Passenger Trains > Commuter dispatching

What examples are there where a commuter agency relies on a Class 1 railroad to dispatch the tracks owned by the agency?
Metra Milwaukee North line is one. (CP)
Is Tri Rail in Miami still dispatched by CSX?
Sun Rail? 
New Mexico Rail Runner?
Others? 

I know New Mexico Rail Runner dispatches their own railroad, so that would not be on your list.

Posted from iPhone

phlone Wrote:
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> What examples are there where a commuter agency
> relies on a Class 1 railroad to dispatch the
> tracks owned by the agency?
> Metra Milwaukee North line is one. (CP)
> Is Tri Rail in Miami still dispatched by CSX?
> Sun Rail? 
> New Mexico Rail Runner?
> Others? 

Sound Transit (Sounder) between TR Jct. (Tacoma) and Lakewood).

TAW

I believe the North Star commuter trains are dispatched by BNSF in the Minneapolis region.


Gary

Posted from iPhone

That is correct.
SN711 Wrote:
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> I believe the North Star commuter trains are
> dispatched by BNSF in the Minneapolis region.
>
>
> Gary
>
> Posted from iPhone

Mark Kennebeck
Saint Paul, MN

commissioner Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> That is correct.
> SN711 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I believe the North Star commuter trains are
> > dispatched by BNSF in the Minneapolis region.
> >
> >
> > Gary
> >
But does North Star own the tracks now? The question applied to a Class 1 railroad providing dispatching services over a commuter-agency's railroad.
 

Tri Rail does their own dispatching, although at one time Amtrak was the contractor to actually man the dispatching center.

MARC Washington - Brunswick (Martinsburg) and Camden lines CSX?

MBTA relies on Pan Am for Northside lines [although Pan Am is not a Class I railroad].

prr60 Wrote:
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> MARC Washington - Brunswick (Martinsburg) and
> Camden lines CSX?

But MARC does not own those tracks. Nor does VRE own any of the CSX or NS lines over which it operates.

The question is about agencies owning lines but using "freight railroad" dispatchers.
 

phlone Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What examples are there where a commuter agency
> relies on a Class 1 railroad to dispatch the
> tracks owned by the agency?
> Metra Milwaukee North line is one. (CP)
> Is Tri Rail in Miami still dispatched by CSX?
> Sun Rail? 
> New Mexico Rail Runner?
> Others? 

I think a better way to word your question is this:
What commuter rail agencies contract out dispatching on agency owned lines, either at a third party facility or at an owned facility?
 

Virginia Railway Express relies entirely upon CSX and NS for dispatching
Conrail handles NJ Transit Raritan Valley trains for a few miles between Newark interlocking (former NK Tower) and Aldene
Andy

I don't know if Metra owns or just long term leases the NS ex-Wabash between 74th St. Jct. and Manhattan.
Metra does the track and signal maintenance.
Anyway the NS "dispatches" the railroad.  Dispatches in qoutes account the NS Landers Yd. control operator
operates the CTC control machine. I believe the control operator makes all the decisions on his/her own without
supervision from a NS train dispatcher.

toledopatch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> prr60 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > MARC Washington - Brunswick (Martinsburg) and
> > Camden lines CSX?
>
> But MARC does not own those tracks. Nor does VRE
> own any of the CSX or NS lines over which it
> operates.
>  

The State of Maryland does own the Frederick Branch. CSX provides dispatching.

Paul Wilson
Arlington, VA



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/11/19 12:16 by Dcmcrider.

Thanks everyone for your insights. 

 

Dcmcrider Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> toledopatch Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > prr60 Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > MARC Washington - Brunswick (Martinsburg) and
> > > Camden lines CSX?
> >
> > But MARC does not own those tracks. Nor does
> VRE
> > own any of the CSX or NS lines over which it
> > operates.
> >  
>
> The State of Maryland does own the Frederick
> Branch. CSX provides dispatching.

Noted. That's a good example of what was being inquired about, then - but it's not the main line either to Martinsburg or Baltimore-Camden Station. And it makes a ton of sense for CSX to dispatch the Frederick Branch rather than have a separate dispatcher for that short piece of railroad.

I used to know this, but can't seem to remember anymore,....... How is dispatching handled between NJT rail passenger trains and the Bergen County/Pascack Valley train lines? At what point does NJT get involved or comingled with Conrail's dispatching?

toledopatch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> commissioner Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > That is correct.
> > SN711 Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > I believe the North Star commuter trains are
> > > dispatched by BNSF in the Minneapolis region.
> > >
> > >
> > > Gary
> > >
> But does North Star own the tracks now? The
> question applied to a Class 1 railroad providing
> dispatching services over a commuter-agency's
> railroad.

My understanding is that the commuter rail authority purchased time slots to operate the North Star trains, but BNSF retains ownership of the tracks.
>  

Metrolink (SCRRA) trains are dispatched by Union Pacific and BNSF over all or part of some lines.

Ventura County line is UP west of Moorpark (CO Flores)
Inland Empire- Orange County is BNSF east of the Redondo Flyover, Orange county also BNSF Flyover to Fullerton
Riverside is UP
Perris Valley is BNSF San Berdino to Riverside

Barry Draper

SEPTA trains west between Philadelphia and Thorndale and east to Trenton are dispatched by Amtrak from Zoo interlocking and south to Wilmington and Newark from Phil interlocking. SEPTA's Airport line is handled by Amtrak for the short distance between Arsenal and Phil.