Passenger Trains > Many Roadblocks To Reviving Passenger Rail In Southern Idaho

This story has been rattling around for the past month.   

If the Treasure Valley wants some form of rail service, they might be better off with some form of a multi-county sales tax to support an east-west commuter boondoggle.  The upside to a local commuter train is no contemporary dining discussions.  

https://www.boisestatepublicradio.org/post/many-roadblocks-reviving-passenger-rail-southern-idaho#stream/0    

Too bad the Pioneer was dropped.  Once a train is dropped it's nearly impossible to replace it down the road because the freight RR's state they don't have capacity and expensive upgrades are needed.  Case in point a second train to Western Penna and additional trains between Chicago and Milwaukee.  I applaud those who want to make their region more livable by having a passenger train service but their task is next to impossible these days.

About a year after the Pioneer was dropped, then Amtrak Chairman Tommy Thompson said at a Congressional hearing "dropping the Pioneer was a mistake". 

There was a forum in Lagrande Oregon on October 28th at the public library about trying to bring back Amtrak to the area. Jon Nuxoll the president of AORTA (Association of Oregonand Transit Advocates). If you search www.Lagrandeobserver.com you can read the full article.
Robert.

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> About a year after the Pioneer was dropped, then
> Amtrak Chairman Tommy Thompson said at a
> Congressional hearing "dropping the Pioneer was a
> mistake". 


Getting around southern Idaho is much easier now than it was in the Pioneer era, though.

https://saltlakeexpress.com/

True. I used them to get to West Yellowstone in 2010. But they tend to stop at filling stations on the freeway, not in downtowns such as Pocatello like Greyhound and Amtrak used to. 

When the Pioneer was dropped, GL ran 3 frequencies per day between SLC and Portland. Today it is 1- on the Pioneer's schedule, although you couldn't connect with the California Zephyr at SLC. Greyhound service between Reno and SLC is Amtrak. Makes me wonder if such would be the case between Boise and SLC if the Pioneer were still running. 


SLX currently has this travel advisory:I-15 Road ConstructionPosted: June 3, 2019If you are traveling on a bus that will be passing through the following areas please plan for 30 – 60 minute delays due to heavy road construction:

• I-15 between St. George and Las Vegas
• I-15 between Salt Lake City and Provo
• Highway 20 between Rexburg and Idaho Falls

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/18/19 14:48 by joemvcnj.

Interesting well I know there is no longer tracks to the Boise station or tracks that connect union station PDX to the eastbound UP line am I correct ??

Posted from iPhone

That is true about Portland. Train would have to back up and go forward to get between the Steel Bridge and the UP line. The switches have been spread out.  

Maybe a good use for the Wisconsin Talgo trains still sitting in Beech Grove ?

Posted from iPhone

Pioneer2526 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Interesting well I know there is no longer tracks
> to the Boise station or tracks that connect union
> station PDX to the eastbound UP line am I correct
> ??
>
> Posted from iPhone


Tracks are still in place and active at Boise depot. They are operated by the Boise Valley Railroad from conmection with UP at Nampa. Going further east, from the east end of Boise back to the UP main is out of service but sometimes used for car storage.

Thanks for the correction on the track status

Posted from iPhone

Well maybe since the industry has created their own recession with Precision Scheduled Railroading with continued effects of dwindling freight traffic a route like the Pioneer could really work.  Frankly, it's going to take a long time for the industry to recover from this huge wallop.  If it were me up top, I would have the STB break up all the Class ! carriers in a Ma Bell style scenario like in the early 80s.  The Staggers Act has genuinely failed the people and the shippers.  Make Railroads Great Again!  

Nomad mentioned the active tracks from Nampa to Boise ... same route that UP844 took
in the spring of 2017 on its Boise Turn Run to celebrate the Boise Depot's 92nd year.  There was a
whole lot of backing up required ... but well worth it

Odyssey
Evergreen, CO

I'd like to see how they are going to pay for it.   Now a train from Boise to Portland, I'm not too sure how many folks here in the state will drive to Boise from outside the area to catch the train.   

JohnM Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'd like to see how they are going to pay for
> it.   Now a train from Boise to Portland, I'm
> not too sure how many folks here in the state will
> drive to Boise from outside the area to catch the train.   

You can say that in any state about any train. 

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> JohnM Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I'd like to see how they are going to pay for
> > it.   Now a train from Boise to Portland, I'm
> > not too sure how many folks here in the state
> will
> > drive to Boise from outside the area to catch
> the train.   
>
> You can say that in any state about any train. 

There's no reason America can't have a much larger rail system except that we refuse to demand it of our politicians who spend trillions of dollars evey year on complete waste.  $5 billion a year would probably buy a couple of trains on every mainline across the country.

some places are more practical than others also   

abyler Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> joemvcnj Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > JohnM Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > I'd like to see how they are going to pay for
> > > it.   Now a train from Boise to Portland,
> I'm
> > > not too sure how many folks here in the state
> > will
> > > drive to Boise from outside the area to catch
> > the train.   
> >
> > You can say that in any state about any
> train. 
>
> There's no reason America can't have a much larger
> rail system except that we refuse to demand it of
> our politicians who spend trillions of dollars
> evey year on complete waste.  $5 billion a year
> would probably buy a couple of trains on every
> mainline across the country.

abyler Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> joemvcnj Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > JohnM Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > I'd like to see how they are going to pay for
> > > it.   Now a train from Boise to Portland,
> I'm
> > > not too sure how many folks here in the state
> > will
> > > drive to Boise from outside the area to catch
> > the train.   
> >
> > You can say that in any state about any
> train. 
>
> There's no reason America can't have a much larger
> rail system except that we refuse to demand it of
> our politicians who spend trillions of dollars
> evey year on complete waste.  $5 billion a year
> would probably buy a couple of trains on every
> mainline across the country.

A modest chunk of the $5 billion could finish BrightLine to Orlando and Tampa.  And, perhaps construct a "BrightLine" from Charlotte to Atlanta.

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> A modest chunk of the $5 billion could finish
> BrightLine to Orlando and Tampa.  And, perhaps
> construct a "BrightLine" from Charlotte to
> Atlanta.

Why do we need a BrightLine where rail lines exist?  I am talking about operating a handful of trains on existing rail lines to provide more service. We all know it could easily be done.

abyler Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Lackawanna484 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > A modest chunk of the $5 billion could finish
> > BrightLine to Orlando and Tampa.  And, perhaps
> > construct a "BrightLine" from Charlotte to
> > Atlanta.
>
> Why do we need a BrightLine where rail lines
> exist?  I am talking about operating a handful of
> trains on existing rail lines to provide more
> service. We all know it could easily be done.

and "we all know" that the owners of those existing rail lines would demand zillions of dollars for their use.

Look at the Illinois high speed corridor to St Louis as an example