Passenger Trains > Summer Re-Route to NY Grand Central

As is noted in a previous thread, https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,4489676, reportedly this summer there will be a complete re-route to Grand Central Terminal of all trains that use Amtrak's 'Empire Connection' west side line to/from north of New York towards Albany.

This will occur from approximately Memorial Day to Labor Day. During this 'Empire Connection' shut-down, the Spuyten Duyvil bridge will be rebuilt; repairs will made to the Empire Connection tunnel entering Penn Station and significant new rail & ties will be installed.

Apparently Metro North has ruled out operating any trains, including the Lake Shore, Maple Leaf or Adirondack, out of Penn Station via the Hell Gate Bridge, New Rochelle and the Mott Haven wye. This is understandable, as any such detour ties up tracks at New Rochelle while the trains change direction, not too mention adding time to the trip.

It is very likely that many schedules will be adjusted and some trains combined to/from Albany (#63 & #69 northbound during the inbound rush hour are prime candidates). New York & Hudson Valley Lake Shore passengers will likely be accommodated in coach on existing Hudson Valley trains via a cross-platform transfer at Rensselaer. How much of the Lake Shore will operate to/from Boston is not clear; it's possible that the New York section will be serviced, stocked & turned at Rensselaer, with only the normal Boston section going through. It is NOT likely that there will be any schedule changes to the Lake Shore west of Albany.

As there is NO food & beverage stocking capability at Grand Central, the intact but never used commissary facility at the current Rensselaer station will need to be activated at least during the re-route. This is good news for NYS advocate initiatives aimed at returning food service to the Hudson Valley trains in the future. Presumably, a OBS crew base will have to be established at Rensselaer also.

The trainset rotations for the Maple Leaf & Adirondack, which are currently serviced at Sunnyside will need to change too, in order to allow these sets to get to/from Rensselaer presumably every day.

And yes, sources have reported that some CTDOT FL-9's will be brought back to some manner of life during the re-route. In the previous post it sounded like maybe only as 'cab cars' while mated with Amtrak P32-DM's, though this seems to be currently unclear. Also of interest is the mentioned lease of MARC cab cars; just how many spare cars MARC has would seem to be a question if 20 are going to NJT?

Should be an interesting summer!

MARC has many cars available for lease. They already have a multi year contract with the LIRR to send 21 cars there for the next 2 summers. However, half need to be cab cars for bathroom protection. The cab/trailer car ratio could change because of this Amtrak situation.

NJT has had their 45 car fleet of Comet 3's out of service for about 8 years. Most are also Sandy flood damaged. They are probably too far gone to be brought back to life cheaply and quickly.

There are Amtrak's own ex-Metroliner cab cars, about 17, but their end doors have been welded shut or made into a solid front end.

Posted from Android

I think the MBTA has MBB cab cars out of service - I wonder if those were considered.

Dave

In response to a private-message inquiry...others may want to know:

The consists of the Amtrak trains using Grand Central will be: the
cab car or nonpowered FL-9 leading; Amtrak P32AC-DM, unoccupied,
providing traction and head-end power behind; and
the passenger cars behind that. These will not be push-pull
consists. They will turn at Grand Central and the cab car or
FL-9 will lead in both directions.

It is safer for the engineer when using the Park Avenue side tunnels, but less safe north Harmon for grade crossing protection if MARC cab car.

I don't see them running cab car/FL9 headed to Rutland and Niagara Falls,. The cab car/FL9 and P32DM would have to swap at Albany for a P42. The Amfleet-2's on the Canadian trains would be isolated upstate for the summer. I am sure the Lake Shore will be doing a lot of swapping of cars in Chicago with the Cardinal to get them to Sunnyside and Hialeah once in a while.

I'd expect closely timed trains to be combined as well, like 291/255 (315pm) and 49's (340p) connection, and perhaps a pair of AM rush southbound trains to balance that out. One train set would spend the night in GCT (64/68 and 63/69).

Be nice if they'd run thru cars on the Pennsylvanian to Chicago. Then the NYPS - Cleveland-and-west overhead business would be sent via Pittsburgh. But that would be too-out-of-the-box for Amtrak to consider, given its management.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/18/18 15:17 by joemvcnj.

Would CSX OK another train west of Pittsburgh?

Posted from Android

It would be NS, and the cars could be tacked on the rear of the Capitol. Not hard to do.