The Northeast Corridor

[Stinger92860]

Part of a larger article on the railroad infrastructure in the northeast, but I found this paragraph to be a positive for CR and UConn. Delaney has DC to NYC covered, just needs one more piece.

The Northeast Corridor generates a fifth of the nation's gross domestic product and is home to one in seven Americans. Train riders between New York and Boston account for just over half of the combined air and rail travel market. Between Washington, D.C., and New York, train riders make up nearly 70 percent of the air and rail market.

http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Feds-look-at-big-expansion-to-Connecticut-rail-5926658.php

 

[CTGoonie]

Jeezus H Christ. The frackin name of that article is "Feds look at big expansion to Connecticut rail." We're so close. Now everytime someone does a google search for B1G expansion in Connecticut they'll learn about trains.

 

[SubbaBub]

It's a misleading stat. Of course the majority of air/rail travel between and within closely spaced metro areas is by rail.

Ever consider taking a flight from New Haven to NYC? Of course not.

Or, NY to DC? Probably half and half. Now try Dallas and Houston, all air. Even if they had a rail system, it'd still be 70% air because there is nothing in between to drive the ridership number.

 

[ThetaZoo]

Part of a larger article on the railroad infrastructure in the northeast, but I found this paragraph to be a positive for CR and UConn. Delaney has DC to NYC covered, just needs one more piece.

The Northeast Corridor generates a fifth of the nation's gross domestic product and is home to one in seven Americans. Train riders between New York and Boston account for just over half of the combined air and rail travel market. Between Washington, D.C., and New York, train riders make up nearly 70 percent of the air and rail market.

http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Feds-look-at-big-expansion-to-Connecticut-rail-5926658.php

If you add in the 125 or so new riders on CT fastrack busway (New Britain to Hartford) that number will be even greater.

 

[Stinger92860]

The key stat is => The Northeast Corridor generates a fifth of the nation's gross domestic product and is home to one in seven Americans.

and yes my google footprint is so large, I am going to materially affect nternet statistics.

 

[UConn9604]

It's a misleading stat. Of course the majority of air/rail travel between and within closely spaced metro areas is by rail.

Ever consider taking a flight from New Haven to NYC? Of course not.

Or, NY to DC? Probably half and half. Now try Dallas and Houston, all air. Even if they had a rail system, it'd still be 70% air because there is nothing in between to drive the ridership number.

At the same time, situations like theirs (long, straight, flat distances between two population centers) are just about the only environments in which true high-speed rail like the TGV can thrive, as long as the demand can support it.

In Connecticut, we would have no use for high-speed rail because the stops are so close and because every politician along the route would insist that the trains stop in their towns - and they could never get up to max speed because our rail lines are so curvy.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Crazy that the US is just realizing how important rail travel can be after spending nothing on it since the railroads went in in the late 1800's. Some of the immediate needs are to replace a pair of key choke points in New Jersey - 1) Replacing the Portal Bridge that was built in 1910, is obsolete so much that trains can only cross it doing 60 MPH and it opens several times a day for boat traffic and 2) building a 3rd rail tunnel under the Hudson because the two existing tunnels, which were opened also in 1910, were badly damaged by Sandy and due to salt water flooding will need to be closed for 1 to 2 year within the next decade for a major overhaul, just imagine if it isn't done and only 1 track is open to connect NYC with Jersey for 1 to 2 years (special thanks to Gov Christie). In the long-term, there is a plan that send high-speed rail lines from NYC to Hartford via Westchester County, Danbury and Waterbury instead of New Haven as there is no more room to expand the existing connect New Haven rail lines and land acquisitions costs along the should would be brutal.

 

[Adios]

In the long-term, there is a plan that send high-speed rail lines from NYC to Hartford via Westchester County, Danbury and Waterbury instead of New Haven as there is no more room to expand the existing connect New Haven rail lines and land acquisitions costs along the should would be brutal.

http://articles.courant.com/2012-08...eed-project-high-speed-trains-high-speed-rail

Maybe this rail will stop at the Rent??

 

[DarthGrumpy]

http://articles.courant.com/2012-08...eed-project-high-speed-trains-high-speed-rail

Maybe this rail will stop at the Rent??

Two problems with the Danbury to Hartford route - 1) the new New Britain to Hartford busway was built over part of the proposed route. From Hartford and 2) there is no existing or dormant rail line between Danbury and Waterbury and the hilly terrain would be an issue. From Hartford, I believe the goal is to send the line straight across to Providence, but with no stops in between. Too bad, having a high speed station near Storrs (Willimantic) with NYC 2 hours away and Boston 1 hour would be very marketable. In reality, I doubt this will ever happen even with the capacity issue on the Shore.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Two problems with the Danbury to Hartford route - 1) the new New Britain to Hartford busway was built over part of the proposed route. From Hartford and 2) there is no existing or dormant rail line between Danbury and Waterbury and the hilly terrain would be an issue. From Hartford, I believe the goal is to send the line straight across to Providence, but with no stops in between. Too bad, having a high speed station near Storrs (Willimantic) with NYC 2 hours away and Boston 1 hour would be very marketable. In reality, I doubt this will ever happen even with the capacity issue on the Shore.

PS - Here's the story from 2012 in the Register. Target date is 2030. The overall plan also assumes that a 3rd Hudson tunnel is open, the Portal Bridge is replaced, service improvements in Philly are made and capacity issues in Boston's South Station are fixed.

http://www.nhregister.com/general-n...onnecticut-shoreline-under-new-plan-documents

CT officials are already complaining because they don't want it (Waterbury [waiting for the old Mills to come back to life any day now] and upper Fairfield County [too hilly; but China and Japan can built high speed lines through the mountains] or because they don't want to be bypassed (Stamford and New Haven). I understand the former's argument; but, they would still have Amtrak regional trains and the commuter rail. Pulling the high speed rail from the shore, which is really designed to connect Boston/NYC/Philly/DC, would open more capacity on the shoreline and with improved service, express trains between New Haven and NYC should be able to do the trip in 1 hour.

 

[HoopsFan21]

Two problems with the Danbury to Hartford route - 1) the new New Britain to Hartford busway was built over part of the proposed route. From Hartford and 2) there is no existing or dormant rail line between Danbury and Waterbury and the hilly terrain would be an issue. From Hartford, I believe the goal is to send the line straight across to Providence, but with no stops in between. Too bad, having a high speed station near Storrs (Willimantic) with NYC 2 hours away and Boston 1 hour would be very marketable. In reality, I doubt this will ever happen even with the capacity issue on the Shore.

High speed rail is also limited along the Connecticut shoreline due to at-grade crossings and very close proximity to roads, houses, neighborhoods, and/or commercial developments. It's why Acela generally only goes about 60-80 through Connecticut and then opens up to a max speed of 150 in Rhode Island. Also, there will be no train line from Hartford to Providence for the same reason I-84 goes from Hartford to Sturbridge instead of Hartford to Providence as originally planned (proximity to public water supply reservoirs). The current I-84 was planned as I-86, and then when the original I-84 to Providence was canceled, the I-86 under construction took on the then canceled 84 route number with the little bit of I-84 that was built towards Providence became I-384.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

High speed rail is also limited along the Connecticut shoreline due to at-grade crossings and very close proximity to roads, houses, neighborhoods, and/or commercial developments. It's why Acela generally only goes about 60-80 through Connecticut and then opens up to a max speed of 150 in Rhode Island. Also, there will be no train line from Hartford to Providence for the same reason I-84 goes from Hartford to Sturbridge instead of Hartford to Providence as originally planned (proximity to public water supply reservoirs). The current I-84 was planned as I-86, and then when the original I-84 to Providence was canceled, the I-86 under construction took on the then canceled 84 route number with the little bit of I-84 that was built towards Providence became I-384.

I am familiar with the original I-84 route too as it has come-up on this board discussing how to get +50K people to Storrs should an on campus football stadium be built there. Looking at Google Maps, there appears to be a rail line, some active and some already a rail trail that runs from Hartford over the train bridge north of downtown over the Connecticut then through E Hartford, Manchester, Vernon, down to Willimantic, to just north of Norwich, back up through Plainfield and then jumping onto a different line in Mosup that cuts straight across Rhode Island avoiding the reservoir to Warwick where it turns north to Providence where it joins the existing Amtrak line just south of the US 6/Route 10 highway interchange. Looks like a lot of track work, re-converting some rail trails, bide work and certain areas where the route hopefully can be straightened and shortened; but, it's there. Just several billion dollars of work needed

 

[whaler11]

So the plan is to turn Purdue on?

I can't wait to take a bullet train to Willimantic. The traffic for the boom box parade is just annoying.

 

[Fishy]

In the Big Ten offices...

"Jim! It's UConn, Jim! They've got trains now! Trains!"

 

[billybud]

"Rock me, mama, like a southbound train"....

I hope that it would be south...but for UConn, it really doesn't matter...just need to be rocked.


So rock me momma like a wagon wheel
Rock me momma any way you feel
Hey momma rock me
Rock me momma like the wind and the rain
Rock me momma like a south bound train
Hey momma rock me