvane to Wichita, and on via Newton to final in KC area(?).
The news of this trip was published on June 5 in the Trains NEWSWire. It was reported to to happen on June 9th, and gave departure times at origin in OKC and arrive in KC.
The local media reported it in advance as Thursday, June 8,
and not Friday,June 9th ? I had watced on the 8th at Mulvane Jct.
... No Train!
So Far, in the local Media... Crickets!
Local TV stations had carried the news of the impending event, Now, Nada!
Anyone HERE got an Information?
MidlandMike If it is such a no-brainer, they why did Amtrak abandon their train that ran this route? Also. if ATK separated/combined this train at Newton, then it would probably be determined to be a section of SW Chief, and ATK would have to cover operational deficits without state support.
If it is such a no-brainer, they why did Amtrak abandon their train that ran this route?
Also. if ATK separated/combined this train at Newton, then it would probably be determined to be a section of SW Chief, and ATK would have to cover operational deficits without state support.
It's never going to be joined with the SW Chief.
The proposals were.......
1. OKC to Newton, KS terminating there and running as a seperate train.
2. OKC to KCUS and running as a seperate state supported train.
3. Combining with the Heartland Flyer from Ft Worth and running overnight to Newton as one train and terminating in Newton.
4. Combining with the Heartland Flyer from Ft. Worth and running overnight to KCUS and terminating in KC.
Additionally OK was looking at restoring OKC to Tulsa service. Some murmurs of a test train via Ed Ellis I believe floated the idea but so far nothing has happened on that route. Not sure if the OKC-Tulsa route is still viable now or off the table.
Since this new train if it ever runs will be state supported my guess is they will run it independently of the Heartland Flyer as a daylight run to Newton from OKC vs. attempting to combine with the Heartland Flyer. We will see though. Niether KS or OK is what you would call cash rich when it comes to state budget so niether has a lot of money to contribute for this.
Deggesty How good is the track between Austin and Houston?
Not so good from the looks of things.
There is no direct track from Austin to Houston. The Austin and Western owns the line as far east as Giddings, but it only operates it to Elgin, where it interchanges with the UP. The line from Elgin to Giddings has been quarantined.
There is no direct line from Giddings to Hempstead. There is a line from Hempstead to Houston, and there is a line from Houston to Galveston. Getting from Austin to Houston on the current rails would be a roundabout exercise.
TXDOT has identified Austin to Houston as a potential passenger rail corridor, but developing it probably would require a large sum of money. Turning the corridor into a viable passenger train corridor appears to be a long way off.
Rio Grande Valley, CFI,CFII
Great videos...sure is a lot of enthusiasm. Wouldn't it be nice if that observation inspection car could be a regular addition to passenger trains. Probably not due to a number of things but it sure would make for some great PR. Every kid would want to ride in that.
CMStPnP blue streak 1 Eventually maybe service onto Houston. A cheaper move would be Austin, TX to Houston, TX connecting with the Texas Eagle and also jointly marketing with some of the Cruise lines using the port of Houston and use the Texas Eagle route as an extension of a Carribean Cruise.
blue streak 1 Eventually maybe service onto Houston.
A cheaper move would be Austin, TX to Houston, TX connecting with the Texas Eagle and also jointly marketing with some of the Cruise lines using the port of Houston and use the Texas Eagle route as an extension of a Carribean Cruise.
What traffic does this line have? Is it slated for PTC installation?
Johnny
Videos of the train on June 9th:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yL6zsDL2MF8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kH11wj0G5T0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_L2vVBrypNE
blue streak 1Eventually maybe service onto Houston.
Even though this poster mainly concentrates on Eastern trains this seems to be a no brainer. From what has been read -- before Amtrak and after Amtrak operated the Texax chief ridership was very high. The only problem to start thru service will be the lack of capacity. It could be the best way would be say a 14 - 16 car train from CHI then split / combine train for LAX and FTW.
Eventually maybe service onto Houston.
How to get the additional equipment ? Above our pay grade.
extreme speculation --- When additional V-2 sleepers available make Capitol single level and assign those cars to this combined train ?
schlimm9:45 vs driving 5 hours vs the Greyhound, 7:25 for a 350 mile run = ~36 mph. Add Quo
I should have said "roughly representative" of the daytime schedule because typically they give speaches at each stop if there is a crowd there. It's not only to evaluate track conditions but traffic on the line as well as local support and enthusiasm for the train.............thats why they made the schedule public in advance. So the train remains halted at each depot longer than it would normally take to board the passengers and be on it's way.
This effort got more momentum as soon as they added the Amtrak Thruway bus to Newton, KS from OKC and were shocked how many people rode that ridiculous schedule of 10:30 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. or thereabouts. So that is when Amtrak started to take the proposal of a connection seriously instead of just states making background noise.
They must 'mingle' with the BNSF Transcon from Mulvane through Wichita, Newton and Emporia plus Holiday to KC. If its a busy day for freight lets see what happens.
1'45" from Topeka to KC is a lot of padding.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
9:45 vs driving 5 hours vs the Greyhound, 7:25 for a 350 mile run = ~36 mph.
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
We'll see where this goes, this is one of three proposed schedules. I prefer the extension of the Heartland Flyer to Kansas City with the addition of sleeping cars, they can keep the diner and lounge car, I think both are unnecessary.
http://guthrienewspage.com/2017/06/amtrak-train-making-a-stop-in-guthrie-possible-expansion-coming/
7:45am CDT DP Oklahoma City Santa Fe Station (downtown)8:30am DP Guthrie9:15am DP Perry10:00am DP Ponca City10:45am DP Ark City12:05pm DP Wichita1:00pm DP Newton2:20pm DP Emporia3:45pm DP Topeka5:30pm AR Kansas City Union Station
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