tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-552358014685805851.post2789765549699504434..comments2023-11-05T02:35:48.009-05:00Comments on Track Twenty-Nine: RLS Kicking InMatt'http://www.blogger.com/profile/15011703558247093148noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-552358014685805851.post-25313881820860211052010-01-14T08:42:15.489-05:002010-01-14T08:42:15.489-05:00@Anonymous:
You are correct that a gauntlet track ...@Anonymous:<br />You are correct that a gauntlet track would be one way of allowing freight and passengers to mix. Of course, installing them at every commuter station in the region would take a lot of work and money. And conversion to high platform rollingstock would also be an issue, but not an insurmountable one.<br /><br />Anyway, the gauntlet track at New Carrollton has been removed. Freight service has to use the easternmost track, which does not have a platform, now.Matt'https://www.blogger.com/profile/15011703558247093148noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-552358014685805851.post-23333012982180191692010-01-13T19:23:34.033-05:002010-01-13T19:23:34.033-05:00Not sure you're correct about freight and high...Not sure you're correct about freight and high platforms not mixing. Even at a station as local as <a href="http://www.trainweb.org/usarail/newcarrollton.htm" rel="nofollow">New Carollton</a>, freight passes the high platforms on slightly-displaced gauntlet tracks.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-552358014685805851.post-33396846871904257872008-03-11T22:45:00.000-04:002008-03-11T22:45:00.000-04:00Great plan overall! I am honestly not knowledgabl...Great plan overall! I am honestly not knowledgable about the DC side, but I can talk to the Baltimore side atleast. A few comments:<BR/><BR/>I agree with Josh, keep the Baltimore Belt Line. This would open up access to a whole new part of Baltimore's downtown. Besides, Penn Station is about 3 blocks from Mount Royal and connnected by the existing LRT. The Belt Line could probably extend all the way to the Penn Line Bayview station, providing a nice transit center in North East Baltimore (Penn Line + Camden Line + proposed Red Line). Also, you did not mention that the Howard Street tunnel could be double-tracked, since it is currently single-tracked to allow clearances for freight cars.<BR/><BR/>I also appreciate the M6 line - Baltimore's West side is not only congested, but also has poor highway access to downtown. Both of these factors would work well for ridership from Ellicott City and Sykesville.<BR/><BR/>M2 is definitely needed, though I disagree on the routing. I would personally tie it in to the NEC directly somewhere near Bowie to allow routing of trains to Baltimore or DC. Keep in mind Maryland will probably pay for this (since most of the line would be in MD and serve the capital), so it makes sense to link it to the largest city.<BR/><BR/>A conncection from the Penn Line to the Camden Line has been studied previously, however CSX was hostile towards it for fear of more passenger trains taking away their freight capacity on the Camden Line.<BR/><BR/>A possible additional line to consider - the former Western Maryland out to Reisterstown and Westminster. This line originates at the Wye adjacent to the B&P tunnel's western portal. It then heads Northwest, parelleling the Baltimore Metro to Owings Mill (allowing interconnections). I would see this line as operated with DMUs (such as Colorado Railcar) as a shuttle to Baltimore Penn (the same route WM commuter trains ran) to allow transfer to Light Rail, Penn Line, or Amtrak.<BR/><BR/>And finally, vehicles. Choosing SEPTA style EMUs (such as Silverliners) is a perfect choice, since they allow high speeds and meet FRA crash criteria to mix with freight. However, the lines are already at crush loads in the immediate DC area, so double-deck EMUs (such as METRA's Highliners, though they may not make NEC clearances).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-552358014685805851.post-56224225498943425992008-03-11T14:15:00.000-04:002008-03-11T14:15:00.000-04:00Thanks for the follow up. I have a couple of comm...Thanks for the follow up. I have a couple of comments:<BR/><BR/>With regard to the downtown commuter rail tunnel, the problem with comparing that to Philly's tunnel is that the Philly tunnel connects two terminals, while the proposed tunnel here would not. For that reason, I think the service it would provide would be somewhat redundant to the new blue line subway, especially with that subway doubling the connectivity to Union Station. <BR/><BR/>Along those lines, my idea with a new L'Enfant station was to create another downtown rail terminal. To clarify, I would build the station on the air rights above I-395, just to the south of L'Enfant plaza. Tracks would connect to the east into the existing Long bridge, and to the west to the existing 1st street tunnel and Virginia Ave tunnel. This would require a lot of reworking of 395, but that's something that should be done anway (preferably with the removal of the SE SW freeway, but that's another issue). The idea here is that you've provided a second downtown terminal around a major employment hub, also offering more connections into the downtown area proper, via existing subway lines (orange, blue, green and yellow). The new station is already positioned along the main rail axis through town, and would provide more potential capacity than a commuter rail tunnel through downtown. <BR/><BR/>On the W&OD line, there are several huge issues with it, though people always seem to bring it up as an alternative to Dulles rail. For one, it doesn't go to Dulles. It gets within the ballpark, but it's nowhere near the terminal, and extending the rail there would cost just as much as a Metro extension. Two, it no longer connects to existing rail. Follow the ROW in from Loudon Co, and parts of it have been encroached upon by various uses (including I-66). Once it crosses south of the Columbia Pike, it runs in the large median of Four Mile Ruin Dr. After you cross under I-395 however, the right of way large disappears, before you've come anywhere near connecting to existing rail tracks. You can see from aerials where the ROW used to be, but a great deal of it has been developed. Converting that ROW to commuter rail as is would come at a tremendous expense (especially since there aren't any tracks there anymore).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-552358014685805851.post-65251000624563559382008-03-11T07:31:00.000-04:002008-03-11T07:31:00.000-04:00I like the idea of a line out to Loudon County. T...I like the idea of a line out to Loudon County. The ROW is still there, it's just a trail right now (W&OD). With such a line it would be possible to have a limited-stop service to Dulles, which would be 10 times more useful as Metro to Dulles.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com