Midwest Regional Rail Initiative

[VivaLFuego]

Originally Posted by ardecila

Rail shuttle service from Peoria to Normal

Is this actually being studied or advocated for? It sounds like "rail-for-rail's-sake," which is unlikely to do any favors for the long-term prospects for public funding of intercity rail.

Originally Posted by ardecila

Increased frequency on all lines (the Dubuque and Quad Cities lines will start with paltry frequencies).

I've wondered what are the shortest consists (and their passenger capacity) that Amtrak ever runs? The eternal transportation trade-off between vehicle capacity and service frequency in meeting demand seems relevant on many of these corridors.

[electricron]

Originally Posted by VivaLFuego

Is this actually being studied or advocated for? It sounds like "rail-for-rail's-sake," which is unlikely to do any favors for the long-term prospects for public funding of intercity rail.


I've wondered what are the shortest consists (and their passenger capacity) that Amtrak ever runs? The eternal transportation trade-off between vehicle capacity and service frequency in meeting demand seems relevant on many of these corridors.

The Heartland Flyer frequently operates with just three Superliner cars. I expect that would be the minimum in Illinois as well, as they're building three types of cars; (1) coach-cab, (2) coach-cafe, (3) all coach. I would expect one of each on every train at a minimum.
I'll admit I'm not sure if every car will be wheelchair friendly, but I would expect the all coach car would definitely be so.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by VivaLFuego

Is this actually being studied or advocated for? It sounds like "rail-for-rail's-sake," which is unlikely to do any favors for the long-term prospects for public funding of intercity rail.

Yes. Keep in mind that a rail shuttle would be in lieu of a direct Chicago-Peoria service like the old Prairie Marksman. If the schedules can be designed with a timed transfer at Normal, it's nearly as good as direct service. Of course, that assumes a very un-Amtrak-like reliability, but with the massive public investment in signaling and passing sidings on the Chi-StL corridor, I would expect a decent on time performance.

You could argue that it would be cheaper and just as effective to run a bus shuttle, but you could say the same thing for any Midwest Amtrak corridor except Hiawatha.

For marginal corridors like Dubuque or the Peoria shuttle, I do think it would make sense to invest in a fleet of DMUs as certain commuter operations have done, especially now that FRA has lessened their crash regulations, opening the path for lighter-weight units. However, I think you would still grapple with minimum crew sizes, which is a bigger factor than consist length.

[Jonboy1983]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

I think it's premature to say that IDOT is "spending billions on a 50 mile tollway." The Illiana is supposed to be a tollway owned by a private consortium, and the bistate agreement only commits a minimum of $250 million in Illinois dollars. There's the worrisome prospect that the project will have financial guarantees from the state, but that's some distance down the road.

Still doesn't make the Illiana a good idea, but let's keep the facts straight.

Do pardon my ignorance in that post. This does seem familiar to what the PA Turnpike Commission wants to do around the Pittsburgh region. They want to build and extension of the Mon-Fayette Expressway from its current terminus northward to Monroeville and build a second component, the Southern Beltway. In essence, this would give Pittsburgh a loop originating from the international airport and looping through the southern communities where it would link up with the MFE, taking motorists to Monroeville or West Virginia...

Cost of said freeway network... ohhh, somewhere around $6 billion, and that was according to press releases from circa 2002/2003...

What is the projected traffic for this new toll road? I'm just curious. Our MFE/Southern Beltway, the parts that are actually built and open, are almost never used...

If this is a private consortium, I wonder what institutions are providing the funds. That's something that I don't think would be very welcomed here in PA, which I think sucks...

[Mister Uptempo]

From Railway Age-

Tuesday, August 05, 2014
Illinois, IAIS reach Quad Cities "milestone"
Written by Douglas John Bowen

The state of Illinois said Monday, Aug. 4, 2014 it and Iowa Interstate Railroad (IAIS) had reached a "key milestone" in developing intercity passenger rail service linking Chicago and the Quad-Cities of Moline and East Moline, Ill., and Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa.

The agreement will allow IAIS to begin signal system design work, as well as tie replacement and track upgrades, on 53 miles of right-of-way in Illinois between Wyanet and Moline. The Quad Cities routes stretches roughly 162 miles.

Construction also is expected to begin next month on another part of the connection, at the BNSF Railway's Eola Yards in Aurora, Ill., according to state officials.

-SNIP-

The Quad Cities project also has been awarded $230 million in federal funding. Amtrak revenue service on the route initially was supposed to commence in 2013, but has been postponed, with no specific target date now set. But an Illinois DOT spokesman said the start of service and construction timeline will be announced following the completion of planning work before the end of the year.

The rest of the story can be found here.

[Mister Uptempo]

A press release from the City of Fort Wayne...

August 6, 2014 - Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry and the mayors of eight other cities announced today that they will sign a memorandum of agreement (MOA) within the week calling for cooperation in development of a Chicago-Fort Wayne-Columbus passenger rail corridor.

The Indiana cities include Fort Wayne, Warsaw, Plymouth, Valparaiso and Gary. The Ohio cities represented are Columbus, Marysville, Kenton and Lima.

The MOA calls for the parties "...to systematically and incrementally develop the higher speed rail (“HSR”) intercity system in cooperation with existing freight rail operators and owners of right‐of-­way along a corridor from Chicago to Columbus through northern Indiana hereafter known as the Northern Indiana/Ohio High Speed Rail Initiative."

Specifically, the MOA resolves that the parties will work together to secure funding for the federally required Environmental Impact Study (EIS), the next step in developing the passenger rail line. The EIS would examine the preliminary engineering, technical analysis, service planning and environmental impacts along several different routes in order to determine the preferred route for locating the rail lines. Once complete, the EIS would be submitted to the Federal Railroad Administration. This study could begin in late 2014 and would take 18 months to complete.

-SNIP-

A rail corridor feasibility study concluded that approximately 2.1 million riders would use the Chicago-Fort Wayne-Columbus route in 2020, with that number growing to more than three million in 2040. The study also estimated that for every $1 of investment, $1.70 would be generated in economic return through job growth and increased property values. The study was completed in 2013 by Transportation Economics & Management Systems, Inc. (TEMS) for the Northeast Indiana Passenger Rail Association.

The 300-mile-long passenger rail corridor would operate up to 12 trains daily, each direction, along the route. Express services would link downtown Chicago to Columbus in less than four hours.

A copy of the MOA can be found here.

[Mister Uptempo]

From Greg Hinz' blog at Crain's Chicago Business-

Attention students! Amtrak may expand Chicago-to-Carbondale Service

August 07, 2014

Amtrak says it's considering expanding its increasingly popular service from Chicago south to Champaign and Carbondale, but it's uncertain how the extra trains would be funded.

Acting in response to a request from Gov. Pat Quinn and U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, d-Ill., Amtrak "will certainly" review whether to add one or more daily round trips to the three that now travel each weekday, according to spokesman Marc Magliari. "We're happy to do the work suggested by the governor and the senator," he said.

In a letter dated today to Amtrak Aresident and CEO Joseph Boardman and Chairman Anthony Coscia, Messrs. Quinn and Durbin noted that ridership on the line grew 117 percent between 2006 and 2013, to just under 400,000 passengers a year. That's more than the statewide Amtrak passenger growth of 85 percent, or the national 50 percent figure, during the same period.

-snip-

The state subsidizes two of the three daily trips, costing Illinois taxpayers $10.5 million a year, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation. Mr. Quinn has argued that the expenditure is worth it to help Chicago-area students get to and from the University of Illinois and Southern Illinois University, and to help other travelers who can't or do not want to drive. That view has prevailed in the General Assembly, though some have argued that the financially strapped state should spend its money more carefully.

Adding more service — a third train was added in 2006 — presumably would require a proportionate increase in the subsidy.

Mr. Magliari said trains now are sometimes sold out. No schedule yet has been set as to when Amtrak will conduct the feasibility study.

[ardecila]

Haha, just as I was talking about expanding frequency. It would be interesting to see when and where the ridership gain is occurring - I'm all for more service but maybe the demand could be met more cheaply by adding cars to the existing trains, or if the demand is driven by Champaign/Carbondale, running additional trains at busy times (beginning/end of term, winter/spring break).

[Mister Uptempo]

Originally Posted by ardecila

Haha, just as I was talking about expanding frequency. It would be interesting to see when and where the ridership gain is occurring - I'm all for more service but maybe the demand could be met more cheaply by adding cars to the existing trains, or if the demand is driven by Champaign/Carbondale, running additional trains at busy times (beginning/end of term, winter/spring break).

Getting the increased capacity from the new bi-levels will help the situation, I'd imagine, though that's probably two years away.

Until then, the Horizons currently in use on the Hoosier State should be available, whether the route survives after October 1 or not. If the route survives, the current consist is to be replaced by whatever Corridor Capital uses.

[afiggatt]

Originally Posted by Mister Uptempo

Getting the increased capacity from the new bi-levels will help the situation, I'd imagine, though that's probably two years away.

Until then, the Horizons currently in use on the Hoosier State should be available, whether the route survives after October 1 or not. If the route survives, the current consist is to be replaced by whatever Corridor Capital uses.

The 4 day a week Hoosier State needs only 1 trainset with 2 or 3 Horizon cars. If the Hoosier State service is canceled or the equipment is provided by Corridor Capital, it will not free up many Horizon cars.

The state of IL has asked Amtrak to do a feasibility study on adding an 3rd daily corridor train to Carbondale. The route, of course, is also supported by the long distance train, the City of New Orleans. Amtrak has to discuss with CN railroad whether they will allow another daily passenger train and, likely, what track capacity improvements CN wants in return. This is a start of a process. I doubt that a 3rd corridor train to Carbondale will happen until after all the Midwest Nippon-Sharyo bi-levels are delivered in 2018.

[Mister Uptempo]

While Memphis isn't exactly in the Midwest, this story from the Memphis Business Journal dovetails nicely with Quinn's and Durbin's attempts at getting another train to Carbondale.

Aug 14, 2014, 11:50am CDT Updated: Aug 14, 2014, 12:59pm CDT

Amtrak could expand service from Memphis to Chicago

Ryan Poe
Staff writer
Memphis Business Journal

Amtrak could consider adding a second daily train run between Memphis and Chicago, according to a news report.

The Memphis City Council invited Amtrak to a recent public meeting to discuss the possibility of expanding its passenger service between Memphis' Central Station and Chicago, the Memphis Flyer reported Thursday.

Before seriously considering an expansion, Amtrak told city officials they would need to work with the state to get a feasibility study, the report said.

The 10-hour trip currently begins in Memphis daily at 10:40 p.m. A second run would likely add a trip starting in the morning, according to the report.

Memphis passenger originations and departures have risen from roughly 38,000 in 1994 to 73,000 in 2012 and 76,000 in 2013, the report said.

[electricron]

Originally Posted by Mister Uptempo

While Memphis isn't exactly in the Midwest, this story from the Memphis Business Journal dovetails nicely with Quinn's and Durbin's attempts at getting another train to Carbondale.

No it doesn't quite dovetail into getting another train to Carbondale, what it does dovetail is extending one of the trains already servicing Carbondale to Memphis.

Adding the CONO timing differences with the existing regional trains to see when they would depart and arrive at Memphis.....

CONO (59) 6:27 am arrival southbound (58) 10:40 pm departure northbound
Southbound Illini (393) runs ~4 hours ahead, would arrive in Memphis at 2:27 am
Northbound Illini (392) runs ~12 hours ahead, would depart Memphis at 10:40 am
Southbound Saluki (391) runs ~12 hours ahead, would arrive in Memphis at 6:27 pm
Northbound Saluki (390) runs ~ 4 hours behind, would depart from Memphis at 2:40 am

Extending either regional train to Memphis wouldn't work better than the CONO, time wise. These trains are setup to run between Chicago and Carbondale during peaks. Using the southbound Saluki and the northbound Illini would achieve better results at Memphis than extending just one of the trains, but they would not be against the CONO, because these times would be reversed from the CONO ~ 12 hours.

A Chicago to Memphis train trip or vice versa takes 10 to 11 hours. It would take two train sets to have a day train in both directions every day. If you're only going to use one train set, one direction will have to be a night trip anyways. That would be slightly better than the CONO, because it's a night trip in both directions. Now which direction do you wish the regional train using one train set to be a day trip, meaning the opposite direction it'll be a night trip?

It's easy for politicians in election years to come out in favor of better train services, it's all talk. But once they take the time to actually study and take a good look at their proposal and try to make it work, it all falls apart.

[ardecila]

Hoosier State funding extended to Jan. 31, should give Corridor Capital a chance to improve things.

Of course, on-time performance and operating costs can be improved quickly with better management but ridership will not materialize overnight.

http://www.ibj.com/hoosier-state-pas.../article/49140

[schwerve]

http://www.suntimes.com/29801451-761...l#.VBBxkMIwdcY

A couple of interesting tidbits:

Joe Shacter, director of public and intermodal transportation for the Illinois Department of Transportation, said the new “Englewood Flyover” at 63rd streets in the Englewood neighborhood is slated to be tested in about three weeks; planning is under way to bring 110-mph (mile per hour) train service between Chicago and Detroit; studies are being made for a high-speed route from Chicago to Danville, Ill.; and the high-speed rail project already being built between Chicago and St. Louis is moving ahead, with the halfway point being reached about 16 months from now.

I assume the Danville route is for 125mph+ service to St. Louis (and potentially Indy). Interesting they phrased it that way, always just kind of thought they would simply upgrade the existing Chicago-Champaign route.

[LMich]

The Michigan Senate's grandstanding has come to an end.

Amtrak's Detroit-Chicago trip to get faster, plusher with upgrades

By Gary Heinlein | The Detroit News

September 15, 2014

Lansing— The tracks have been cleared for the state to develop faster, cushier Amtrak service between Detroit and Chicago now that the Michigan Senate has ended its probe of a state passenger rail car purchase.

State transportation officials want to buy two sets of cars and engines, built in the United States by an affiliate of Spanish train maker Talgo Inc., as part of an Amtrak upgrade. The updates would allow trains to reach 110 miles an hour and, in a few years, get passengers from one city to another two hours faster than they can today.

Officials also hope to improve Amtrak’s on-time service, which ranged from as low as 6.5 percent to as high as 52.3 percent among the Detroit-Chicago trains in July. Amtrak’s website reports on-time rates on the route have ranged from 21.5 percent to 39 percent in the last 12 months.

Lawmakers who questioned a one-bid contract awarded to a Spanish firm for “next-generation” passenger cars now are willing to let the deal proceed, said Senate Transportation Committee Chairman John Pappageorge, R-Troy.

The investigation, and a longer than anticipated evaluation process, delayed purchase of the passenger cars with modern amenities.

The $58 million for Michigan’s two train sets is to come from $200 million in federal funds for Amtrak improvements in Michigan and other states, mostly in the Midwest

...

The two Talgo sets will replace 30- to 40-year-old Amtrak cars on two of the three daily Detroit-Chicago runs on the route Amtrak calls The Wolverine. Older cars will continue on the other run until the state buys newer equipment in a couple of years.

...

[ardecila]

Any word on changing that Badger paint scheme?

The article seems to imply that the Talgos could start by the end of the year if not sooner! I don't usually foam over rolling stock - and these are especially homely from the outside - but I may have to take a trip up to Detroit soon to get that European experience.

[ardecila]

I am hearing that Pat Quinn wants the Englewood Flyover completed before the election, so we could see it up and running this fall. This will remove the only rail-rail grade crossing on the Rock Island between Joliet and 16th Street, so reliability may improve to the point where a mixed schedule of local, express, and intercity/Amtrak becomes possible with a few miles of extra passing track.

[Centropolis]

Originally Posted by schwerve

http://www.suntimes.com/29801451-761...l#.VBBxkMIwdcY

A couple of interesting tidbits:



I assume the Danville route is for 125mph+ service to St. Louis (and potentially Indy). Interesting they phrased it that way, always just kind of thought they would simply upgrade the existing Chicago-Champaign route.

http://www.idothsr.org

I'm confused too. Danville is waaaay over there on the Indiana border.

as an aside, I wasn't aware that I was a resident of Illinois, per the map. i guess idot is in denial that the service happens to hugely benefit a city in a different state.

[sammyg]

Originally Posted by Centropolis

as an aside, I wasn't aware that I was a resident of Illinois, per the map. i guess idot is in denial that the service happens to hugely benefit a city in a different state.

Damnit, IDOT leaked our plans to conquer your state and take St. Louis as our prize.

[goat314]

Originally Posted by sammyg

Damnit, IDOT leaked our plans to conquer your state and take St. Louis as our prize.

In all honesty, St. Louis is way more culturally aligned with Illinois than outstate Missouri. I would imagine most in the city and county of St. Louis would rather be located in a more urban friendly state like Illinois.