Passenger Trains > Napa Valley Railroad considers commuter service

Calif. wine train owners consider offering commuter service
Metro
January 18, 2017

> NAPA, Calif. — The new owners of Napa Valley Wine Train, a leisurely
> fine-dining experience through California's wine valleys, are
> entertaining the idea of starting commuter rail service to help
> offset local highway rush-hour traffic, the Napa Valley Register
> reported.
>
> “We’re trying to explore how it could work, what kinds of cars we
> would need, what kind of capabilities those cars would have to have
> in terms of Wi-Fi,” co-owner Scott Goldie said last week.
>
> A commuter train would be designed to take off the road at least some
> of the 25,000 to 68,000 vehicles that travel various sections of
> Highway 29 each day, according to the Napa Valley Register.
>
> For the full story:

Calif. wine train owners consider offering commuter service



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/19/17 07:56 by GenePoon.

Track. Signals. PTC. etc etc.

Before any other impediments: NIMBYs.

GenePoon Wrote:
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> Before any other impediments: NIMBYs.

Not to mention all the TO "experts"...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/19/17 08:15 by kevink.

cutboy2 Wrote:
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> Track. Signals. PTC. etc etc.

The line is 10 miles long.  I suspect you could avoid signals and PTC is there is only one train on the line. 

Track is another thing. Last time I rode it was Class 1 10 mph.  Even 10 miles would cost a bunch!

Tim

You can ride the train from somewhere south of Calistoga to Napa - and then what? About the only real consideration would be extending the service to a commute bus or ferry terminal in Vallejo. History could repeat itself...?

There are two ways to go.....Fairfield to napa with a transfer to Vallejo or St. Helena to Vallejo, the cars and people are there, but convincing them to take the train for such a short distance is another thing...cost of parking,cost of possible shuttle plus personal time involved...The cost of up grading the lines for speed, building stations, it would take years to recover the cost that may never happen....But it is a good idea....if the Napa Valley railroad is willing to take the chance????.

The Napa Valley RR is 22-miles long.

NVWT's original plan was to offer multiple daily trips with hop-on/hop-off stops at various wineries.  NIMBY opposition was fierce and the current "dinner train" type operation emerged as a compromise.

Dave
 

Most of that original opposition to the Wine Train came from the "old" winery families. Most of those folks are dead. The wine train did not cause an influx of "beggars and thieves" so much of the original opposition has relaxed. However, running a commuter train as well as the regular wine train service may kindle a whole new generation of NIMBYs

kevink Wrote:
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> GenePoon Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Before any other impediments: NIMBYs.
>
> Not to mention all the TO "experts"...

Where's the "Like" button?

Hey, a commuter train with ALCOs, I can live with that! :)