Passenger Trains > Everyone wants a train

Everyone wants a train for their town

Now it’s Wilkes-Barre Pa

https://www.timesleader.com/news/749977/wilkes-barre-interested-in-philly-rail-service

Posted from iPhone

I hope they realize NEW Amtrak service is impossible, unless EXISTING service is dropped somewhere else, because --

Amtrak has no equipment--and Anderson has given no indication he intends to order any (he is studying it, bla,bla,bla)

Even Anderson himself told us in his written testimony--that the freight railroads will not permit new services unless Congress passes legislation forcing them to.

Article says the Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad as the freight carrier. I hardly think they would oppose as NS definitely would on the Lehigh Line.  I don't know much else about the routing though. I'll believe it when I see it.

As long as someone else pays for it.

More idiocy.

First off, the R&N does not go to Allentown. Lehighton to Allentown would be NS and NS has made it's position on using it's track for commuter service to the Lehigh Valley very clear on numerous occasions.

Secondly, even if you were to get as far as Allentown, where then? You would have to go Allentown-Reading-Philly on NS and the Reading Line does not have the capacity to handle commuters. It can bearly handle the freight it has now. And every so often somebody tries to pitch Philly to Reading commuter service and NS has made it's position on that very clear numerous times.

The only other way to get to Philly would be the former Bethlehem Branch. That would mean dealing with NS, CSX, three shortlines and mabey SEPTA (I'm not sure wether or not they still own any right of way). And between Bethlehem and Quakertown the track that is still in place is under 40 years of mud and trees and the other spots either have buildings or ahikung trail on the ROW.

If the Wyoming Valley is economically depressed (and yes it most definitely is), the more prudent idea would be to not precious funds on nonsense.

And before I get blasted for being anti passenger train, I am not. I support commuter rail. It's that many less four wheelers I have to deal with. But these are the fact from someone who has lived in the LV my entire life.

Posted from Android

Doug Wetherhold
Macungie, PA



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/17/19 15:50 by ALCO630.

...as long as somebody else comes up with the money.

Posted from Android

Reopen the Lackawanna bypass in northern NJ (blowing extra diesel fumes into the NIMBY's backyards.....) and then up to Scranton & Binghamton. I think this is a very viable route.  IT would be heavy on weekends.  

Most of the time, TO members are whining about anti-rail NIMBYs, but today, TO members complain when people want passenger trains.  Go figure!

ALCO630 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> More idiocy.
>
> First off, the R&N does not go to Allentown.
> Lehighton to Allentown would be NS and NS has made
> it's position on using it's track for commuter
> service to the Lehigh Valley very clear on
> numerous occasions.
>
> Secondly, even if you were to get as far as
> Allentown, where then? You would have to go
> Allentown-Reading-Philly on NS and the Reading
> Line does not have the capacity to handle
> commuters. It can bearly handle the freight it has
> now. And every so often somebody tries to pitch
> Philly to Reading commuter service and NS has made
> it's position on that very clear numerous times.
>
> The only other way to get to Philly would be the
> former Bethlehem Branch. That would mean dealing
> with NS, CSX, three shortlines and mabey SEPTA
> (I'm not sure wether or not they still own any
> right of way). And between Bethlehem and
> Quakertown the track that is still in place is
> under 40 years of mud and trees and the other
> spots either have buildings or ahikung trail on
> the ROW.
>
> If the Wyoming Valley is economically depressed
> (and yes it most definitely is), the more prudent
> idea would be to not precious funds on nonsense.
>
> And before I get blasted for being anti
> passenger train, I am not. I support commuter
> rail. It's that many less four wheelers I have to
> deal with. But these are the fact from someone who
> has lived in the LV my entire life.
>
> Posted from Android

You are spot on......

Unfortunately, any hope for Lehigh Valley passenger rail service from Philadelphia to Bethlehem at least had the last nail in the coffin driven when the Bethelehem-Hellertown hiking path was put in and the ex-Reading RR tracks pulled up. I remember one of the last freight trains that went down that line from west Bethlehem (where it joined the NS line - nee LV line) to the east side of the old Bethlehem Steel Plant. It didn't of course go down the tracks to Hellertown of course.

But, even in the late 1990s, the right-of-way was still largely in place from South Bethlehem to Hellertown and Quakertown with a one to two track mainline in portions. I even had the opportunity to ride over it on a hi-rail vehicle - getting a little stuck though as we proceeded north out of Hellertown and into the extreme outskirts of Bethlehem. You could picture how the supply trains, or trains with finished product, of yesteryear would have once been stacked up waiting their turn to get to/from the Bethlehem Steel Complex. The signal bridge over the tracks with the smaller Reading position lights/signals were still in place and neat to see. We were like a ghost train travelling over the line with all the overgrown weeds and grass and extra storage tracks. By the turn of the century, houses were built up against this abandoned ROW, and the NIMBY's championed the removal of the tracks and getting some sort of "green way" established. Course this was also part of "steel's" removal from Bethlehem, and Bethlehem re-positioning admist an empty steel mill sprawled out on the banks of the Lehigh River. Interesting times, lots of people with vision, but no money to execute a lot of what had been envisioned. 

As that last short freight train went through the downtown portion of the old Reading Tracks through Bethlehem in the late 1990s, that was the end. I believe SEPTA may still officially have "rights" to re-establish service on that ROW from Philly to Quakertown to Hellertown to Bethlehem, but that's one heck of a fight and uphill battle if it were to be tried now. To me, that was the key entry of passenger train service access from Philly to the Lehigh Valley and on north to Jim Thorpe, Scranton and intermediate points. A few city councilmen tried to keep the status quo in the late 1990s (e.g. lets hold out on ripping up tracks and the establishing the green way just in case passenger rail is needed). But eventually with the Bethlehem "casino plans" - forget it. That line was done for. Large portions of former "earthen fill" that fed off the Bethlehem Branch were also re-purposed or ripped out. Totally different landscape coming into Bethlehem from the South. Same can be said for the ex-Reading RR's Bethlehem Branch today. 

The best would have been to keep the RDC service in place that was discontinued around 1983 or so. The area surely could benefit from passenger rail service, but no way with the present players. 

To get rail service to the Poconos and even Scranton, a new proposal was revived recently where NJT's Port Jervie line would be extended into Lackawaxen, Hawley, Honesdale, and on to to Scranton. Not too familiar as to how or what railroads pass through Wilkes-Barre. presume there's a NS line or ex-LV line (maybe even ex-CNJ line?) of sorts. That seems like a LONG meandering route but what do I know. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/17/19 21:13 by jp1822.