Amtrak: The Road to Recovery
- Thread starter Devvy
- Start date
Ah, sorry, that was a, now obviously, bad Monty Python reference. Almost went with the Lovecraft 'That is not dead which can eternal lie' instead. I've personally got no idea if Devvy is going to continue the thread, but he's currently in Japan for work so that's probably why he hasn't been updating for a while.
Devvy
Donor
Yep, sorry, as Simon said - the TL isn't dead, it's just on "pause" at the moment.
I'm currently in Japan on work (as mentioned), so almost all my free time is spent touring round towns, castles, temples and gardens. And trying out loads of new food! It's also been interesting to see how good rail transport can be in a country that really embraces it (Japanese rail transport is slick as hell).
I'm actually back in Europe for near on 2 weeks at the end of June before heading back to Japan again, so I'll probably try and push out a couple of updates then.
I'm currently in Japan on work (as mentioned), so almost all my free time is spent touring round towns, castles, temples and gardens. And trying out loads of new food! It's also been interesting to see how good rail transport can be in a country that really embraces it (Japanese rail transport is slick as hell).
I'm actually back in Europe for near on 2 weeks at the end of June before heading back to Japan again, so I'll probably try and push out a couple of updates then.
Devvy
Donor
2003-2006
The period of 2003-2006 was a transitional time for Amtrak. Not many headlines, just years of hard work while modernisation & electrification work continued. Passenger numbers continued to be inflated by the aftermath of 9/11, with many passengers either scared of flying now or put off by the new airport security measures. Some passengers used Amtrak for the first time, and suddenly liked what they found. Fast, regular and comfortable services ran in many areas of the country. Airlines would struggle to make inroads into the market share on several of these shorter routes, with the public mindset seemingly turning ever more towards Amtrak on shorter trips - a return at least partly towards the status that the railways enjoyed prior to the 1960s. X2 services on the North East Corridor continued to attract great numbers of passengers. The events of 9/11 has provided the (tragic) stimulus to break the rail network in the North East out of it's chicken and egg loop. In response to the greater number of passengers using the NEC expresses, Amtrak had laid on extra services, with those extra services providing a more frequent service between the major cities, which in turn attracted more passengers with the increased frequency.
Ongoing works to electrify Amtrak's network, in order to provide lower running costs and quicker services.
In turn, the North East Corridor with it's new branches to Harrisburg, Allentown & Springfield (and it's older branch to JFK Airport) was rebranded as the North East Network, with the ongoing works lauded as joined up modernisation to create an integrated system rather then the disjointed myriad of services that formerly ran along the tracks.. Although efforts were ongoing to rebuild the Water Level Route to Buffalo for Amtrak's usage, the lack of decent connections into Penn Central station meant that at least for the time, Buffalo services would operate out of Grand Central Terminus and not be integrated into the North East Network.
Looking back, it was this time that actually started the downfall of the long running La Guardia Airport in New York. The lack of international flight capability, the shrinking domestic aviation sector led to a reduction in demand, and the airport was considered surplus to requirements with the capacity available at JFK and Newark Airports (especially as La Guardia lacked onwards rail connections unlike it's two bigger neighbours). At JFK Airport, efforts were ongoing too to modernise the TWA Flight Centre for Amtrak's use, so that Amtrak could rid itself of it's now overcrowded underground station where it had become a victim of it's own success. Several poignant reminders of the disasters at the World Trace Centre were built in the new WTC PATH station as the PATH system was extended through the WTC station.
La Guardia Airport, several years before it's closure.
In California, preparatory work began on a link from Los Angeles to Bakersfield via the Tehachapi Pass and Soledad Canyon. Alignment expansion and trenches for trains to run underneath the roads began, even though usage by trains would be years off. However, to the south side, local opposition and physical constraints were making themselves known. Between Los Angeles and San Diego, the railway runs along the beach side on a single track. Local opposition to having overhead cables and more trains spoiling the view and making noise was more significant then expected, and the existing alignment did not leave much room anyway in many areas. The end result was in effect the creation of a high speed commuter line between Los Angeles and Anaheim; something that Amtrak hadn't banked upon. Amtrak pressed ahead regardless, hoping that Disneyland and the Anaheim Convention Centre would produce significant numbers of travellers, as well as creating a new higher speed commuter line to the areas of Santa Ana, Irvine & Mission Viejo.
With the ongoing electrification of lines in the Mid-West, Amtrak's attention turned to tendering for a new fleet of electric trains to operate these services, and operate what is known in Great Britain as the "sparks effect" - the upswing in passengers that occur when new electric trains operate fast and comfortable new services. With the close look at the German ICE services that Amtrak had had when originally looking for a train for (what was then) the North East Corridor, it seemed obvious what the choice would be. The significantly straighter tracks in the Mid-West, owing to the favourably geography, meant that tilting technology wouldn't be as essential, and Amtrak could just look for a damned fast train.
An InterCity Express (first generation) on it's trials in the USA during the 1990s.
-----------------------------------------------
Notes: At long last, I'm back and writing again. Let me just say this about trains in Japan; they are frequent, fast and flipping reliable. Apart from one day when there was a typhoon....I'll let them off for that. Did 190mph on the Shinkansen. Even my local train station had a train every 10 minutes into Osaka from my suburb (and I was far out from the centre) - even at 7am on a Sunday morning. Impressive. Anyhow....
The hint at La Guardia closing is from our perspective looking back. This period is the start of the downfall of LGA, something that's a product of the integrated operations at Newark and JFK Airports. Don't expect it to actually close until around 2015 though (yes, I guess I'm writing this from the future slightly!
).
The North East Corridor is rebranded as the North East Network, services aren't individually named, but are just coded as "NEN: JFK Airport" for ease of recognition.
And Amtrak starts to look for electric trains for it's Mid West network. While politically a US train would probably be more palatable, there aren't exactly a lot to choose from apart from Bombardier, and the European trains are largely ready-to-order proven technology. Plus pictures actually exist of them for me to use
Lastly....it's been a long time since my last update. My apologies if I've made errors against my past instalments (although I did reread them quickly!) - feel free to correct me! Getting back into the swing of things again...
The period of 2003-2006 was a transitional time for Amtrak. Not many headlines, just years of hard work while modernisation & electrification work continued. Passenger numbers continued to be inflated by the aftermath of 9/11, with many passengers either scared of flying now or put off by the new airport security measures. Some passengers used Amtrak for the first time, and suddenly liked what they found. Fast, regular and comfortable services ran in many areas of the country. Airlines would struggle to make inroads into the market share on several of these shorter routes, with the public mindset seemingly turning ever more towards Amtrak on shorter trips - a return at least partly towards the status that the railways enjoyed prior to the 1960s. X2 services on the North East Corridor continued to attract great numbers of passengers. The events of 9/11 has provided the (tragic) stimulus to break the rail network in the North East out of it's chicken and egg loop. In response to the greater number of passengers using the NEC expresses, Amtrak had laid on extra services, with those extra services providing a more frequent service between the major cities, which in turn attracted more passengers with the increased frequency.
Ongoing works to electrify Amtrak's network, in order to provide lower running costs and quicker services.
In turn, the North East Corridor with it's new branches to Harrisburg, Allentown & Springfield (and it's older branch to JFK Airport) was rebranded as the North East Network, with the ongoing works lauded as joined up modernisation to create an integrated system rather then the disjointed myriad of services that formerly ran along the tracks.. Although efforts were ongoing to rebuild the Water Level Route to Buffalo for Amtrak's usage, the lack of decent connections into Penn Central station meant that at least for the time, Buffalo services would operate out of Grand Central Terminus and not be integrated into the North East Network.
Looking back, it was this time that actually started the downfall of the long running La Guardia Airport in New York. The lack of international flight capability, the shrinking domestic aviation sector led to a reduction in demand, and the airport was considered surplus to requirements with the capacity available at JFK and Newark Airports (especially as La Guardia lacked onwards rail connections unlike it's two bigger neighbours). At JFK Airport, efforts were ongoing too to modernise the TWA Flight Centre for Amtrak's use, so that Amtrak could rid itself of it's now overcrowded underground station where it had become a victim of it's own success. Several poignant reminders of the disasters at the World Trace Centre were built in the new WTC PATH station as the PATH system was extended through the WTC station.
La Guardia Airport, several years before it's closure.
In California, preparatory work began on a link from Los Angeles to Bakersfield via the Tehachapi Pass and Soledad Canyon. Alignment expansion and trenches for trains to run underneath the roads began, even though usage by trains would be years off. However, to the south side, local opposition and physical constraints were making themselves known. Between Los Angeles and San Diego, the railway runs along the beach side on a single track. Local opposition to having overhead cables and more trains spoiling the view and making noise was more significant then expected, and the existing alignment did not leave much room anyway in many areas. The end result was in effect the creation of a high speed commuter line between Los Angeles and Anaheim; something that Amtrak hadn't banked upon. Amtrak pressed ahead regardless, hoping that Disneyland and the Anaheim Convention Centre would produce significant numbers of travellers, as well as creating a new higher speed commuter line to the areas of Santa Ana, Irvine & Mission Viejo.
With the ongoing electrification of lines in the Mid-West, Amtrak's attention turned to tendering for a new fleet of electric trains to operate these services, and operate what is known in Great Britain as the "sparks effect" - the upswing in passengers that occur when new electric trains operate fast and comfortable new services. With the close look at the German ICE services that Amtrak had had when originally looking for a train for (what was then) the North East Corridor, it seemed obvious what the choice would be. The significantly straighter tracks in the Mid-West, owing to the favourably geography, meant that tilting technology wouldn't be as essential, and Amtrak could just look for a damned fast train.
An InterCity Express (first generation) on it's trials in the USA during the 1990s.
-----------------------------------------------
Notes: At long last, I'm back and writing again. Let me just say this about trains in Japan; they are frequent, fast and flipping reliable. Apart from one day when there was a typhoon....I'll let them off for that. Did 190mph on the Shinkansen. Even my local train station had a train every 10 minutes into Osaka from my suburb (and I was far out from the centre) - even at 7am on a Sunday morning. Impressive. Anyhow....
The hint at La Guardia closing is from our perspective looking back. This period is the start of the downfall of LGA, something that's a product of the integrated operations at Newark and JFK Airports. Don't expect it to actually close until around 2015 though (yes, I guess I'm writing this from the future slightly!
).The North East Corridor is rebranded as the North East Network, services aren't individually named, but are just coded as "NEN: JFK Airport" for ease of recognition.
And Amtrak starts to look for electric trains for it's Mid West network. While politically a US train would probably be more palatable, there aren't exactly a lot to choose from apart from Bombardier, and the European trains are largely ready-to-order proven technology. Plus pictures actually exist of them for me to use
Lastly....it's been a long time since my last update. My apologies if I've made errors against my past instalments (although I did reread them quickly!) - feel free to correct me! Getting back into the swing of things again...
Are those photos OTL ?
Same period as that Swedish train was tested they ran an ICE on the NEC.
An InterCity Express (first generation) on it's trials in the USA during the 1990s.
Filler, and then some
That's nice, Devvy. At least it's great to see it up and running.
Speaking of the Midwest and HSR - could there also be the possibility of something like the Eurotrain being used?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurotrain
Here's a picture for the rest of us:
Originally this was going to be what Taiwan was going to use for its HSR until it switchted to a derivative of the Shinkansen. It's basically a mix of TGV Duplex carriages and an ICE 2 locomotive. Using this alongside the ICE 2 would be an interesting combination - even after the ICE 3 is already starting to be used by Deutsche Bahn.
Speaking of the Midwest and HSR - could there also be the possibility of something like the Eurotrain being used?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurotrain
Here's a picture for the rest of us:
Originally this was going to be what Taiwan was going to use for its HSR until it switchted to a derivative of the Shinkansen. It's basically a mix of TGV Duplex carriages and an ICE 2 locomotive. Using this alongside the ICE 2 would be an interesting combination - even after the ICE 3 is already starting to be used by Deutsche Bahn.
My love for this timeline knows no bounds? Fiber-optic cables alongside Amtrak ROWs? Waived FRA standards? Single seat services between airports and city centres? 200 mph trains in the 2000s? Overnight sleeper services? It's a dream come true. Ah, never, perhaps, have I wanted a TL to be real as this one.
As for the issue of long-distance service, perhaps some states could be cajoled into starting medium distance services, that would compensate for the shuttering of the long distance routes. I don't know what the percentages are, but many people who board those do so to travel between two intermediate points, rather than from end-to-end. Perhaps with the "savings", they could be subsidised into operating DMUs on intra-state and inter-state routes.
As for the second generation of rolling stock... Bombardier is teetering on the brink of bankruptcy at this time OTL... so maybe GE or someone could snap it up? I'd love to see the US using "native" rolling stock.
EDIT: I found a claim that 2/3rds of long-distance passengers are travelling between one stop and an intermediary station, a clear majority. I found another, in an Amtrak report nonetheless, that says over 90% are doing so on one route, and only 15% of passengers are sleepers. The case for replacing such long-distance trains with shorter routes along the same right of way would seem strong.
As for the issue of long-distance service, perhaps some states could be cajoled into starting medium distance services, that would compensate for the shuttering of the long distance routes. I don't know what the percentages are, but many people who board those do so to travel between two intermediate points, rather than from end-to-end. Perhaps with the "savings", they could be subsidised into operating DMUs on intra-state and inter-state routes.
As for the second generation of rolling stock... Bombardier is teetering on the brink of bankruptcy at this time OTL... so maybe GE or someone could snap it up? I'd love to see the US using "native" rolling stock.
EDIT: I found a claim that 2/3rds of long-distance passengers are travelling between one stop and an intermediary station, a clear majority. I found another, in an Amtrak report nonetheless, that says over 90% are doing so on one route, and only 15% of passengers are sleepers. The case for replacing such long-distance trains with shorter routes along the same right of way would seem strong.
Here's my guess: in this timeline, watch for a major consortium to build high-speed trainsets for American use from 2004 on.
My guess of manufacturer: a consortium of Siemens (Germany) and Kawasaki Heavy Industries (Japan), with the trains assembled at two new production lines, one in upper New York State and one at new assembly plant near Sacramento, CA. The trains would look like the Siemens Velaro trainset, but with the active suspension system developed by KHI for the N700 and N700A Shinkansen trainsets so the train could "tilt" 1-2 degrees into curves for faster speeds on curves. And this trainset will become the standard high-speed rail trainset across the continental USA, and even have a name that will make it famous: American Flyer (and yes, the Siemens/KHI consortium paid a handsome sum to the Radio Flyer toy company to get license rights to the name).
Even more remarkable are the color schemes applied to the American Flyer trainsets. Especially striking are the trainsets painted in the Great Northern livery running on the Vancouver, BC to Eugene, OR corridor (though Japanese visitors think they're related the old Shōnan livery used on the old JNR passenger trains from Tokyo to Numazu on the old Tokaidō Main Line), the trainsets painted in the famous Southern Pacific Daylight livery running in California, and trainsets painted in the two-tone grey livery of the old New York Central railroad running on the Northeast Network.
My guess of manufacturer: a consortium of Siemens (Germany) and Kawasaki Heavy Industries (Japan), with the trains assembled at two new production lines, one in upper New York State and one at new assembly plant near Sacramento, CA. The trains would look like the Siemens Velaro trainset, but with the active suspension system developed by KHI for the N700 and N700A Shinkansen trainsets so the train could "tilt" 1-2 degrees into curves for faster speeds on curves. And this trainset will become the standard high-speed rail trainset across the continental USA, and even have a name that will make it famous: American Flyer (and yes, the Siemens/KHI consortium paid a handsome sum to the Radio Flyer toy company to get license rights to the name).
Even more remarkable are the color schemes applied to the American Flyer trainsets. Especially striking are the trainsets painted in the Great Northern livery running on the Vancouver, BC to Eugene, OR corridor (though Japanese visitors think they're related the old Shōnan livery used on the old JNR passenger trains from Tokyo to Numazu on the old Tokaidō Main Line), the trainsets painted in the famous Southern Pacific Daylight livery running in California, and trainsets painted in the two-tone grey livery of the old New York Central railroad running on the Northeast Network.
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Welcome back. It's a shame Laguardia has closed. But on the bright side, new space for smart growth, or an urban park.
LaGuardia would be a great place for a huge park, and perhaps a transit terminal for Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx.
The one problem I can see with shutting it is that forcing the traffic from it to JFK and Newark presents problems with landing spots. Now, the growth of the NEN would knock off a lot of that (and once Buffalo, and probably Toronto, are added to the network, it will make it more so still) air travel demand, but enough to clean out short-hoppers from those airports?FYI, if you can hook the Buffalo-Albany-NYC to the Northeast Network, you have added some huge possibilities into the Midwest. The Water Level Route is remarkably straight and narrow, so if you get to Buffalo, you could conceivably follow the route to Erie, Ashland and Cleveland or go through Canada to Detroit via Hamilton and London. (Or conceivably have the success of the NEN shove VIA Rail off its backside and make them build the Windsor-Quebec City HSR they have talked about since the early 1980s, thus allow both routes.) If you extend the NEN and the Midwest networks to Cleveland, you could conceivably have a 200-mph New York to Chicago service. The Water Level Route between Albany and Cleveland was one of the New York Central's primary routes and was engineered as such in the 1960s, so while property issues might cause a problem, once you have the land built engineering it would be pretty easy. Power supply might be a problem in some parts of this network, though. One other option here might be following Conrail's Boston line east from Albany through Troy and Springfield to Boston, and the Springfield line could go north through Vermont to Montreal, perhaps following the old Delaware and Hudson route, which was beyond useless for freight traffic by the 1980s and was bought by the Canadian Pacific in order for CPR to get a route to NYC.
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Devvy
Donor
That's nice, Devvy. At least it's great to see it up and running.
Speaking of the Midwest and HSR - could there also be the possibility of something like the Eurotrain being used?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurotrain
Here's a picture for the rest of us:
Originally this was going to be what Taiwan was going to use for its HSR until it switchted to a derivative of the Shinkansen. It's basically a mix of TGV Duplex carriages and an ICE 2 locomotive. Using this alongside the ICE 2 would be an interesting combination - even after the ICE 3 is already starting to be used by Deutsche Bahn.
I did think about the THSR and the Eurotrain, but I can't see traffic levels being high enough for double decker trains here. When California gets something going though; then you might see Duplex style trains
I definitely agree with you that most passengers travel between a terminus and an intermediate station. But don't imagine 200mph trains yet - I'm envisaging somewhere around 100-130mph operation along the entire of the NEN at the moment. The problem OTL isn't the top speed (Acela manages 150mph in one area), but the amount of areas where a really low (under 60mph) is permitted. It absolutely kills the point to point travel time due to the slow speed segment and the deceleration and acceleration speeds on either side of it.
If we can get 150-160mph in the 2010s, this would be truly great. Expect higher speeds in the Mid-West with flatter & straighter tracks (hence the comments around the ICE1).
Some interesting thoughts there that I'll take note on. The only thing I'd say is don't expect one "standard" high speed train for the entire of the US. Each network will have a dedicated train, but it'd be too difficult for the whole country to have one type. Not too mention the expense when they all come to EOL for replacement or overhaul.
Tilting for NEN, high speed for Mid-West, capacity for California.
LaGuardia would be a great place for a huge park, and perhaps a transit terminal for Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx.
FYI, if you can hook the Buffalo-Albany-NYC to the Northeast Network, you have added some huge possibilities into the Midwest. The Water Level Route is remarkably straight and narrow, so if you get to Buffalo, you could conceivably follow the route to Erie, Ashland and Cleveland or go through Canada to Detroit via Hamilton and London. (Or conceivably have the success of the NEN shove VIA Rail off its backside and make them build the Windsor-Quebec City HSR they have talked about since the early 1980s, thus allow both routes.) If you extend the NEN and the Midwest networks to Cleveland, you could conceivably have a 200-mph New York to Chicago service. The Water Level Route between Albany and Cleveland was one of the New York Central's primary routes and was engineered as such in the 1960s, so while property issues might cause a problem, once you have the land built engineering it would be pretty easy. Power supply might be a problem in some parts of this network, though. One other option here might be following Conrail's Boston line east from Albany through Troy and Springfield to Boston, and the Springfield line could go north through Vermont to Montreal, perhaps following the old Delaware and Hudson route, which was beyond useless for freight traffic by the 1980s and was bought by the Canadian Pacific in order for CPR to get a route to NYC.
I've been pondering LGA this morning, and I'm kind of stuck in 2 minds about it. On one hand, a significant amount of traffic seems to be rather short haul (Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, Buffalo, Montreal, Toronto) - all places that could be served by rail. Montreal and Toronto aren't within range yet....but they are possible destinations. The D&H route is one option, the other option I'd pondered was a new high speed route west of the Adirondacks (branching off the main Buffalo route at Utica, and then passing through Watertown en route to Montreal) - the advantage of this one is that it could tie in to a hypothetical Toronto-Ottawa-Montreal route therefore accessing Montreal and Toronto. However, it is a lot of small planes it services, which might be a little too much for Newark & JFK.
I might of been a little too enthusiastic in killing off LGA, but I'll stick with the line that I didn't say when it would get killed off and that local pressure on noise limits, it's domestic-only nature, and the growth of rail in short-distance trips leads to it's eventual closure!
As for running down the side of Erie - it's already in my plans for the future.
Devvy
Donor
Why bother building a new alignment when you have one ready made for (at least mostly) quadruple track, with only two tracks sitting on it currently?
Might as well just make use of the spare space on an existing rail corridor!