Quote:
Originally Posted by SecretAgentMan
What is commonly referred to as the MOKAN ROW (or perhaps more accurately a spur of the MKT) does in fact enter Downtown. The ROW merges with the Cap Metro Giddings-Llano line (more specifically the portion from the East Austin Wye to Elgin) right around where it crosses 183. As Electricron noted, it is visible in air photos and I have personally explored it on foot.
The reason ASA cannot use MOKAN south of Round Rock is that there is no ROW between IH-35 and the UP Town Lake Bridge. Up to about 30 years ago, when the south part of Downtown was still an active warehouse district, freight trains could operate on tracks imbedded in Third and Fourth streets to transfer between the three rail lines. Most of the track is gone, and what remains imbedded in pavement here and there is not servicable.
There is no way the City would allow FRA compliant diesel locomotives to operate in streets across Downtown in one of the busiest and dense neighborhoods. It is no longer an industrial area. I doubt the FRA/FTA would allow it either.
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True enough, and the Convention Center blocked that route on 3rd. But, instead of building the freight bypass all the way east in the median of SH 130, use the MoKan ROW. In either case, new or refurbished subgrade and new tracks will be needed. Where the MoKan connects to the ROW to Manor and Elgin, build a new railroad bridge across the Colorado River. A new railroad bridge would have had to be built along SH 130 route, so it's not an extra cost. There's already a freight spur heading east, but it's blocked by the Airport. So build the new rail line south on the east side of the Airport to connect to the existing UP main line south of town. Briefly, build a 20-30 mile freight rail bypass instead of a 80 mile freight rail bypass.
You could even build a new rail yard and industrial, warehouse district east of the airport. Air, rail, and highways would all be nearby to feed goods in and out. In the median of SH 130, that would not be possible. Now, that's economic development! This would fix Austin's severe lack of rail infrastructure. It has less rail infrastructure than Temple, and some have asked why HEB huge new warehouse is being built in Temple instead of Austin? Ever wondered why Dell moved its manufacturing plant to Tennessee?
What ever happen to keeping new infrastructure projects short, cheap, and sweet?