Passenger Trains > NEC Improvements Wish List

http://nec-commission.com/app/uploads/2019/04/NEC-Capital-Investment-Plan-20-24.pdf
The Commission was created as part of the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 and has reps from most of the commuter roads that travel ove the NEC.  I think this is their first published list of funded and unfunded projects.  Most are projects that have been discussed many times on this forum; however, there are a few that are surprising (at least to me), such as replacing the Pelham Bay moveable bridge with a fixed span, replacing the Sawtooth Bridge (where the NEC crosses above NJT's Morristown Line) and a flyover at Hunter (near Newark, NJ where the NJ Transit Raritan Valley diverges from the NEC).  There are also a few projects on Amtrak's Harrisburg and Springfield lines.
Andy

At one point, the Sawtooth bridge crossing the NJ Transit Morristown line was supposed to be replaced. As part of a project to allow Amtrak to access Hoboken, and add one or two new tracks between Newark and Secaucus / NY.

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twropr Wrote:
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> http://nec-commission.com/app/uploads/2019/04/NEC-
> Capital-Investment-Plan-20-24.pdf
> The Commission was created as part of
> the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act
> of 2008 and has reps from most of the commuter
> roads that travel ove the NEC.  I think this is
> their first published list of funded and unfunded
> projects.  Most are projects that have been

It says a lot that this list is mostly major structures and not critical projects to unlock the existing potential of the infrastructure by adding track at critical junctures.  Examples of the latter, 4th track through Maryland, BWI and Metropark center island platforms, paralleling crossovers and better train storage at Trenton, 

Tells you a lot about where things are headed.  Best case scenario is the status quo, worst case scenario is major structural failures.

abyler Wrote:
> It says a lot that this list is mostly major structures and not critical projects to unlock the existing potential of the infrastructure by adding track at critical junctures.  Examples of the
> latter,
>
> [snip]
>
> and better train storage at Trenton, 

Wasn't the train storage at Trenton handled by the NJT project rebuilding the Morrisville Pennsylvania yard?

Brian

Amtrak has been removing cross overs in NJ on a regular basis. While it probably helps on track and wheel wear, it reduces the flexibility of the four track main.

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
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> Amtrak has been removing cross overs in NJ on a
> regular basis. While it probably helps on track
> and wheel wear, it reduces the flexibility of the
> four track main.

Besides Princeton Junction, what else have they pulled out?

toledopatch Wrote:
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> Lackawanna484 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Amtrak has been removing cross overs in NJ on a
> > regular basis. While it probably helps on track
> > and wheel wear, it reduces the flexibility of
> the
> > four track main.
>
> Besides Princeton Junction, what else have they
> pulled out?

Did they pull out the cross overs south of Metuchen, at Lincoln Tower?  I believe they also had crossovers at Linden.

choodude Wrote:
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> abyler Wrote:

> > and better train storage at Trenton, 
>
> Wasn't the train storage at Trenton handled by the
> NJT project rebuilding the Morrisville
> Pennsylvania yard?

That actually made things worse in some ways.

NJT trains now have to crossover to/from the middle tracks to get to/from their yard.  The southernmost platform track at Trenton can no longer be regularly used.  This creates new conflictting movements that didn't exist before.  Before, the only conflict was westbound trains crossing the plant at Fair to reach the southern platforms. Eastboudn trains would leave the southern platforms and head directly for NYC.  Overnight storage was MU cars in Barracks Yard directly east of Trenton on the south side of the ROW.  Trains would layup there overnight and reverse into the station in the morning.

NJT really needs a direct Track 4 to Morrisville Yard turnout.  And Amtrak could use a pari of high speed crossovers either side of Morrisville to run northbounds around the NJT trains entering the station.

SEPTA also needs a place to layup east of Trenton in Fair on the north side of the ROW so they aren't always occupying the station track.