Western Railroad Discussion > Changes coming to Tehachapi

Dont know if this has been posted yet but check it out:

http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist6/environmental/envdocs/d6/bnsf_track_eir081713final_draft_august2012.pdf

The document is 270 pages. Early on it says "please read this document" (just make sure you have lots of time).

My 2¢ -
• The California gov't will fund 50% of the project with bonded indebtedness.
What ever happened to the prohibition of a 'gift of government funds'?
• The mention is made of "better signal use"; what the heck does that jargon mean, if anything?
...Lorenzo

Page 75 shows the new cut at Tunnel 2. The tunnel stays and the new track will be to the W of the tunnel in a deep cut. Railfans will loose access to the road over the tunnel..they say. A few pages before that they show how the removal of Tunnel 10 will look.
Roger B

Wasnt there something about allowing passenger trains over the hill if State money was used?

howeld Wrote:
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> Wasnt there something about allowing passenger
> trains over the hill if State money was used?


I believe the goal is to move freight more efficiently and thus aid the state's economy.

And the state of California is in the financial possition to fund 50% of this; bonds or not! Oh thats right we already pay 35 cents per gallon in a gas tax and 8% sales tax. UP and BNSF make billions of dollars every year, they should be paying for this, and this project is not going to do a thing for the states economy as long as the state continues to keep jacking up the tax rates. Business is leaving the state like crazy.

CS

You have so many groups to appease on doing this project, that it makes me think it will never get done. ( The cut around Tunnel 10 seems doable)

With all of the local state and federal tax dollars that are being used on this project i think Amtrak/Amtrak California should be given full access to the Tehachapi Pass.

CaliforniaSteam Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> And the state of California is in the financial
> possition to fund 50% of this; bonds or not! Oh
> thats right we already pay 35 cents per gallon in
> a gas tax and 8% sales tax. UP and BNSF make
> billions of dollars every year, they should be
> paying for this, and this project is not going to
> do a thing for the states economy as long as the
> state continues to keep jacking up the tax rates.
> Business is leaving the state like crazy.
>
> CS

I thought they were only going to tax the 1%...

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
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>
> I thought they were only going to tax the 1%...


I think that "1%" is slang for anyone who works and isn't on welfare/gov't aid.

Isn't California gas tax like 48.6 cents/gallon?

Perusing throught the document I noticed a boo boo on Page 56.

"The 1.01-mile Walong-to-Marcel segment allows a double track to exist from
immediately west of the Tehachapi Loop to the City of Mojave where the BNSF
Railway and Union Pacific Railroad split. This improvement would reduce idling by
allowing trains to pass more easily and would result in an increased capacity of 4
trains per day."

I think they forgot about that pesky little of piece cliff hugging single track overlooking Tehachapi Creek from the south switch of Marcel to Cable. That would be some doing getting double track in there unless they decide to build a long tunnel from south Marcel to Cable or blast/remove a crazy amount of rock from the cliffs above. The project as stated on the project plan doesn't touch this area.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/29/13 11:08 by donner_dude1.

They're building a new railroad out of Madera. Eventually SF to LaLaLand. So what's the problem?
Business won't stay here if their goods are gridlocked. BTW, highways are subsidized totally. Gov. Brown says all is well.


CaliforniaSteam Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> And the state of California is in the financial
> possition to fund 50% of this; bonds or not! Oh
> thats right we already pay 35 cents per gallon in
> a gas tax and 8% sales tax. UP and BNSF make
> billions of dollars every year, they should be
> paying for this, and this project is not going to
> do a thing for the states economy as long as the
> state continues to keep jacking up the tax rates.
> Business is leaving the state like crazy.
>
> CS

This is not new, and BNSF is paying for half of it. The state pays the other half out of bond funds. It will be built and it is not a "gift of public funds." What happened to all the folks who complain that rail never gets any government money?

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

Any ideas about Traffic into and out of California after the new Panama Canal Locks are completed?

That question remains to be seen, but things like auto parts from the East could be
trucked out of a Gulf port vs the rail transload and a truck delivery as presently
exists. Panama is already a skosh shell shocked over the minor cost overruns on the
canal, might price themselves right out of the market. Only time will tell.

TCnR Wrote:
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> Any ideas about Traffic into and out of California
> after the new Panama Canal Locks are completed?

Don't worry about Ports of LA and Long Beach. Several maritime companies have committed to "staying the course", probably with higher end products consumed locally or that need to be moved inland quickly. And the twin ports serve a huge population market.

Not as sure about Oakland. Port of Oakland relies heavily on the California agricultural export market, so they should be OK, although in a possibly slightly diminished role for imports.

The Tehachapi project is more about improving service for domestic TOFC/COFC (for UPS, Fedex, and various trucking lines).


Allen



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/28/13 17:35 by bradleymckay.

Um, my businesses are thriving in CA and I am not leaving.....B

A couple of other questions:

There was talk a few years ago of BNSF possibly taking over dispatching of the railroad between Mojave and Kern Jct. Any rumors on that?

Is there any talk of finally converting the section between Mojave and Cameron to CTC on both tracks?

Only MT-2 is CTC, MT-1 is ABS. Signals have been rotting in the high desert for years.

Lastly, the same question all Coast fans want to know, any freight detours on the Coast?

Thanks for any information.

TopCat