This article talks about some of the upgraded local and inter-city train service offerings in the United States resulting from President Joe Biden's 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. It takes a...
This article talks about some of the upgraded local and inter-city train service offerings in the United States resulting from President Joe Biden's 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. It takes a state-by-state look at various projects that are underway or scheduled for the next few years that will make significant improvements to travel time and service frequency/reliability in a number of different regions. Many states are planning completely new routes or revitalizing ones that have not operated in decades.
Effective passenger rail is not just for the East Coast. The US is filled with city pairs that benefit from high-speed rail service, and even conventional rail service. Integrating these cities into the rail network is a big deal because it induces a modal shift from cars and airplanes (rail transport is much more environmentally sustainable). Making infrastructure upgrades to allow for through-running commuter rail systems in major cities improves regional connectivity and operational efficiency of the railroads themselves.
The article is quite optimistic, and it has good reason to be, although I will note that more funding is necessary to create a truly high-speed rail network in the US. You can read more about the Amtrak Connects US 2035 plan and see a map of proposed changes to the network.
The article is a little confusing because current and planned changes are mixed together. Going through it for things that have already happened and would be visible to passengers: ... ... (Though...
The article is a little confusing because current and planned changes are mixed together. Going through it for things that have already happened and would be visible to passengers:
Siemens Venture cabs started rolling onto Amtrak Midwest routes in 2022, and by now they’re a ubiquitous sight in this corner of the Amtrak system. These are the same cab cars used by the privately owned Brightline system in Florida [...]
...
Michigan is in the unique position of owning long stretches of track. It has taken advantage of this by upgrading a 45-mile section of the Detroit-Chicago Wolverine corridor to 110-mph speeds [...]
...
In 2021, [Virginia] took the unprecedented step of purchasing more than 300 miles of track from a freight rail operator, including most of the track on which its existing passenger trains currently travel.
(Though it sounds like passengers wouldn't notice an improvement yet?)
Also, not mentioned but it got plenty of coverage, Brightline recently started running between Miami and Orlando in September.
Thanks for highlighting these. I'll add a few more: Amtrak is constantly rebuilding station platforms to be ADA-accessible, which has the added bonus of speeding up alighting/reducing dwell times...
Thanks for highlighting these. I'll add a few more:
Additionally, Illinois recently upgraded much of the line connecting Chicago and St. Louis for 110-mph train service, shaving 30 minutes off the trip.
Amtrak is constantly rebuilding station platforms to be ADA-accessible, which has the added bonus of speeding up alighting/reducing dwell times for all passengers, and being more conducive to strollers, bikes, etc. Examples this year include Wilmington, DE; Charleston, WV; Del Rio, Texas; Yazoo City, MS; South Shore, KY; Jefferson City, MO; Connersville, IN; and more. Regional transit agencies are also making progress on this for local stations, albeit slowly.
While not yet finished, Caltrain's electrification program is currently under construction and will be completed next year. That includes a reduction in travel time between San Francisco and San Jose by 25 minutes and more service in general, including more express trains.
Weekday peak hour trains would cover 79 stations per hour, an increase from the current 66.
Eleven stations would experience four train arrivals hourly per direction, a notable improvement from seven stations currently.
Midday trains cover 44 stations per hour, up from 34 today.
And depending on how you define "noticeable to passengers," plenty of the ongoing upgrades to the Northeast Corridor are physically visible, such as the construction of the Portal North Bridge over the Hackensack River (apparently 25% complete). You can see this in the meadowlands in northern New Jersey. That entire area is seeing a lot of construction from the Gateway Program.
The cherry on top is that Amtrak recently announced more flexible and affordable fares. You can get extremely low-cost fares (outcompeting most inter-city bus service) as long as you book a bit in advance. For example a ticket from New York to DC for as little as $16 or from New York to Philadelphia for as little as $8. The cheapest I've found is between Philadelphia and Baltimore for $3. Wow!
It's quite far along and scheduled to go into service in the fall of next year. Maybe there will be a delay, but "never" seems awfully pessimistic. https://www.caltrain.com/projects/electrification
It's quite far along and scheduled to go into service in the fall of next year. Maybe there will be a delay, but "never" seems awfully pessimistic.
I've lived on the Caltrain route for the better part of 20 years. I love riding it, but I just feel defeated since I've been hearing it for a long time. I'll be excited when it actually happens.
I've lived on the Caltrain route for the better part of 20 years. I love riding it, but I just feel defeated since I've been hearing it for a long time. I'll be excited when it actually happens.
Caltrain electrification is 100% funded as of January 2023. Infrastructure is currently being constructed: nearly done! Barring a major natural disaster, I think there is good reason to be...
Caltrain electrification is 100% funded as of January 2023. Infrastructure is currently being constructed: nearly done! Barring a major natural disaster, I think there is good reason to be optimistic.
It's been talked about for a while, but that talk did not include full funding. Thanks to allocations from the state legislature and the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021, that funding was acquired.
Generally the hype pattern I take is something like this:
Proposal floated casually: That's cool. Talk about feasibility with other transit nerds. No hype.
Formal vision document from an agency: Hey! Slight optimism: at least they know about it. No hype.
Funding allocated for preliminary feasibility study: It might be happening. Let's see! Let's also hope very dearly that the project will not cost tens of billions of dollars. Similarly hesitant optimism. No hype.
Feasibility study returns positive results: Yay! Share this with all the other transit nerds and talk up a storm. Mild, naive hype.
Funding allocated for environmental review/project-level analysis: They really are serious about this. Let's take it seriously. Careful, reserved hype. We're in the big leagues now, can't go messing this one up.
Environmental review approved by regulators: (After years, or sometimes decades.) Wait, this means that all we have to do now is pay for the project. Hype train leaves the station on Class 2 track (30 mph).
Preliminary funding allocated: IT'S HAPPENING plz fund all the way. Hype train is still on Class 4 track (80 mph), but accelerating. This is the time when I will write to my representatives more than once.
Construction begins: Hype train has reached Class 6 track (110 mph), still accelerating. Transit nerd discussion intensifies. Non-transit nerd types start paying more attention to the project.
Full funding allocated (if not already allocated): Hype train accelerates further after reaching higher FRA track standards. Might be done in a couple years (Portal North Bridge situation), might be done in 10 (Hudson River Tunnel situation), so exact track class depends on the project. But either way the hype train is operating on at least a Class 7 (125 mph) track or maybe a Class 8 (160 mph) one. There are zero at-grade crossings delaying this hype train.
Construction finished: Hype train is going full tilt. In fact it has to tilt using special technology developed by Alstom to get around the h8ter curves because it's gone so far beyond the FRA regulations that it may as well be a Shinkansen. We're talking Class 9, Class 10 (doesn't exist), Class 11. The hype train transcends space and time. When the hype train stops, we can alight onto level boarding platforms with platform screen doors in a large, daylighted train hall with clear signage to transfers and efficient street access.
In Caltrain's case, we are on Step 9. This kind of project is unlikely to be delayed after funding has been allocated because there are not really any potential blockers like litigation, scope creep/station redesigns, etc. It's just putting up the wires and supporting electrical utilities. It's a pretty great project with very tangible benefits: I'd personally lean toward the optimistic end. So I think you can feel free to let the hype consume you.
This article talks about some of the upgraded local and inter-city train service offerings in the United States resulting from President Joe Biden's 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. It takes a state-by-state look at various projects that are underway or scheduled for the next few years that will make significant improvements to travel time and service frequency/reliability in a number of different regions. Many states are planning completely new routes or revitalizing ones that have not operated in decades.
Effective passenger rail is not just for the East Coast. The US is filled with city pairs that benefit from high-speed rail service, and even conventional rail service. Integrating these cities into the rail network is a big deal because it induces a modal shift from cars and airplanes (rail transport is much more environmentally sustainable). Making infrastructure upgrades to allow for through-running commuter rail systems in major cities improves regional connectivity and operational efficiency of the railroads themselves.
The article is quite optimistic, and it has good reason to be, although I will note that more funding is necessary to create a truly high-speed rail network in the US. You can read more about the Amtrak Connects US 2035 plan and see a map of proposed changes to the network.
The article is a little confusing because current and planned changes are mixed together. Going through it for things that have already happened and would be visible to passengers:
...
...
(Though it sounds like passengers wouldn't notice an improvement yet?)
Also, not mentioned but it got plenty of coverage, Brightline recently started running between Miami and Orlando in September.
Thanks for highlighting these. I'll add a few more:
Amtrak is constantly rebuilding station platforms to be ADA-accessible, which has the added bonus of speeding up alighting/reducing dwell times for all passengers, and being more conducive to strollers, bikes, etc. Examples this year include Wilmington, DE; Charleston, WV; Del Rio, Texas; Yazoo City, MS; South Shore, KY; Jefferson City, MO; Connersville, IN; and more. Regional transit agencies are also making progress on this for local stations, albeit slowly.
While not yet finished, Caltrain's electrification program is currently under construction and will be completed next year. That includes a reduction in travel time between San Francisco and San Jose by 25 minutes and more service in general, including more express trains.
And depending on how you define "noticeable to passengers," plenty of the ongoing upgrades to the Northeast Corridor are physically visible, such as the construction of the Portal North Bridge over the Hackensack River (apparently 25% complete). You can see this in the meadowlands in northern New Jersey. That entire area is seeing a lot of construction from the Gateway Program.
The cherry on top is that Amtrak recently announced more flexible and affordable fares. You can get extremely low-cost fares (outcompeting most inter-city bus service) as long as you book a bit in advance. For example a ticket from New York to DC for as little as $16 or from New York to Philadelphia for as little as $8. The cheapest I've found is between Philadelphia and Baltimore for $3. Wow!
I meant to say "in service" so Caltrain electrification doesn't count yet :-)
lol Caltrain will be electrified when I retire. That is to say never at this point.
It's quite far along and scheduled to go into service in the fall of next year. Maybe there will be a delay, but "never" seems awfully pessimistic.
https://www.caltrain.com/projects/electrification
I've lived on the Caltrain route for the better part of 20 years. I love riding it, but I just feel defeated since I've been hearing it for a long time. I'll be excited when it actually happens.
Caltrain electrification is 100% funded as of January 2023. Infrastructure is currently being constructed: nearly done! Barring a major natural disaster, I think there is good reason to be optimistic.
It's been talked about for a while, but that talk did not include full funding. Thanks to allocations from the state legislature and the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021, that funding was acquired.
Generally the hype pattern I take is something like this:
In Caltrain's case, we are on Step 9. This kind of project is unlikely to be delayed after funding has been allocated because there are not really any potential blockers like litigation, scope creep/station redesigns, etc. It's just putting up the wires and supporting electrical utilities. It's a pretty great project with very tangible benefits: I'd personally lean toward the optimistic end. So I think you can feel free to let the hype consume you.