tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31794409270429524652024-03-13T10:08:18.081-07:00Potomac ExpressRAIL Magazine Editor Rich Sampson shares his perspective on the latest news, trends and ideas in passenger rail. Includes discussion on all forms of passenger rail: high-speed and intercity, commuter rail, heavy rail metros and subways, light rail, regional rail, streetcars, trolleys, monorails, people movers and airport rail systems, along with important topics such as rail-oriented development, intermodalism, station facilities, infrastructure and investment.Rich Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696303164954264747noreply@blogger.comBlogger78125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3179440927042952465.post-89372926790425090572016-10-31T07:23:00.000-07:002016-10-31T07:23:49.200-07:00El Paso's Stealth Streetcar Project<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZLmbp508vi8/WBIUEUAtIrI/AAAAAAAAC-8/VxJWEoJbDe8WMfED4ZEN3MMB4xD7mWlcQCLcB/s1600/StreetcarRoute01.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZLmbp508vi8/WBIUEUAtIrI/AAAAAAAAC-8/VxJWEoJbDe8WMfED4ZEN3MMB4xD7mWlcQCLcB/s200/StreetcarRoute01.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Any coverage on the numerous streetcar projects in U.S. cities in regent years reads like a never-ending saga. There's usually politically turmoil, funding challenges, construction delays and philosophical debates about dedicated lanes (<i>see <a href="http://web1.ctaa.org/webmodules/webarticles/articlefiles/RAIL_37_Dedicated.pdf">RAIL #37</a> - ed)</i>. Some generate national exposure from both transit advocates and critics.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Counter to the typical drama of American modern streetcar systems is the story unfolding in El Paso, Texas, which is quietly rebuilding a portion of its historic network on a <a href="http://www.sunmetro.net/streetcar">4.8-mile</a> system that will be of greater mileage than those in already open in Tucson (3.9), Seattle's First Hill (2.5), Atlanta (2.7), Washington, D.C. (2.2), Kansas City (2.2) and Cincinnati (3.6), and those forthcoming in Detroit (3.3) and Milwaukee (2.5). The network will feature two loops through El Paso's downtown and uptown districts, sharing rails for a stretch on Franklin Avenue.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Rather than purchasing new, modern streetcars that more resemble light-rail vehicles, the city – in partnership with the <a href="http://www.crrma.org/">Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority</a> and $97 million in total investment from the Texas Department of Transportation – is restoring six <a href="http://www.american-rails.com/pccs.html">President's Conference Committee (PCC)</a> cars that ran in El Paso until 1977. The vehicles will feature paint schemes donned by the cars during the 1950s, 60s and 70s. PCCs still run in active transit service in routes in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashmont%E2%80%93Mattapan_High_Speed_Line">Boston, Mass.</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SEPTA_Route_15">Philadelphia, Pa.</a>, <a href="http://www.visitkenosha.com/attractions/top-attractions/electric-streetcar-circulator">Kenosha, Wisc.</a>, and <a href="https://www.sfmta.com/getting-around/transit/routes-stops/f-market-wharves">San Francisco, Calif</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Construction of streetcar infrastructure began this past January – managed by Paso del Norte Trackworks, a partnership of <a href="https://www.graniteconstruction.com/construction/transportation/rail-mass-transit">Granite Construction</a> and <a href="http://www.railworks.com/">RailWorks Track Systems</a> – and service is expected to begin in late 2018. <a href="http://www.brookvillecorp.com/streetcar-division.asp">Brookville Equipment Corp.</a>, is handling the restoration of the vintage streetcars, which were – admittedly – in pretty rough shape after sitting exposed to the desert air for decades. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“This is a project to encourage infill development, to encourage preservation of our historic neighborhoods,” said <a href="https://www.elpasotexas.gov/district-1">Peter Svarzbein</a>, who represents District One on the El Paso City Council and <a href="http://borderzine.com/2012/05/posters-brought-to-life-the-idea-of-a-cross-border-trolley-line/">initially proposed the concept</a> in a grad school paper at the University of Texas - El Paso (UTEP). “This is a powerful gesture from our city to not just throw away, but to reclaim that history and show it off.”</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #fafafa;">Fares for the service will match Sun Metro bus routes and 1,480 daily riders are estimated to ride the streetcars. Future extensions are possible to reach the Medical Center of the Americas as well as <a href="https://www.facebook.com/EPTROLLEY/">across the Mexican border to Juarez</a>, which once was connected to El Paso by streetcar. Such an extension would represent the only international rail transit service in North America. </span></span>Rich Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696303164954264747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3179440927042952465.post-25176304364961090172016-10-27T06:42:00.000-07:002016-10-27T06:43:21.209-07:00Commentary: WMATA is in Aerodynamic Stall; They Need to Nose Down<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Over the past year or longer, the <a href="http://www.wmata.com/">Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority's</a> (WMATA) Metrorail network has existed in a <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/metropocalypse/id1118453108?mt=2">state of crisis</a>, with maintenance failures causing accidents, derailments and a state of service best described as a nosedive. Confidence in the agency from elected officials and the general public is at an all-time low, ridership is plummeting and every problem seems to compound upon itself. </div>
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In the midst of this, WMATA is faced with a severe budget crisis that is likely to force additional service cuts and fare increases to close the gap unless area elected officials devote additional funds or propose a long-term, dedicated source of investment for the system. </div>
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When transit providers are roiled by severe ridership declines and budget shortfalls, they tend to act like an inexperienced pilot facing aerodynamic stall (or, the inability of an aircraft to maintain lift needed to keep it aloft). The required action when experiencing stall is to reduce the angle of attack (or point the nose of the plane towards the ground) and increase power to gain airspeed. Once sufficient airspeed is obtained, then the nose can be pointed upward again and climb out of the controlled dive.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image: <a href="http://www.ascentgroundschool.com/">Ascent Ground Schools</a></td></tr>
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Of course, this seems counter-intuitive to the basic laws of physics and gravity: if my aircraft is having trouble flying, why would I want to hasten its path towards a possible crash? Unfortunately, this knee-jerk reaction has produced deadly consequences throughout the history of aviation, including the tragic crash of <a href="http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Pages/AAR1001.aspx">Colgan Air flight #3407</a> outside of Buffalo, N.Y. in 2009.</div>
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WMATA is currently experiencing the equivalent of stall and it's proposed reaction – hiking fares and slashing service at a time when the system is chasing away riders with its poor level of performance – is akin to pulling the plane's nose up during stall. It's perhaps logical – we need to close our budget gap, so we must add revenue and cut costs – in the same way that not directing a plane towards the ground when it can't fly is logical. </div>
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Instead, the agency should point its nose down and gain speed by at least maintaining current fares and levels of service. Charging customers more for an inferior product flies in the face of good decision-making. Even better would be to reduce fares to re-attract jaded riders. Perhaps enough riders will return to build additional revenue. WMATA has hardly been forthcoming about any economic analysis that suggests raising fares will produce enough revenue to offset losses in declining ridership numbers.</div>
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Mass transit - like WMATA's Metrorail network – is intended to be a volume business: many customers paying lower prices. Instead, these proposed solutions function like an elite product: fewer customers paying higher prices, a recipe for the transit equivalent of stall. Let's hope they pull up on the stick in time. </div>
Rich Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696303164954264747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3179440927042952465.post-14866701056658067092016-06-16T07:45:00.001-07:002016-06-16T07:52:22.182-07:00The Ballad of Northfield, Minnesota: Promise and Pitfalls of Passenger Rail Plans<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Minnesota’s Twin Cities – as much as any other region in
North America – currently represents the unlimited potential of passenger
rail in reinvigorating communities. New light-rail lines are stretching out in
all directions, Northstar commuter trains speed to Big Lake and eventually St.
Cloud in its namesake direction and the twin hubs of <a href="http://www.hennepin.us/targetfieldstation">Minneapolis’ Target Field</a>
and <a href="http://www.uniondepot.org/">St. Paul’s Union Depot</a> contrast brilliantly with modern and historic flair.
Streetcar routes are under discussion, as is restored intercity service to the
state’s other large cities in Duluth and Rochester. Securing enough investment
is always a challenge, but those concerns are almost always mirrored by exciting
questions like when will the trains start running?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Just 45 miles to the south, <a href="http://www.ci.northfield.mn.us/">Northfield, Minn.</a>, is the type
of place just beyond the limits of passenger rail’s potential. Eagerly
anticipating robust links to the Twin Cities – and beyond – Northfield has the
sort of conditions that are natural qualifiers for passenger rail service along
with the kind of challenges that leaves such connections just out of reach. For
now. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The Promise of Rail in Small Town America</b></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">With a population of just over 20,000, Northfield has been
defined by two sources of activity since its founding in 1855: agriculture and
education. Its motto speaks to those realities: “Cows, Colleges and
Contentment.” The area’s field growers produce staples such as wheat, corn and
soybeans with numerous dairy and hog farms, while the liberal arts <a href="https://www.carleton.edu/">Carleton</a> and
<a href="http://wp.stolaf.edu/">St. Olaf</a> colleges enroll more than 5,000 students each year. At the height of
passenger and agricultural rail traffic before the 1950s, three rail lines
funneled trains into the city from the Twin Cities to the north and Red Wing to
the east, while just as many fanned out from Faribault, 13 miles to the south,
making the region a historic Midwestern rail pipeline.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Today, that legacy has engendered in Northfield a small
urban community that stands to enjoy a flourishing future with assets
increasingly desired by younger and older Americans alike: distinctive historic
housing stock on streets lined with mature trees; a unique, accessible town
center with small shops and restaurants; and stable employment centers like
education and health care to create and maintain well-paying jobs. Places like
Northfield offer more leisurely residential living for workers seeing a
contrast to the bustle of large urban cores like the Twin Cities, attract smaller
companies seeking lower operating costs, lure college students seeking that
college town vibe and invite city dwellers to journey out on a weekend or
evening for a community festival or a well-regarded restaurant or craft
brewery. But all those attributes depend on an comfortable and reliable way to
get there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Council Member <a href="http://www.ci.northfield.mn.us/index.aspx?NID=610">Suzie Nakasian</a> represents Northfield’s east
side neighborhoods in the First Ward on the city’s council and is the body’s
champion for restoring passenger rail service to the area. In addition to her
role on the Council, she heads up the <a href="http://mnrail.org/">Central Minnesota Passenger Rail Initiative</a> (CMPRI), a grassroots effort to build support for a series of routes
throughout the state’s central and southern regions. For Nakasian, the
intersection between mobility and community development is what makes passenger
rail so attractive for place like Northfield. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">“Northfield has the perfect combination of assets and
opportunities to make rail service successful: proximity to a major urban area,
affordable housing, strong academic institutions and a vibrant commercial
district,” says Nakasian, during a visit to <i>RAIL Magazine’s</i> editorial offices
in Washington, D.C.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“We have strong
needs to both move people to the Twin Cities – to commute to work, reach the airport,
attend sports and entertainment events, and more – and bring people here, for
our colleges, places to raise a family or come down for a festival or shopping
for things like antiques and art. Our travel demand is bi-directional.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Restoring passenger rail on the corridor serving Northfield and other communities would give people another option of travel in the southern metro and southern Minnesota, whereas today the only options are car and limited bus service," says Erik Ecklund, who administers the <a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=1602820789953760&extragetparams=%7B%22fref%22%3A%22nf%22%7D" href="https://www.facebook.com/DanPatchRail/?fref=nf">Support the Dan Patch Rail Line</a> effort (read our full discussion with Ecklund – ed). "More people want to live close to transit, and communities with good transit options will thrive." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The Beginnings of an Intercity Rail Corridor</b></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Beyond Northfield’s need and ability to produce passenger
traffic to the Twin Cities is a larger desire to offer intercity passenger rail
service on north – south corridors in the nation’s heartland. Amtrak’s current
long-distance routes linking Chicago and the west coast are oriented for
east-west service. In fact, the <i>Coast Starlight</i> between Seattle and Mississippi
is the only north-south Amtrak long-distance route train west of the Mississippi
River. The CMPRI advocates the introduction of new service from the Twin Cities
south through Northfield and Faribault into Iowa and Missouri to serve Albert
Lea, Mason City, Des Moines and, ultimately, Kansas City. When combined with
northward extension of Amtrak’s existing <i>Heartland Flyer</i> north from Oklahoma
City via Tulsa to Kansas City, Northfield could host rail service connecting
the Twin Cities to Texas’ Metroplex. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Myriad options of active and abandoned rail corridors (see above map) exist
throughout the Midwest to achieve a Twin Cities – Texas passenger route, as
well as new regional service within Minnesota. Several different paths are
possible between Northfield and Minneapolis or Saint Paul, while other lines
could bring new routes from the Twin Cities to Marshall and Rapid City or
Mankato and Sioux City. Additionally, Canadian Pacific’s lightly-used Dakota,
Minnesota & Eastern line offers an east-west option across Minnesota’s
southern tier, potentially linking Amtrak’s Empire Builder at Winona with
Rochester, Owatonna, Mankato and points west. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">In 2015, the <a href="http://www.dot.state.mn.us/passengerrail/index.html">Minnesota Department of Transportation</a>
identified the Central Minnesota Rail Corridor – the north-south route heading
south from the Twin Cities through Northfield, Faribault, Owatonna and Albert
Lea – as it’s top-ranked passenger rail option because of strong support for
service among elected leaders along the line. While Nakasian takes pride in the
route’s backing among her counterparts in neighboring communities, she believes
a rising tide lifts all boats for passenger rail options in central and southern
Minnesota.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aWNXlAztPPo/V2K3czbm_CI/AAAAAAAACxQ/ck6_-0uVVlcyr5sUQS7vb1p4SkYtv5ISACLcB/s1600/depot%252Brendering%252B%252B1-oct%252B2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="89" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aWNXlAztPPo/V2K3czbm_CI/AAAAAAAACxQ/ck6_-0uVVlcyr5sUQS7vb1p4SkYtv5ISACLcB/s320/depot%252Brendering%252B%252B1-oct%252B2013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">“We feel strongly about the Central Minnesota Rail Corridor
as a practical option that could quickly produce numerous benefits to the
communities it would serve,” says Nakasian, who also notes the city recently
relocated its <a href="http://www.northfielddepot.org/">historic 1888 Union Pacific depot</a> (see rendering at right) to a more optimal spot for passenger trains to stop in town. “We see it as the
first step in building momentum for a true regional rail network to connect
central Minnesota’s vibrant cities and towns.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Pitfalls to Progress: A Racing Horse, Two State Senators and
Limited Funding</b></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N4yKoXTBIrM/V2K3z2NQgYI/AAAAAAAACxc/dYshL2npIOUQ6_swpvF9mi-5rNTsGPwXgCLcB/s1600/8591135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N4yKoXTBIrM/V2K3z2NQgYI/AAAAAAAACxc/dYshL2npIOUQ6_swpvF9mi-5rNTsGPwXgCLcB/s320/8591135.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dan Patch: the horse that named a railroad</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Perhaps the most natural route for trains from Northfield to
travel en route to the Twin Cities is the so-called <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Patch_Corridor">Dan Patch line</a>. In 1907,
Minnesota entrepreneur Marion Willis Savage founded the <span style="background: white; color: #252525;">Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester and
Dubuque Electric Traction Company, an interurban line stretching south and west
from Minneapolis through St. Louis Park, Edina and Bloomington and then tacking
to the southeast to reach Lakeville and Northfield. It became known as the Dan
Patch Line as Savage used it to promote his famous harness racing horse of the
same name, whom he stabled in the community that ultimately was called Savage
in his honor. The line was ultimately acquired by the Minneapolis, Northfield
& Southern Railway in 1918 after Savage and his beloved horse died within
days of each other. That railroad ultimately became part of the Soo Line in
1982, which, in turn, was then acquired by the Canadian Pacific Railway a
decade later. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #252525;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ogKyLqr80q8/V2K43jME4aI/AAAAAAAACx0/9qWuf-sSK6ASk7pI5zWNLw9CRVWfkqQQACKgB/s1600/12694785_1733164906919347_3603551385343074565_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ogKyLqr80q8/V2K43jME4aI/AAAAAAAACx0/9qWuf-sSK6ASk7pI5zWNLw9CRVWfkqQQACKgB/s200/12694785_1733164906919347_3603551385343074565_o.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dan Patch line courtesy of <br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/DanPatchRail/photos">Support the Dan Patch Line</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Today, the line’s right-of-way is intact and
although its track in various states of use and repair, it still serves as a
prime potential corridor for passenger rail service between the Twin Cities and
Northfield, passing through several well-populated suburban communities west
and south of Minneapolis. Some state and local officials took note of the
opportunity offered by the route as planning for the region’s first commuter
rail line – the <a href="http://www.metrotransit.org/northstar">Northstar</a> – intensified in the late 1990s and early 2000s. At
that time, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) identified the
corridor as the most likely to succeed after the Northstar line from the Twin
Cities towards St. Cloud.</span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d0EgVG3oyPs/V2K42hMOQfI/AAAAAAAACxs/0I_vJnQyhAg-Xp6r4fmK2UIeTEY5g-ErwCKgB/s1600/13130840_1771255756443595_2825138740827567727_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d0EgVG3oyPs/V2K42hMOQfI/AAAAAAAACxs/0I_vJnQyhAg-Xp6r4fmK2UIeTEY5g-ErwCKgB/s200/13130840_1771255756443595_2825138740827567727_o.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 12.8px;">Dan Patch line courtesy of </span><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/DanPatchRail/photos" style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12.8px;">Support the Dan Patch Line</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background: white; color: #252525;">But not long after the project appeared on
long-term planning documents, it disappeared from all official state plans
through the work of state senators William Belanger and Roy Terwilliger,
representing the Minneapolis suburbs of Bloomington and Edina, respectively.
Their 2002 legislation – </span><span style="background: white; color: #252525;">Chapter 393, Sec.
85. Dan Patch Commuter Rail Line; Prohibitions – specifically banned any
formal study, planning or funding of commuter rail on the Dan Patch corridor by
MnDOT. The law effectively silenced any significant discussion of passenger
rail service on the corridor for more than a decade. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background: white; color: #252525;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #252525;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">While Belanger and Terwilliger’s
ban may be seen as opposition from anti-transit hardliners, it moreso reflected
the sentiments of the communities they represented at the time. In 2002, Metro
Transit had yet to open the region’s first high-capacity transit line – today’s
<a href="http://www.metrotransit.org/metro-blue-line">Blue Line light rail</a> from downtown Minneapolis to Minneapolis-St. Paul
International Airport and the Mall of America. The project was under discussion
for more than 15 years and many were skeptical about the entire concept.
Accordingly, Bloomington and Edina were in no hurry to install another new rail
mode – commuter rail – on a corridor that cuts through the hearts of
residential neighborhoods and commercial districts. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #252525;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background: white; color: #252525;"><span style="color: #222222;">"Elected officials who are unsure or opposed to the Dan Patch Corridor should keep an open mind and remember that many people support this and times have changed dramatically since the legislative ban on this project in 2002," says Erik Ecklund. "Most of us have realized that we can't keep depending on the automobile for all of our travels and we need options. We also can't keep widening our roads to try to relieve congestion. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">The Dan Patch Corridor wouldn't just be a benefit to Minneapolis and the southern suburbs, but also southern Minnesota."</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #252525;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-158bLJLynXY/V2K6xRcVw_I/AAAAAAAACyA/oZl7aypa8dAbfXxPZkr-j-jr0a9pgJTXQCLcB/s1600/Transitways.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-158bLJLynXY/V2K6xRcVw_I/AAAAAAAACyA/oZl7aypa8dAbfXxPZkr-j-jr0a9pgJTXQCLcB/s320/Transitways.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">High-capacity transit projects in the Twin Cities</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #252525;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Beyond the state
prohibition on activity related to the Dan Patch line, the bigger obstacle to
momentum along the corridor has been the lack of investment opportunities to
support the region’s long list of transit capital priorities. From the time of
the 2002 legislation, popular support for new rail and bus rapid transit (BRT)
projects in the area has grown steadily as the Blue Line opened in 2004,
followed by the Northstar to Big Lake in 2010, <a href="http://www.metrotransit.org/metro-red-line">Red Line BRT</a> in 2013, and the<a href="http://www.metrotransit.org/metro-green-line">Green Line light rail</a> connecting the Twin Cities in 2014. Currently, the
region’s most-desired projects – extensions of both the Blue and Green lines –
are struggling to receive investment from the state, despite having already
secured billions from local and federal sources. Simply put, the Dan Patch
corridor’s biggest challenge today isn’t from outdated legislation – which many
leaders along the corridor, like Nakasian, feel could be easily removed by
state senators currently representing the area, with Belanger and Terwilliger
having left the body. Instead, the route is too far down the list to have a
realistic shot at required investment, at least under the current framework for
distributing transit funding.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #252525;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #252525;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">“We realize the
region has a long wish list of transit projects it hopes to implement,” says
Nakasian. “We feel we have a good case based on costs and benefits, but
pragmatically, there’s a number of communities that are waiting for their turn
ahead of us.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #252525;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #252525;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Playing the Long
Game, But Hoping for More Immediate Results</b></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #252525;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #252525;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Although returning
regional or long-distance passenger rail service to Northfield via the Dan
Patch line or another route is waiting for the right alignment of political
support and investment opportunities, Nakasian and other leaders waiting for
the trains to roll again point to how much has changed in recent years for
mobility options, both within the Twin Cities metropolitan region and society
at large. At the dawn of the millennium, new high-capacity transit routes in
Minneapolis and St. Paul were herculean tasks. Now, they can’t come soon
enough. At the same time, only the most prescient futurists could have
predicted real-time travel options powered by an app on a cell phone. The
point, according to Nakasian, is that things change quickly these days, and
change favors the prepared.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #252525;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #252525;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">“We’re ready to move quickly when and if we sense an opportunity to make
this happen,” says Nakasian. “We’re doing that by working together with leaders
in our neighboring communities and our state and federal representatives to
remove any doubt that we’re supportive of the kind of difference passenger rail
can make to places like Northfield.”</span></span><!--EndFragment-->
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--vQUpexaprk/V2K66Lh5aKI/AAAAAAAACyI/XQr5VXJnmYsZiCXDKISR2wpTpol82pM6wCLcB/s1600/marvyl%252Bm%252Bbrundin%252Bticket%252Bonly%252Bco1916.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="130" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--vQUpexaprk/V2K66Lh5aKI/AAAAAAAACyI/XQr5VXJnmYsZiCXDKISR2wpTpol82pM6wCLcB/s400/marvyl%252Bm%252Bbrundin%252Bticket%252Bonly%252Bco1916.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="background: white; color: #252525;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>Rich Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696303164954264747noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3179440927042952465.post-84365224370739285872015-08-10T11:00:00.000-07:002015-08-10T11:04:47.028-07:00The Most Interesting North American Rail Networks: #6 – Los Angeles<b>Los Angeles</b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lbonH5dtFVc/VcjmU52Q0cI/AAAAAAAACgg/8zN2fjP3Ngs/s1600/IMG_0057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lbonH5dtFVc/VcjmU52Q0cI/AAAAAAAACgg/8zN2fjP3Ngs/s400/IMG_0057.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Providers</u>: <a href="http://www.metro.net/">Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority</a> (MTA/Metro)</span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">; <a href="http://metrolinktrains.com/">Southern California Regional Rail Authority</a> (Metrolink); <a href="http://www.sanpedro.com/spcom/redcar.htm">Port of Los Angeles</a>; </span><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.2800006866455px;">Amtrak</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Modes</u>: heavy rail metro; light rail; commuter rail; streetcar; intercity rail</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Unique routes</u>: 19 (7 Metrolink commuter rail; 5 Amtrak intercity rail; 4 Metro light rail; 2 Metro heavy rail metro; 1 Port of Los Angeles streetcar)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Distinctive stations</u>: Los Angeles <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Station_(Los_Angeles)">Union Station;</a> <a href="http://www.articinfo.com/">Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center</a> (ARTIC); San Bernardino's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Fe_Depot_(San_Bernardino)">Santa Fe Depot</a> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Equipment</u>: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrolink_(Southern_California)#Rolling_stock">Metrolink trainsets</a>; <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_Metro_Rail_rolling_stock">Metro light-rail vehicles</a>; <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_Metro_Rail_rolling_stock">Metro heavy rail metro vehicles</a>; Amtrak <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Surfliner#Rolling_stock"><i>Pacific Surfliner </i>trainsets</a>; Amtrak <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superliner_(railcar)">Superliner trainsets</a>; Amtrak <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horizon_(railcar)">Horizon trainsets</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">So, after raving about passenger rail in Dallas-Ft. Worth, you're now telling me that the place more associated with the car culture than any other is not only more interesting from a passenger rail perspective than the Texas Metroplex but also the rail haven of Chicago? That's right.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">In the last post, I attributed Chicago's relatively low ranking (see posts below) to the general uniformity of its L and Metra systems. Large and well-used, certainly, but not a lot of variety. Conversely, while the passenger rail options in the Los Angeles basin aren't as utilized as Chicago's historic networks, they offer rail observers a greater number of nuances, from vehicles and stations to range of modes and operational quirks. The pace of the region's passenger rail growth over the past three decades warrants its inclusion on this list.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Of course, L.A. wasn't always dominated by cars and highways. It's famed <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Electric">Pacific Electric Red Car</a> streetcar and interurban network was considered by many to be the finest in the world until its demise in the 1930s and 40s, and numerous, premier transcontinental trains made Southern California their western terminus. Intercity rail service also extensive throughout California. You know what happened from there: passenger rail in all forms became unprofitable and scaled back as California pioneered the freeway concept and air travel became more accessible. When Amtrak was created in 1971, only a handful of long-distance and intercity trains remained. Not a single local rail transit route survived. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">A full half-century went by as the region's population grew along with staggering congestion on roads and highways and smog conditions that ultimately led California to create some of the world's more stringent auto emissions standards. While plans for differing forms of rail transit in Southern California emerged even before the Pacific Electric's demise, it wasn't until the formation of the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission in 1976 that full-fledged proposals for a modern passenger rail network began to take root. Corresponding funding didn't materialize until 1985, when construction started on the first two lines that form the heart of today's MTA rail system: the Red Line heavy rail metro subway from Union Station to Westlake/MacArthur Park and the Blue Line light rail from downtown Los Angeles to Long Beach. The former would be the only subway operation on the West Coast outside of the San Francisco Bay Area (which you may hear about later in the Top 10) while the latter would utilize a formerly four-tracked Pacific Electric right-of-way, one of that network's main lines in its heyday. The Blue Line arrived first, with it's initial segment opening on July 14, 1990 from Long Beach to the fringes of downtown Los Angeles, with its loop through downtown Long Beach opening that September and its tunnel to Metro Center following in February 1991. With its subway tunneling delayed on several occasions by underground pockets of natural gas and extensive earthquake-proof infrastructure, the Red Line subway opened in 1993. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">The two lines set off a flurry of MTA expansion projects that hasn't abated since. The Green Line light rail launched in 1995 between Norwalk and Redondo Beach – intersecting with the Blue Line at Willowbrook but never coming close to downtown Los Angeles, traveling in the median of the Century Freeway (Highway 105) most of its length. Although a short connecting track links the two routes near Willowbrook, the lines are essentially operated independently, with the Green Line featuring entirely grade-separated right-of-way and utilizing mostly different vehicles, while the Blue Line functions like many light-rail lines elsewhere – sharing roadways with automobiles and stopping often in the heart of the urban cores of L.A. and Long Beach. The Blue Line is one of the most heavily-used single light-rail lines in North America, with more than 87,000 average daily riders.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">The Red Line was continually expanded through the late 1990s and early 2000s, as the Purple Line joined it in 1996 to operate a new spur subway line to Wilshire/Western and Red Line expansions ultimately reaching North Hollywood in 2000. The Gold Line light-rail connected Union Station with Pasadena in 2003 via a former Southern Pacific corridor and was extended to L.A.'s Eastside in 2009. Another light-rail route – the Expo Line – followed another abandoned Pacific Electric line from the Blue Line's Metro Center terminus past the University of Southern California (USC) to Culver City in 2012. The Expo Line is currently under final testing to extend to the Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica, with service expected to begin in early 2016. A similar expansion of the Gold Line from East Pasadena through the so-called Foothills Cities of Monrovia, Azusa, Glendora, Pomona, Clairmont and Montclair is also under construction, with the first phase to Azusa also expected to open in 2016. Another trio of projects are also currently being constructed: the long-awaited Purple Line extension westwards towards Westwood opening in phases beginning in 2023; the north-south Crenshaw/LAX light-rail line connecting the Expo and Green Lines via Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) due in 2019, with a possible northerly extension to reach the expanded Purple Line; and downtown Los Angeles Regional Connector project to connect the Blue, Expo and Gold Lines to allow through-routing of trains from Montclair to Long Beach (which will be one hella long ride) and Eastside to Santa Monica, adding two new downtown L.A. stations in the process. Completion of the new light-rail subway route is expected in 2020. All currently under-construction routes are supported by investment from the ambitious <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_County_Sales_Tax,_Measure_R_(2008)">Measure R ballot initiative</a> approved by voters in 2008. A number of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro_Rail_(Los_Angeles_County)#Future">additional projects</a> are proposed or planned throughout the region, although a new round of investment would need to be approved by voters. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Around the same time the MTA's heavy rail metro and light-rail network was assuming some of the routes of the Pacific Electric legacy, another entity was at work preparing Southern California for a commuter rail system utilizing active and abandoned railroad lines extending far beyond downtown Los Angeles. Five counties established the </span><a href="http://metrolinktrains.com/">Southern California Regional Rail Authority</a> in 1991 to purchase 175 miles of rail lines from the Southern Pacific and access to Union Station from Union Pacific. Service began on three routes in 1992, ultimately growing to today's seven-route, 388-mile network serving 55 stations and carrying more than 40,000 daily riders. Lines owned by the rail authority see very frequent weekday service as well as more limited off-peak, reverse-commute and weekend options, while those operating on freight-owned routes provide less-frequent operations. Like the MTA's network, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrolink_(Southern_California)#Expansion">additional extensions and routes</a> are possible, with a 24-mile expansion of the 91 Line to Perris currently under construction with service expected this December. In Oceanside, Metrolink connects with the North County Transportation District's Coaster commuter rail and Sprinter regional rail lines to San Diego and Escondido, respectively (<i>see more on San Diego in the Runners Up post below</i>). </span><br />
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The crown jewel of the Los Angeles region's passenger rail infrastructure is the signature 1939 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Station_(Los_Angeles)">Union Station</a>. While not the bustling palace of celestial wonder that is New York's <a href="http://www.grandcentralterminal.com/">Grand Central Terminal</a> or the stout and monumental <a href="http://www.unionstationdc.com/">Washington Union Station</a>, Los Angeles Union Station is decidedly California, with its mission-style exterior and art deco interior. It's padded leather chairs are the perfect spot to sit and let the world go by while its outside courts and gardens allow peaceful escapes from the hustle and bustle of travel. Serving as the central connection point between the MTA's Red, Purple and Gold lines, six of Metrolink's seven lines and Amtrak's <i><a href="http://www.amtrak.com/pacific-surfliner-train">Pacific Surfliner</a></i>, <i><a href="http://www.amtrak.com/coast-starlight-train">Coast Starlight</a></i>, <i><a href="http://www.amtrak.com/southwest-chief-train">Southwest Chief</a></i>, <i><a href="http://www.amtrak.com/sunset-limited-train">Sunset Limited</a></i> and <i><a href="http://www.amtrak.com/texas-eagle-train">Texas Eagle</a></i>, a railfan can be mesmerized for hours with all the variety of routes and destinations. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Speaking of the Pacific Surfliner, it's the nation's second-busiest intercity passenger rail route (after the Northeast Corridor). It offers eleven daily roundtrips between L.A. and San Diego with a handful of additional trains heading south to Los Angeles from San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara. Truly befitting of its name, the views along the Southern California beaches is some of the most picturesque on any regularly-scheduled intercity passenger rail line. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">In stark contrast to Union Station's historic charm is the glassy, modern <a href="http://www.articinfo.com/">Anaheim Regional Intermodal Transportation Center</a> (ARTIC), the largest new passenger rail terminal opened in North America since Amtrak's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albany%E2%80%93Rensselaer_(Amtrak_station)">Albany-Rensselaer</a> station in 2002. The sweeping facility opened last December to serve <i>Pacific Surfliner</i> and Metrolink trains and was also designed to accommodate <a href="http://www.hsr.ca.gov/">California's future high-speed rail network</a> as well as a <a href="http://www.anaheimfixedguideway.com/">potential streetcar to Disneyland</a> and other Anaheim attractions. Meanwhile, <a href="http://la.curbed.com/tags/downtown-streetcar">preliminary engineering</a> for a downtown <a href="http://streetcar.la/">Los Angeles Streetcar</a> is also moving forward supported by a local funding mechanism approved by voters in 2012. In the meantime, streetcar fans and history buffs can ride the San Pedro Waterfront Red Car, a 1.5-mile former Pacific Electric line operating replica Red Car-style vehicles Fridays through Sundays. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">A number of fine passenger terminals also dot the Metrolink network, with San Bernardino's grand 1918 Santa Fe Depot perhaps the most exceptional. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>The Most Interesting North American Rail Networks Series</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-most-interesting-north-american_7.html">#7: Chicagoland</a></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-most-interesting-north-american_47.html"><i>#8: Dallas-Ft. Worth</i></a></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-most-interesting-north-american_5.html"><i>#9: Portland, Ore.</i></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-most-interesting-north-american_4.html">#10: Baltimore-Washington</a></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-most-interesting-north-american.html">Runners Up</a></i></span></span></div>
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<br />Rich Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696303164954264747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3179440927042952465.post-43036033909961259862015-08-07T05:21:00.000-07:002015-08-07T05:21:13.967-07:00The Most Interesting North American Rail Networks: #7 – Chicagoland<b>Chicagoland</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Providers</u>: <a href="http://www.transitchicago.com/">Chicago Transit Authority</a> (CTA)</span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">; <a href="http://www.rtachicago.com/">Regional Transportation Authority</a> (RTA/<a href="http://metrarail.com/metra/en/home.html">Metra</a>); <a href="http://www.nictd.com/">Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District</a> (NICTD); <a href="http://www.visitkenosha.com/attractions/top-attractions/electric-streetcar-circulator">City of Kenosha</a>; </span><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.2800006866455px;">Amtrak</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Modes</u>: heavy rail metro; commuter rail; streetcar; intercity rail</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Unique routes</u>: 40 (16 Amtrak; 14 Metra; 8 CTA; 1 NICTD; 1 City of Kenosha) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Distinctive stations</u>: <a href="http://www.chicagounionstation.com/">Chicago Union Station</a>; Olgilvie Transportation Center; LaSalle Street Station; Millennium Station (<a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2010/09/chicagos-quartet-of-terminals.html">see more on all four here</a>); <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joliet_Union_Station">Joliet Union Station</a></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Equipment</u>: CTA <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_%22L%22#Rolling_stock">L vehicles</a>; <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metra#Rolling_stock">Metra trainsets</a>; NICTD <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Shore_Line#Rolling_stock">South Shore Line trainsets</a>; City of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streetcars_in_Kenosha,_Wisconsin">Kenosha PCC streetcars</a>; Amtrak <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amfleet">Amfleet trainsets</a>; Amtrak <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superliner_(railcar)">Superliner trainsets</a>; Amtrak <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horizon_(railcar)">Horizon trainsets</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Chicago is the first city of American railroading in terms of rail traffic, both historically and currently. Although the nation's first rail lines started on the East Coast, Chicago – and its access to the Great Lakes, the Midwest and the American frontier – was their ultimate objective. At the same time, the railroads shaped Chicago in a way unlike any other American city: long-distance trains brought residents from back east and its commuter and elevated trains helped them move around town once they arrived. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Today, Metra's commuter rail network is the nation's largest in terms of route miles, the CTA's iconic L train is the third-busiest in the U.S. after New York and Washington (with ridership skyrocketing due to recently-rehabilitated lines) and Amtrak operates more distinct intercity and long-distance routes from Union Station than any other place in the country. So why does it come in with 7th place in my rankings? Uniformity.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">In terms of moving massive numbers of people reliably and efficiently, uniformity certainly isn't a bad thing. Systems are cheaper to build and operate when they use the same kinds of vehicles and stations to reduce compartmentalization of operators, mechanics, dispatchers and more. But from a rail observer's perspective, once you've experienced one kind of vehicle or station, there's a law of diminishing returns. The essential uniformity of the Washington Metrorail network bumped that region to #10 and it's likely you'll hear something similar about the New York City Subway in the next couple days. Both the CTA L network and Metra's commuter rail system are tremendous assets, but their equipment is essentially standardized and non-terminal stations are largely uniform.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Nonetheless, there are still many interesting quirks for rail fans to enjoy. Chicago's L is as reflective of the city's identity as the Subway is in New York, streetcars are in New Orleans and cable cars in San Francisco. The Loop through downtown – largely from which the El name is derived – is something every urbanist and transit advocate should experience at least once. It's wood-and-steel structures present a somewhat rickety ambiance to first-time observers, but the century-old infrastructure's persistence to this day suggests its anything but shoddy engineering. It's Red and Blue subway lines through the Loop offer a nice contrast to the activity above and the system's routes into the city's neighborhoods are well-woven into the fabric of their communities. And like most of the nation's historic rail networks, it does a phenomenal job in serving all ranges of demographics. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">The four-track <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Side_Main_Line_(CTA)">North Side Main Line</a> (also known as the Howard Branch) is the system's busiest and is thrilling for any train watcher. Between the Brown, Purple and Red lines, it alone carries more than 120,000 daily riders, or more than all the ridership of Dallas' rail transit options put together. At one time, the interurban trains of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_North_Shore_and_Milwaukee_Railroad">Chicago, North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad</a> (aka the North Shore Line) once shared the Howard Branch with L trains to reach the Loop from Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha, Waukegan and Mundelein. Today, a hint of that legacy remains with the CTA's Yellow Line – perhaps the best named transit train left today, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_Line_(CTA)"><i>Skokie Swift</i></a> – which travels on the North Shore's former <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_North_Shore_and_Milwaukee_Railroad#Construction_of_the_Skokie_Valley_Line">Skokie Valley route</a> to reach its namesake city. Until 2005, Skokie Swift trains were powered via overhead catenary, the only heavy rail application besides Cleveland's Red Line to use overhead power. Third rail power was added that year to allow interoperability with the rest of the L fleet.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">While the North Shore's interurbans disappeared in the early 1960s, its counterpart on the south side of Chicago – the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_South_Shore_and_South_Bend_Railroad">Chicago, South Shore and South Bend Railroad</a> – managed to maintain its passenger service between its namesake cities. The NICTD began subsidizing its passenger operations in 1977 and took control of the service in 1990. It's essentially the North America's last interuban (see into photo), although many of the recently-launched regional rail lines (see examples in the Portland and Dallas Top 10 posts below) operate much like an interuban. Also unique to Chicago is the South Shore's electrified route, along with that of the three branches of Metra's appropriately-named <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metra_Electric_District">Electric Division</a>. Until Denver's <a href="http://www.rtd-fastracks.com/ec_1">A Line to Denver International Airport</a> opens next spring, the lines are the only electrified railroads (not including rail transit like light rail, streetcars and heavy rail metro) east of Harrisburg, Pa. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Whether coming by intercity or commuter rail, Chicago has the most extensive grouping of passenger rail terminals on the continent. I wrote about the quartet of terminals in <a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2010/09/chicagos-quartet-of-terminals.html">this post from 2010</a>, as well as the distinctive 1912 Joliet Union Station about an hour and a half southwest of the Loop by train. It's served by Metra's <a href="http://metrarail.com/content/metra/en/home/maps_schedules/metra_system_map/hc/map.html">Heritage Corridor</a> and <a href="http://metrarail.com/content/metra/en/home/maps_schedules/metra_system_map/ri/schedule.html">Rock Island Distric</a>t trains as well as Amtrak's <i><a href="http://www.amtrak.com/illinois-services-train">Lincoln Service</a> </i>and <i><a href="http://www.amtrak.com/texas-eagle-train">Texas Eagle</a></i> routes. Another interesting sport for train riders is Prairie Crossing in Libertyville, a location I spent some time <a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2010/09/prairie-crossing-ill.html">discussing in this post</a>, also from my 2010 visit. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">In this series, I include nearby cities as part of a region when one can take a regularly scheduled commuter or rail transit train between the two places, like Baltimore-Washington and Dallas-Ft. Worth-Denton in the previous posts below. Here, Metra provides service to Kenosha, Wisc., on its <a href="http://metrarail.com/content/metra/en/home/maps_schedules/metra_system_map/up-n/map.html">Union Pacific–North Line</a>. Kenosha Transit has operated its <a href="http://www.visitkenosha.com/attractions/top-attractions/electric-streetcar-circulator">Electric Streetcar Circulator</a> since 2000 using a fleet of seven painstakingly refurbished PCC cars. The streetcars make a loop through downtown from the Metra station to the Lake Michigan waterfront, a two-mile roundtrip. More than 30 percent of Kenosha visitors use the streetcar route, along with local travelers. Last year, the Kenosha City Council voted to <a href="http://www.kenoshanews.com/news/council_approves_streetcar_expansion_479040249.html">extend the operation</a> running north and south to complement the existing east-west running service. Construction is expected to begin this fall. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">There's a host of proposals to expand both L and Metra routes throughout the region, as well as introducing light rail, streetcar and more intercity service along with high-speed rail lines. Beyond the Kenosha streetcar expansion, no other new projects are currently heading for construction anytime soon. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />The Most Interesting North American Rail Networks Series</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-most-interesting-north-american_47.html"><i>#8: Dallas-Ft. Worth</i></a></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-most-interesting-north-american_5.html"><i>#9: Portland, Ore.</i></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-most-interesting-north-american_4.html">#10: Baltimore-Washington</a></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-most-interesting-north-american.html">Runners Up</a></i></span></span></div>
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Rich Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696303164954264747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3179440927042952465.post-72668492182500623512015-08-05T10:36:00.003-07:002015-08-06T06:37:39.380-07:00The Most Interesting North American Rail Networks: #8 – Dallas / Ft. Worth Metroplex<b>Dallas-Fort Worth</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Providers</u>: <a href="http://www.dart.org/">Dallas Area Rapid Transit</a> (DART); <a href="http://www.the-t.com/">Fort Worth Metropolitan Transportation Authority</a> (The T); <a href="http://www.mata.org/">McKinney Avenue Transit Authority</a> (MATA); <a href="https://www.dart.org/riding/dallasstreetcar.asp">City of Dallas</a>; </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="https://www.dcta.net/">Denton County Transportation Authority</a> (DCTA); </span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.dcurd.org/apt-system/">Dallas County Utility & Reclamation District</a> (DCURD); </span><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.2800006866455px;">Amtrak</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Modes</u>: light rail, streetcar, commuter rail, regional rail, people mover, intercity rail </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Unique routes</u>: 10, 1 Pending (4 <a href="http://www.dart.org/riding/dartrail.asp">DART Light Rail</a>, 1 DART/The T <a href="http://www.trinityrailwayexpress.org/index.html">TRE commuter rail</a>, 1 MATA streetcar, 1 City of Dallas Streetcar, 1 DCTA <a href="https://www.dcta.net/routes-schedules/a-train">A-Train regional rail</a>, 1 DCURD <a href="http://www.dart.org/riding/stations/lascolinasaptsystem.asp">Los Colinas people mover,</a> 1 Amtrak; 1 The T <a href="http://www.texrail.com/">TEX Rail</a> pending) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Distinctive stations</u>: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Station_(Dallas)">Dallas Union Station</a>; Fort Worth <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Worth_Intermodal_Transportation_Center">Intermodal Transportation Center</a>; Fort Worth <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%26P_Station">Texas & Pacific (T&P) Station</a></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Equipment</u>: DART <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DART_Light_Rail#Operation">Light Rail vehicles</a>; DART/The T <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity_Railway_Express#Fleet">TRE trainsets</a>; DCTA <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A-train_(Denton_County_Transportation_Authority)#Rolling_stock">DMU vehicles</a>; <a href="http://www.mata.org/aboutus.html">MATA streetcars</a>; City of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dallas_Streetcar#Rolling_stock">Dallas Streetcars</a>; DCURD Los Colinas <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Colinas_APT_System#Vehicles_.26_maintenance">APT vehicles</a>; </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Dallas? Really? Surely, you jest! After snubbing Seattle-Tacoma, Montreal and San Diego, you're really going to tell me the sprawling Texas Metroplex is a more interesting place for train fans than those historic rail cities? Actually, yes.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Just perusing the number of different entities operating passenger rail networks in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex returns a staggering list of modes and routes, nearly all of which has materialized since the mid-1980s. That coupled with DART's sweeping Light Rail network – the largest in the nation – propelled the region to the Top 10 in my book.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">While nearly all streetcar, interurban and intercity passenger rail service in North Texas had been scrubbed by the auto culture in the 1960s and 70s, it was the launch of a couple quirky, unconnected and very different rail operations in the late 80s that lit a faint spark for passenger rail once again. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The Los Colinas Urban Center was developed in the early 1970s as a planned community intended to utilize it's location in Irving between Dallas and </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> (DFW) to serve as a center of commercial and residential activity. Those planned an automated people mover network – similar to those in <a href="http://www.miamidade.gov/transit/metromover.asp">Miami</a>, <a href="http://www.downtownjacksonville.org/locations/l-155-skyway.aspx">Jacksonville</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detroit_People_Mover">Detroit</a> and <a href="http://transportation.wvu.edu/prt">Morgantown</a> – to circulate the area's residents and employees. The Los Colinas Area Personal Transit System (APT) was opened in 1989 serving four stations on a 1.4-mile, two-branch route. Although APT service was suspended in 1993 as activity in Los Colinas waned, it returned under the auspices of DCURD in 1996. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Independent of the developments in Los Colinas, the McKinney Avenue Transit Authority (MATA) was formed in 1988 to return historic streetcars to its namesake street – and other thoroughfares – in Dallas' Uptown district. The line opened in 1989 using a mix of reclaimed Dallas streetcars and other examples from elsewhere. Although designed for shoppers, restaurant-goers and tourists, MATA operated the service as a viable transit option, with regular schedules and multiple stops, rather than a streetcar ride for the sake of it. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Meanwhile, DART was created in 1983 to merge Dallas-area bus services into a regional network and prepare for an eventual rail transit system by approving a one percent sales tax levy to build investment. It followed San Diego's early lead by selecting light rail as its mode of choice and its initial two-branch system opened in 1996. Expansions took DART trains north from downtown Dallas to reach Plano and Garland in the early 200s, while the new Green and Orange lines extended it's reach northwest and southeast in 2009 and 2012, respectively. With the extension of the Orange Line to DFW almost a year ago now, DART became the largest light-rail network in the United States (and the largest in North America if Toronto's streetcars are counted as distinct from light rail). Nearly 100,000 riders utilize the system daily. That same extension connected DART with the Los Colinas APT network on the Orange Line's Los Colinas Urban Center station, while Dallas' light-rail and streetcar networks were linked with MATA's expansion to serve DART's Cityplace subway station on the Red and Blue lines in 2000 (the only subway station in the Southwest).</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Not long after the Red and Blue lines debuted in 1996 came the arrival of <a href="http://www.the-t.com/Portals/0/docs/FactSheet_TRE.pdf">Trinity Railway Express</a> (TRE) commuter rail. At its outset, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budd_Rail_Diesel_Car">Budd Rail Diesel Cars</a> (RDCs) operated between Dallas' 1916 Union Station and South Irving station. The service utilizes a former <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago,_Rock_Island_and_Pacific_Railroad">Rock Island Railroad</a> that the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth purchased jointly in 1983, which was ultimately transferred to control of DART and The T. Standard locomotive-hauled commuter rail trainsets emerged in September 2000 as the route was expanded west to reach West Irving, CentrePoint (offering shuttle bus connections to DFW) and Richland Hills, followed by the full competition of the line to Fort Worth's modern Intermodal Transportation Center and towering, historic 1931 T&P Station in December 2001. Today, more than 7,300 daily riders enjoy the TRE's frequent, bi-directional service, which also includes decent off-peak and Saturday service. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">The most recent entry into the region's patchwork mix of rail options is the 1.6-mile Dallas Streetcar which opened for service this past April 13th. A modern counterpart to MATA's historic streetcar fleet, the line uses both conventional catenary wires for electric power along with battery power to cross the Houston Street Viaduct, the first such application of battery-powered streetcars in the western hemisphere. Although the single-tracked line means long headways for now, additional streetcars will boost frequencies on its route between Union Station (DART and TRE connections) to Methodist Dallas Medical Center. Construction is underway on an extension to the Bishop Arts District and plans for a connection through downtown Dallas to link with MATA's streetcars is in the works. DART also plans an additional route – <a href="https://www.dart.org/about/expansion/downtowndallas.asp">Downtown Dallas 2</a> (D2) – through downtown to relieve Light Rail congestion on its main trunk line on Pacific Avenue, used by all four lines.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Further north is the A-Train regional rail line operated by DCTA between DART's Trinity Mills Orange Line station and downtown Denton. The 21-mile line opened in 2011 on a former freight rail line, initially leasing 10 Budd RDCs from the TRE and eventually acquiring a fleet of new GTW DMU vehicles from Stadler in Switzerland, similar to those used by Austin's Capital MetroRail. More than 2,000 daily passengers board at the A-Trains six stations.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">The future is poised to bring even more exciting passenger rail developments throughout the Metroplex. The first to arrive will likely be The T's planned TEX Rail service from the Fort Worth Intermodal Transportation Center to DFW utilizing the former <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton_Belt_Rail_Line">Cotton Belt rail line</a>, which – like the TRE's Rock Island corridor – was previously purchased by local governments. And following the A-Train's example, TEX Rail will operate <a href="http://www.stadlerrail.com/en/vehicles/gtw/">DMUs from Stadler</a> but has ordered the larger four-unit FLIRT models. Construction is expected to begin in 2016 with service projected to begin in 2018. An extension to neighborhoods and communities to the south and southwest of downtown Fort Worth is anticipated once TEX Rail's initial service is underway. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">DART also has plans for the portion of the <a href="https://www.dart.org/about/expansion/cottonbelt.asp">Cotton Belt corridor</a> within its jurisdiction, which would connect the Red Line in Plano and the Orange Line at DFW. Funding is not yet secured for this project, only one of a number of additional Light Rail expansions listed in its <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DART_Light_Rail#2030_Plan">2030 Plan</a>. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Although current intercity service is limited to Amtrak's daily <i><a href="http://www.amtrak.com/texas-eagle-train">Texas Eagle</a></i> between Chicago and Los Angeles (calling at both Union Station and Forth Worth's Intermodal Transportation Center), more promising is <a href="http://www.texascentral.com/" style="font-style: normal;">Texas Central Railway's</a> planned high-speed rail route between Dallas and Houston. The private company – backed by interests of the Central Japan Railway Company – would <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Central_Railway" style="font-style: normal;">connect the two mega-regions</a> with trips of less than 90 minutes. Its terminal stations would connect with the light-rail networks of DART and Houston Metro. Metroplex regional leaders are also studying a public extension of the route to DFW and Fort Worth. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>The Most Interesting North American Rail Networks Series</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-most-interesting-north-american_5.html">#9: Portland, Ore.</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-most-interesting-north-american_4.html">#10: Baltimore-Washington</a></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-most-interesting-north-american.html">Runners Up</a></i></span></span></div>
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Rich Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696303164954264747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3179440927042952465.post-33197455689173585362015-08-05T04:48:00.000-07:002015-08-06T06:34:26.758-07:00The Most Interesting North American Rail Networks: #9 – Portland, Ore.<b>Portland, Ore.</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Providers</u>: <a href="https://trimet.org/">TriMet</a><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; line-height: 21.2800006866455px;">; <a href="http://www.portlandstreetcar.org/">City of Portland;</a> Amtrak</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Modes</u>: light rail, streetcar, intercity rail </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Unique routes</u>: 10, 1 pending (4 TriMet <a href="http://trimet.org/max/index.htm">MAX light rail</a>; 3 Amtrak; 2 City of <a href="http://trimet.org/streetcar/index.htm">Portland Streetcar</a>; 1 TriMet <a href="http://trimet.org/wes/index.htm">WES regional rail</a>)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Distinctive stations</u>: Portland <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Station_(Portland,_Oregon)">Union Station</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Equipment</u>: TriMet <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MAX_Light_Rail#Rolling_stock">MAX light-rail vehicles</a>; City of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portland_Streetcar#Vehicles">Portland Streetcar vehicles</a>; TriMet <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WES_Commuter_Rail#Equipment">WES DMU trainsets</a>; Amtrak <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amtrak_Cascades#Rolling_stock"><i>Cascades</i> trainsets</a>; Amtrak <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superliner_(railcar)">Superliner trainsets</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">In my <a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-most-interesting-north-american.html">Runners-Up post</a>, I explained that a number of West Coast regions were difficult omissions from this Top 10 list: San Diego; Seattle-Tacoma; Vancouver. Portland is the reason why. It doesn't have the number of unique modes as Seattle-Tacoma, nor is its light-rail network as old as San Diego's or as efficient as Vancouver's SkyTrain system. But the reason why Portland earns a Top 10 spot is the degree to which passenger rail is seen as a force of innovation in the PDX area. It coined the concept of the modern American streetcar in the early 2000s and serves as the case study for the power of urban transit-oriented development. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Portland earned its progressive transit bona fides when it opened its original MAX line from downtown to Gresham in 1986, opting for the nascent rail mode over highway expansion. The concept caught on and led to the westward extension of the line to Beaverton and Hillsboro in 1998, followed by the Red Line to Portland International Airport (PDX), which debuted the day before September 11th, 2001. Just months earlier, the Portland Streetcar re-introduced the long-dormant rail mode to the urbanism playbook and urban transit planning hasn't been the same since. To see MAX trains and Portland Streetcars interact with the many signs of vitality in the city's downtown is to experience a place unlike any non-traditional rail transit region in North America.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">MAX lines now fan out in all directions and a second route was added to the Portland Transit Mall through downtown to relieve congestion with the opening of the Green Line in 2009. This fall, the launch of the Orange Line to Milwaukie will open the signature Tilikum Crossing transit/bicycle/pedestrian-only bridge, which will also complete the circuit of the Streetcar's Central Loop route. That project – opened in 2012 – complements the initial Streetcar line (now dubbed the North-South Line), bringing the mode's accessibility to neighborhoods on the east side of the Willamette River. The city used to run a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portland_Streetcar#Vintage_Trolley_service">historic vintage trolley service</a> through downtown, first on MAX tracks and a short spur to Holladay Park (which still exists) and then the Streetcars' but the vehicles are now set to <a href="http://www.ksdk.com/story/news/local/2015/03/23/loop-trolley-construction/25212549/">head to St. Louis</a> for the <a href="http://looptrolley.com/">Delmar Loop Trolley</a> project there. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Back on the west side, the Westside Express (WES) route south from MAX's Beaverton Transit Center to Wilsonville is one of those quirky lines that helped push Portland into the Top 10. Your blogger attended its opening day festivities in 2009 which introduced Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) trainsets built by Colorado Railcar that could operate on the same tracks at the same time as freight trains. Colorado Railcar has since gone out of business, leaving WES' DMUs the only operating example of that model. Like a number of other DMU-operated regional rail lines (namely, New Jersey' Transit's <a href="http://www.njtransit.com/var/var_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=SummerRiverLineTo">RiverLine</a> and NCTD's <a href="http://www.gonctd.com/sprinter">Sprinter</a>), WES does not reach downtown Portland, instead connecting passengers with MAX's Blue and Red lines. Future extension's to Salem and Eugene along the route's former <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon_Electric_Railway">Oregon Electric Railway</a> line are possible. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">In downtown Portland, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Station_(Portland,_Oregon)">Union Station</a> is a fitting anchor for the region's passenger rail network. With both MAX and Streetcar lines in close proximity, the 1896 facility hosts Amtrak's exemplary <a href="http://www.amtrak.com/cascades-train"><i>Cascades</i></a> service north to Tacoma, Seattle and Vancouver and south to Eugene. As I noted in the Runners Up post in this series, <i>Cascades </i>offers among the finest – if not the finest – intercity passenger rail equipment in the Americas as well as decent frequency. Capital projects supported by Washington and Oregon are improving the speed and reliability of the route to add additional trips. Meanwhile, the long-distance <a href="http://www.amtrak.com/coast-starlight-train"><i>Coast Starlight</i></a> and <a href="http://www.amtrak.com/empire-builder-train"><i>Empire Builder</i></a> routes reach as far as Los Angeles and Chicago, respectively. Union Station's iconic Go By Train sign is mirrored by a similar <a href="http://www.pearldistrictproperties.com/pearl-district-street-car-lofts.html">Go By Streetcar</a> version positioned among the Pearl District developments fueled by the Streetcar's presence. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">And although it's technically not a rail operation, the <a href="http://www.gobytram.com/">Portland Aerial Tram</a> – served by the OHSU Commons stop on the Streetcar's North-South Line – is one of the most unique mobility applications in North America. The two cars transport more than 3,300 passengers a day a horizontal distance of 3,300 feet and 500 vertical feet up to connect the Streetcar and South Waterfront District with the main campus of the Oregon Health & Science University. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>The Most Interesting North American Rail Networks Series</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-most-interesting-north-american_4.html">#10: Baltimore-Washington</a></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-most-interesting-north-american.html">Runners Up</a></i></span></span></div>
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Rich Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696303164954264747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3179440927042952465.post-48831919121411324432015-08-04T06:05:00.000-07:002015-08-06T06:33:25.252-07:00The Most Interesting North American Rail Networks: #10 – Baltimore / Washington<b>Baltimore-Washington</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Providers</u>: <span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; line-height: 21.2800006866455px;"><a href="http://wmata.com/">Washington Area Metropolitan Transportation Authority</a> (WMATA); <a href="http://mta.maryland.gov/">Maryland Transit Administration</a> (MTA); <a href="http://www.vre.org/">Virginia Railway Express</a> (VRE); Amtrak</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Modes</u>: heavy rail metro; light rail; commuter rail; high-speed rail; intercity rail</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Unique routes</u>: 23, 2 pending (10 Amtrak high-speed and intercity; 6 WMATA Metro Rail; 3 MTA MARC; 2 VRE; 1 MTA Metro; 1 MTA Light Rail; 1 District of Columbia Streetcar pending, 1 MTA Light Rail pending)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Distinctive stations</u>: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania_Station_(Baltimore)">Baltimore Penn Station</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camden_Station">Baltimore Camden Station</a>, Baltimore <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Royal_Station">Mount Royal Station</a>, Washington <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Station_(San_Diego,_California)">Union Station</a>, Alexandria <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Station_(Alexandria,_Virginia)">Union (King Street) Station</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Equipment</u>: WMATA <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Metro#Rolling_stock">heavy rail vehicles</a>; MTA <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltimore_Metro_Subway#Rolling_stock">Metro vehicles</a>; MTA <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltimore_Light_Rail#Rolling_stock">Light Rail trainsets</a>; MTA <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MARC_Train#Equipment">MARC trainsets</a>; <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Railway_Express#Equipment">VRE trainsets</a>; Amtrak <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acela_Express#Engineering"><i>Acela Express</i> trainsets</a>; Amtrak <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amfleet">Amfleet trainsets</a>; Amtrak <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superliner_(railcar)">Superliner trainsets</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I nearly pushed my current home region from the Top 10 because of its familiarity to me. And, to a certain extent, there's high levels of uniformity among the WMATA Metro Rail and Amtrak routes. But when taking a step back, there is an abundance of passenger rail options in the so-called DMV (District of Columbia-Maryland-Virginia) region. Two MARC commuter rail routes connect the cities and its intercity and commuter lines are among the oldest in the nation. It's the southern terminus of the electrified <a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2010/06/curious-case-of-nec.html">Northeast Corridor</a> and end of the only operating route in the Western Hemisphere that comes anywhere close to high-speed rail: the Acela Express. Nowhere in this half of the world do intercity passenger trains operate as often, frequently and reliably. Additionally, it's the only place where Amtrak's <i><a href="http://www.amtrak.com/acela-express-train">Acela Express</a> </i>and Superliner equipment serve the same station (Washington's 1918 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Station_(Washington,_D.C.)">Union Station</a> hosts the long-distance <i><a href="http://www.amtrak.com/capitol-limited-train">Capitol Limted</a></i>) . </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Speaking of which, it's easily among the very finest in-service passenger rail facilities on the continent. Only New York's Grand Central Terminal and L.A.'s Union Passenger Terminal could even make a case. But, unlike those grand edifices, Union Station is a run-through facility, boosting its usability. In Baltimore, there's a trio of stately stations: the Pennsylvania Railroad's Northeast Corridor Penn Station (home to Amtrak, MARC's Penn Line and a branch of the MTA's Light Rail) and the Baltimore & Ohio's Camden and Mount Royal stations. The former hosts the MARC line of the same name along with the MTA's Light Rail main line, and while the latter no longer functions for railroad purposes, CSX's freight line emerges from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltimore_Belt_Line">Howard Street Tunnel</a> behind the old station, who's trainshed is still preserved. Howard Street is interesting for rail observers, as the MTA's Light Rail operates at street level while CSX trains creep underneath through the 1895 tunnel.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Continuing with Baltimore, it's operationally distinct heavy rail Metro and Light Rail systems are both interesting from a rail fan's perspective and <a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/27267/the-baltimore-red-line-does-need-a-tunnel-despite-its-cost/">confounding from a policy stance</a>. Their infrastructure, vehicles, fare systems and other elements are entirely different from each other. And connections between the two requires a walk down Lexington Street and separate fares unless a day pass is purchased. The Metro is shorter and speedier, soaring above the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Maryland_Railway">Western Maryland Railway</a> right-of-way through the city's northwest suburbs then ducking into tunnels through the heart of the city. Meanwhile, the Light Rail meanders along a mix of newly-created and reclaimed rail corridors north and south of town and crawls even slower on Howard Street downtown. For rail observers, the Light Rail is the more interesting of the two. But the recent cancellation of the <a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/27267/the-baltimore-red-line-does-need-a-tunnel-despite-its-cost/">planned Red Line light-rail</a> project by Maryland Governor Larry Hogan dampened momentum for improvement of the city's rail transit network, which also was expected to include <a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/20240/marc-plan-calls-for-new-stations-more-service/">upgrades to all three MARC commuter rail routes</a>. The status of those projects are uncertain. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Although Hogan cancelled the Red Line project, he approved continuation of the <a href="http://www.purplelinemd.com/en/">Purple Line light-rail line</a> in Maryland's suburbs around Washington, utilizing the right-of-way of the former <a href="http://www.cctrail.org/cct_history.htm">Baltimore & Ohio Georgetown Branch</a>. The 16-mile line – if constructed as expected – would connect four WMATA Metro Rail lines and all three MARC lines with frequent light-rail service and potentially be the first quadrant of a full circumferential route connecting the entire WMATA Metro Rail network, which would be the first such circle line in the Americas. The project is expected to begin construction in the spring of 2016 and would be the first light-rail operation in the Washington vicinity. Likewise anticipated is the delayed opening of the <a href="http://www.dcstreetcar.com/">D.C. Streetcar</a>, which will return streetcars to the nation's capital for the first time in more than a half-century. Although the project has been severely delayed by poor project management by previous D.C. mayoral administrations, <a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/27378/33-things-ddot-must-fix-to-open-the-dc-streetcar/">small fixes are currently being made</a>, with a debut possible before the end of the year.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">As a daily Metro Rail commuter, the nuances of the nation's second-busiest rail transit network (after the N.Y. City Subway) can blend together. Although there's subtle differences among stations (Greater Greater Washington has a <a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/24359/metro-has-eleven-types-of-station-architecture-learn-them-all-with-this-one-interactive-map/">fantastic guide</a> to that) and the new <a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/26421/want-to-ride-the-first-7000-series-train-heres-when-it-will-be-at-your-stop/">7000 Series trains</a> are state-of-the-art, what's exceptional about the Washington Metro Rail network is its scope and impact on development and land use patterns over the past three decades. While the newest addition to the system, the Silver Line, is currently <a href="https://wamu.org/news/15/08/03/silver_line_ridership_in_tysons_well_below_metro_estimates">struggling to meet initial ridership projections</a>, it has the potential to reshape Virginia's largest commercial and business district – Tysons Corner – in a similar fashion over the coming decades as well. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Elsewhere on the Virginia side, Alexandria's 1905 Union Station (usually referred to King Street station by locals) is in keeping with the historic sensibilities of Old Town Alexandria hosts frequent Amtrak and VRE service during rush hours. VRE – northern Virginia's commuter rail network – has experienced booming ridership in recent years and has upgraded its equipment to all bi-level, Gallery Car trainsets to match demand. The Fredericksburg Line has greater usage but is limited to peak direction service only by CSX freight traffic, while there seems to be greater capacity on Norfolk Southern's Manassas Line, which offers a couple reverse commute and mid-day trains. Neither route provides weekend service. The same is true with MARC's Brunswick and Camden lines, although the Penn Line now includes limited weekend trains. A new station will open this fall on the VRE's Fredericksburg Line in Spotsylvania, and an extension of the Manassas Line to Gainesville and Haymarket is under consideration, along with a replacement of the aging Long Bridge over the Potomac River into Washington that would include four tracks, boosting capacity for both passenger and freight traffic. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Throughout the region, true high-speed rail service remains elusive. Both <a href="http://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/453/325/Amtrak-Vision-for-the-Northeast-Corridor.pdf">Amtrak</a> and a <a href="http://www.sehsr.org/">coalition of southeastern states</a> have bold plans for high-speed routes for the Northeast Corridor and southward beyond Richmond, respectively, built to international standards but funding sources are far from certain. Additionally, the lack of a connection to Annapolis – the capital of Maryland, the only such state capital east of the Mississippi without any rail access – remains a frustrating considering the remnants of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington,_Baltimore_and_Annapolis_Electric_Railway">interurban routes to both Baltimore and Washington</a>. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>The Most Interesting North American Rail Networks Series</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-most-interesting-north-american.html"><i>Runners Up</i></a></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>Rich Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696303164954264747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3179440927042952465.post-35390227070450091862015-08-03T06:05:00.001-07:002015-08-05T06:57:59.822-07:00The Most Interesting North American Rail Networks: Runners UpThis post marks the first in a short series on the ten most interesting passenger rail networks in the United States and Canada (sorry, Mexico: haven't ridden any of your trains, so it would be unfair to include Mexico City, Monterrey or Guadalajara. Maybe someday, though...).<br />
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There's no objective criteria for what makes a network unique, but each post will attempt to explain some of the system's quirkiness and nuance that make it noteworthy from a passenger rail observer's perspective. Several selections will include metropolitan areas comprised of the individual city networks. Among the factors I'll consider will be the number of modes, number of unique routes, range of rail equipment, historical distinctiveness and impressive stations.<br />
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I'll start first with those communities that didn't make the cut:<br />
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<span style="color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><b>San Diego</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Providers</u>: <a href="http://www.sdmts.com/">Metropolitan Transit System</a> (MTS)<span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; line-height: 21.2800006866455px;">, North County Transit District (NCTD), Amtrak</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Modes</u>: light rail, streetcar, commuter rail, regional rail, intercity rail</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Unique routes</u>: 6 (3 MTS San Diego Trolley, 1 NCTD commuter rail, 1 NCTD regional rail, 1 Amtrak)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Distinctive stations</u>: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Station_(San_Diego,_California)">Union Station</a> (Santa Fe Depot)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Equipment</u>: San Diego Trolley light-rail vehicles; NCTD <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coaster_(commuter_rail)#Rolling_stock">Coaster trainsets</a>; NCTD <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprinter_(light_rail)">Sprinter diesel multiple units</a> (DMUs); Amtrak <a href="http://www.amtrak.com/pacific-surfliner-train"><i>Pacific Surfliner</i></a> trainsets</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Leaving San Diego off the list is perhaps the toughest call. Its Trolley launched the light-rail era in the United States in 1981 and has since added two additional lines to form a robust network. It's solid red vehicles are iconic to any rail observer, even as they've modernized over the years. Watching the system in action at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12th_%26_Imperial_Transit_Center">12th & Imperial Transit Center</a> could keep any transit fan occupied for hours. It's also the only rail transit service in North America that extends to an international border. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The Trolley also kicked off a wave of passenger rail resurgence in Southern California that ultimately caught on in Los Angeles (hint, hint for later in the Top 10) that spurred the revitalization of the classic 1915 Spanish Colonial Revival-style Union Station (known locally as the Santa Fe Depot). It also led to the creation of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coaster_(commuter_rail)">Coaster commuter rail service</a> to Oceanside by NCTD in 1995 from the Depot – where it connects with <a href="http://www.metrolinktrains.com/schedules/line/name/Orange%20County/service_id/1152.html">Metrolink commuter trains</a> to Los Angeles – as well as the upgrade of Amtrak's Los Angeles - San Diego service to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Surfliner"><i>Pacific Surfliner</i></a> in 2000. Today, it's the nation's second-busiest intercity rail line after the <a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2010/06/curious-case-of-nec.html">Northeast Corridor</a>. In 2008, NCTD initiated its <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprinter_(light_rail)">Sprinter regional rail</a> route between Oceanside and Escondido. To say it's more interesting to watch trains in Oceanside than in Phoenix, Columbus, Omaha or Milwaukee wouldn't be an understatement, let alone the joy in spending a day watching the Trolley, Coaster and <i>Pacific Surfliner</i> interact at Santa Fe Depot. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">The biggest knock on Santa Fe's rail network is there's now not much opportunity for it to expand further. Buttressed by mountains along the Mexican border and to its east and the Pacific Ocean to its west, the region is essentially constrained in its ability to expand. That's good for denser development and greater utilization of the existing network, but not many exciting projects on the horizon. Double-tracking of the Coaster/<i>Pacific Surfliner</i> line to Oceanside will allow for greater frequency, speed and reliability on both services. San Diego is ultimately planned as the southern terminus for <a href="http://www.hsr.ca.gov/">California's high-speed rail network</a>, but that's still decades away and high-speed trains will likely serve an intermodal facility – likely with Trolley access – near San Diego International Airport with few corridors available to get high-speed infrastructure downtown.</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> </span><br />
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<b>Montreal</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Providers</u>: <span class="toctext" style="background: none rgb(249, 249, 249); color: #0b0080; line-height: 21.2800006866455px; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://www.stm.info/en/about/financial_and_corporate_information/about-stm">Société de Transport de Montréal</a> (STM), </span><a href="https://www.amt.qc.ca/home.aspx?LangType=1033">Agence Métropolitaine de Transport</a> (AMT), <a href="http://www.viarail.ca/en/explore-our-destinations/trains/ontario-and-quebec">VIA Rail Canada</a>, <a href="http://www.amtrak.com/adirondack-train">Amtrak</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Modes</u>: heavy rail metro; commuter rail, intercity rail</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Unique routes</u>: 18 (7 VIA Rail, 6 AMT Commuter Rail, 4 Montreal Metro, 1 Amtrak)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Distinctive stations</u>: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Station_(Montreal)">Gare Centrale</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucien-L%27Allier_(AMT)" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-decoration: none;" title="Lucien-L'Allier (AMT)">Lucien L'Allier</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Equipment</u>: Montreal Metro (rubber-tired); AMT diesel-hauled commuter rail; AMT <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MR-90">electric multiple units</a> (EMUs); VIA <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Via_Rail_rolling_stock">heavyweight trainsets</a>; VIA <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LRC_(train)#LRC_Carriages">LRC trainsets</a>; VIA <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renaissance_(railcar)">Renaissance trainsets</a>; Amtrak <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amfleet">Amfleet trainsets</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Just barely missing the top 10 on account of Toronto's more expansive network and the uniformity of its Metro system (although it's rubber wheels get strong quirkiness points), Montreal possesses my favorite rail line in North America: the electrified <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deux-Montagnes_line">Deux-Montagnes line</a>. Cutting through the city's namesake Mont Royal via Canada's second-longest tunnel, the route (the only electrified railroad in Canada) offers frequent, all-day service and serves a mix of suburban towns and quaint villages along the Riviere des Prairies, including the stop in charming </span><span style="color: #252525;"><span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Île-Bigras</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">. Montreal also holds a certain attachment, personally, as it was the subject of my first-ever full-length feature article for <a href="http://railmagazine.org/"><i>RAIL</i></a>. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Gare Centrale - opened in 1943 – is an impressive run-through facility with a tres Canadian mural at each corner of its main passenger hall. It serves not only AMT's Deux-Montagnes line but also the recently-opened <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mascouche_line">Mascouche Line</a> to the region's eastern suburbs and the southbound </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mont-Saint-Hilaire_line">Mont-Saint-Hilaire</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> line. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Amtrak's <i>Adirondack</i> calls daily to New York City – with Vermont currently pushing for continuation of the <a href="http://www.amtrak.com/vermonter-train"><i>Vermonter</i></a> to Montreal – while VIA Rail Canada operates routes stretch east to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocean_(train)">Halifax</a>, </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal%E2%80%93Gasp%C3%A9_train">Gaspé</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corridor_(Via_Rail)">Quebec City</a>, north to </b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal%E2%80%93Senneterre_train" style="background: none rgb(249, 249, 249); color: #0b0080; line-height: 18.4799995422363px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;" title="Montreal–Senneterre train">Senneterre</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal%E2%80%93Jonqui%C3%A8re_train" style="background: none rgb(249, 249, 249); color: #0b0080; line-height: 18.4799995422363px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;" title="Montreal–Jonquière train">Jonquière</a> and west to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corridor_(Via_Rail)">Ottawa</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corridor_(Via_Rail)">Toronto</a>, making it the second-busiest passenger rail station in Canada after Toronto's Union Station. <b style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> </b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">While lacking the historic panache of Gare Centrale, AMT's Lucien-L'Allier facility is functional for the three commuter route it serves north and west of town and, like Centrale, includes direct access to the Metro. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">AMT – the sixth-busiest in North America – finds much commonality with New Jersey Transit's commuter rail operations, as the agencies have joined on orders from Bombardier for</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> dual-powered diesel - electric </span><span style="color: #252525;"><span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ALP-45DP">ALP-45DP </a></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ALP-45DP">locomotives</a> (that can operate on both AMT's electrified and diesel-haul trackage) and an adaptation of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombardier_MultiLevel_Coach">BiLevel commuter railcars</a>.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Proposals for light-rail and streetcar routes in the region have not yet advanced beyond the planning stage (see <a href="http://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/west-island-gazette/integrated-light-rail-transit-system-would-link-west-island-downtown-and-south-shore">here</a> and <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/projet-montr%C3%A9al-says-champlain-bridge-needs-light-rail-1.2653719">here</a>) and VIA Rail continues to promote <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/via-rail-looks-to-private-investment-for-3-billion-dedicated-track-plan/article24814969/">dedicated, higher-speed infrastructure</a> between Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Seattle-Tacoma</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Providers</u>: <a href="http://www.soundtransit.org/">Sound Transit</a>; <a href="http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/transit.htm">City of Seattle</a>;<span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; line-height: 21.2800006866455px;"> Amtrak</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Modes</u>: light rail, streetcar, commuter rail, monorail, intercity rail</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Unique routes</u>: 7, 2 pending (3 Amtrak, 1 <a href="http://www.soundtransit.org/Schedules/Link-light-rail">Sound Transit Link in Seattle</a>, 1 <a href="http://www.soundtransit.org/tacomalink">Sound Transit Link in Tacoma</a>, 1 Sound Transit <a href="http://www.soundtransit.org/Schedules/Sounder-Lakewood-Seattle">Sounder commuter rail</a>, 1 City of <a href="http://www.seattlemonorail.com/">Seattle Monorail</a>, 1 City of <a href="http://www.seattlestreetcar.org/">Seattle Streetcar</a>; 1 Sound Transit Link extension pending, 1 City of Seattle Streetcar route pending)</span><br />
<u style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Distinctive stations</u><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Street_Station_(Seattle)">King Street Station</a>; <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Station_(Seattle)">Union Station</a>; <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tacoma_Dome_(Sounder_station)">Tacoma Dome Station</a>; <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westlake_(Link_station)">Westlake Hub</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Equipment</u>: Sound Transit Link <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Link#Equipment">Seattle light-rail vehicles</a>; </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Sound Transit <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tacoma_Link#Rolling_stock">Tacoma Link light-rail vehicles</a>; Sound Transit <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sounder_commuter_rail#Fleet">Sounder trainsets</a>; </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">City of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattle_Center_Monorail#Technical_details">Seattle Monorail trainsets</a>; </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">City of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Lake_Union_Streetcar#Operation">Seattle streetcars</a>; Amtrak <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amtrak_Cascades#Rolling_stock"><i>Cascades</i> trainsets</a>;</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> Amtrak</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superliner_(railcar)" style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Superliner trainsets</a>)<br />
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Sea-Tac is another region that was very close to making the Top 10 because every one of its rail lines is operationally distinct from the others, producing a range of different routes and equipment to experience. Aside from Amtrak's long-distance <i><a href="http://www.amtrak.com/coast-starlight-train">Coast Starlight</a></i> and <i><a href="http://www.amtrak.com/empire-builder-train">Empire Builder</a></i> lines as continuations of trains previously operated by private railroads until 1971, the oldest element of the region's passenger rail network is the only publicly-operated monorail service in North America: the Seattle Center Monorail. Opened in 1962 for the Seattle World's Fair, it remains in service to this day, connecting the Westlake Hub in downtown Seattle with the Seattle Center complex, which includes the iconic Space Needle, the Experience Music Project and other attractions. Beyond the monorail terminus, Westlake is noteworthy for passenger rail observers as it functions as the current northern terminus for Sound Transit's Central Link light-rail line – itself utilizing a former bus-only transit tunnel as the only shared bus-rail tunnel in the Western Hemisphere – and the southern end of the South Lake Union Streetcar.<br />
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The Central Link line will <a href="http://www.soundtransit.org/Projects-and-Plans/Find-a-Project">expand northwar</a><a href="http://www.soundtransit.org/Projects-and-Plans/Find-a-Project">d</a> from Westlake in three different segments over the coming years, while construction on the <a href="http://www.soundtransit.org/Projects-and-Plans/East-Link-Extension">East Link line</a> from Seattle to Bellevue and Redmond will begin this year with completion expected in 2023. A southerly extension will ultimately connect the Seattle and Tacoma Link sections in various stages, also starting in 2023. Sound Transit has operated its Sounder commuter rail service between the two cities in 2000, which also compliments Amtrak's <i><a href="http://www.amtrak.com/cascades-train">Cascades</a></i> route. <i>Cascades</i> trains extend beyond Tacoma to Portland and Eugene, Ore., as well as north from Seattle to Bellingham and Vancouver. Also sharing the Seattle - Bellingham route is the <i>Empire Builder</i> from Chicago while the <i>Coast Starlight</i> travels south from Seattle past Eugene to Los Angeles. All Amtrak and Sounder trains utilize the refurbished 1908 King Street Station. In Tacoma, Amtrak trains call at a 1970s-style Amshack station in the city's rail yards, while Sounder trains connect with the Tacoma Link light-rail at the more welcoming Tacoma Dome Freighthouse Square station, a former Milwaukee Road freight depot. Seattle's grand Union Station still stands adjacent to King Street Station as Sound Transit's headquarters but is no longer used for rail activity.<br />
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The <i>Cascades</i> operation is among the best in the nation – after Amtrak's Acela/<a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2010/06/curious-case-of-nec.html">Northeast Corridor</a> and Southern California's Pacific Surfliner – in terms of frequency and ridership (it grew from 94,000 in 1993 to 845,000 in 2012). The introduction of Talgo's low-slung, European-style trainsets in 1998 played no small part in the booming ridership and might be the nicest passenger rail coaches on the continent. The state of Washington is supporting a number of enhancements to the BNSF-owned corridor to increase speeds, frequency and reliability to reduce trip times, including the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amtrak_Cascades#Point_Defiance_Bypass">Port Defiance Bypass</a> line south and west of Tacoma, which has already allowed Sounder trains to extend to South Tacoma and Lakewood. High-speed rail seems like a natural for the Vancouver-Seattle-Portland-Eugene corridor, although specific plans and funding have yet to materialize.<br />
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Meanwhile, in addition to the South Lake Union Streetcar which opened in 2007, the debut of service on the <a href="http://www.seattlestreetcar.org/firsthill.htm">First Hill Streetcar</a> is imminent. Although the two lines are currently unconnected, the First Hill line will connect with the Central Link's International District and Capitol Hill stations and plans for a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattle_Streetcar_Network#Central">Central District Streetcar</a> to connect the two routes are moving forward. Additional routes are also possible.<br />
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Although the Seattle-Network is both varied and growing, it misses the Top 10 because of some general dis-connectivity between its modes. Moreover, the suspension of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterfront_Streetcar">Waterfront Streetcar</a> and its historic vehicles from Melbourne line in 2005 was a setback (the city still stores the streetcars should they the line be restored in the future) and securing funding for additional routes is always a battle. If this post was being written in 2023, the region might just crack the Top 10 as the East Link, Central Link extensions, First Hill Streetcar and Cascades improvements will all be completed.<br />
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<b>Vancouver</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Providers</u>: <a href="http://www.translink.ca/">TransLink</a>; <a href="http://www.viarail.ca/en/explore-our-destinations/trains/rockies-and-pacific">VIA Rail Canada</a>;<span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; line-height: 21.2800006866455px;"> Amtrak</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Modes</u>: heavy rail, commuter rail, intercity rail</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Unique routes</u>: 7, 1 pending (4 TransLink <a href="http://tripplanning.translink.ca/hiwire?.a=iScheduleLookupSearch&LineName=999&LineAbbr=999">SkyTrain</a>; 1 TransLink <a href="http://tripplanning.translink.ca/hiwire?.a=iScheduleLookupSearch&LineName=997&LineAbbr=997">West Coast Express commuter rail</a>; 1 VIA Rail; 1 Amtrak; 1 <a href="http://www.translink.ca/en/Plans-and-Projects/Rapid-Transit-Projects/Evergreen-Line.aspx">SkyTrain pending</a>)</span><br />
<u style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Distinctive stations</u><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterfront_Station_(Vancouver)">Waterfront Station</a>; <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Central_Station">Pacific Central Station</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Equipment</u>: SkyTrain Expo/Millennium line trainsets; SkyTrain Canada Line trainsets; West Coast Express trainsets; </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">VIA </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Via_Rail_rolling_stock" style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">heavyweight trainsets</a>; <span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Amtrak <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amtrak_Cascades#Rolling_stock"><i>Cascades</i> trainsets</a></span>)<br />
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Another tough choice to leave off the Top 10 is Vancouver. It's fully-automated <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SkyTrain_(Vancouver)">SkyTrain</a> is the most efficiently-operated and highest revenue-producing rail transit network in the Western Hemisphere. The fact that it's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expo_Line_(TransLink)">Expo</a>/<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Line">Millennium</a> and Canada segments are distinct from each other should also pique the interest of any rail fan. And the glass, wood and metal stations on the Millennium Line are both modern and welcoming. With the addition of the 11-mile <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evergreen_Line_(TransLink)">Evergreen Line</a> next year, the SkyTrain network will surpass 53 miles.<br />
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Meanwhile, the city features two well-preserved, architecturally stunning terminals: the former 1914 Canadian Pacific Waterfront Station – the terminus for all SkyTrain lines as well as West Coast Express trains – and Canadian Nation's counterpart 1919 Pacific Central Station. The latter hosts Vancouver's VIA Rail and Amtrak intercity trains and sits adjacent to SkyTrain's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Street%E2%80%93Science_World_Station">Main Street-Science World</a> station. <b style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> </b><br />
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And while the <a href="http://www.rockymountaineer.com/">Rocky Mountaineer's</a> luxury excursion train service doesn't merit inclusion in the stats above, it's the most full-fledged rail tour operation in North America and makes Vancouver it's home base.<br />
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Hampering Vancouver's bid for the Top 10 is a lack of daily, scheduled intercity rail service beyond Amtrak's <i><a href="http://www.amtrak.com/cascades-train">Cascades</a>, </i>which earns points as the only international Amtrak route with more than one daily roundtrip. VIA Rail's transcontinental <a href="http://www.viarail.ca/en/explore-our-destinations/trains/rockies-and-pacific/toronto-vancouver-canadian"><i>Canadian</i></a> to Toronto could be the finest passenger rail journey in the Americas but only operates three days per week. Meanwhile, the BC Rail ended its passenger service from North Vancouver to Prince George in 2002, which has never returned. Additionally, the former <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vancouver_Downtown_Historic_Railway">Vancouver Downtown Historic Railway</a> was shut down in 2011 following the 2010 Winter Olympics, during which modern Bombardier streetcars were borrowed from Brussels. Lastly, efforts to expand SkyTrain's Millennium line west along the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Line#Future_extensions">Broadway corridor</a> have seen plans languish. <br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Cleveland</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Providers</u>: <span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; line-height: 21.2800006866455px;"><a href="http://www.riderta.com/">Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority</a> (GCRTA), Amtrak</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Modes</u>: heavy rail metro; light rail; intercity rail</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Unique routes</u>: 5 (2 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_and_Green_Lines_(Cleveland)">GCRTA light rail</a>, 2 Amtrak, 1 GCRTA heavy rail metro) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Distinctive stations</u>: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_City%E2%80%93Public_Square_(RTA_Rapid_Transit_station)">Tower City Station</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Equipment</u>: GCRTA <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_and_Green_Lines_(Cleveland)">Breda light-rail vehicles</a>; GCRTA <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Line_(Cleveland)">Tokyu heavy rail trainsets</a>; Amtrak <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amfleet">Amfleet trainsets</a>; Amtrak <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superliner_(railcar)">Superliner trainsets</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">What's most fascinating about Cleveland's passenger rail network is its historic legacy and the interoperability of it's heavy and light-rail modes (see photo above). Check out the Wikipedia histories of the GCRTA rail transit lines linked above for full details. The Green and Blue light-rail lines were development-oriented transit in the early 1900s, long before such phrases were ever put together. Today, their exclusive rights-of-way remain as a high-quality transit operation, while the Red Line is the continent's only catenary-powered heavy-rail operation. That overhead power supply allows the two modes to share infrastructure between the Tower City and East 55th stations, something achieved nowhere else in the U.S. or Canada. The multi-level platforms at Tower City, East 34th/Campus and East 55th are among the strangest rail stops you'll find. The Red Line also bears the distinction as North America's first direct access to an airport. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Cleveland's 1930 art deco-style Tower City station is a fine piece of architecture and remains the central indoor public space downtown, thanks to the GCRTA's next of rail activity there. The reason Cleveland doesn't rank higher is because various proposals to expand the GCRTA's rail network have languished, Amtrak's embarrassing <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleveland_Lakefront_Station">Lakefront Station</a> only hosts the long-distance (and often-delayed) <i><a href="http://www.amtrak.com/capitol-limited-train">Capitol Limited</a> </i>and <a href="http://www.amtrak.com/lake-shore-limited-train"><i>Lake Shore Limited</i></a> during late-night hours and efforts to increase intercity rail service to places like Detroit, Chicago, Indianapolis, Columbus, Pittsburgh and Buffalo have wilted under political pressure. </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AMAkyrViZ5U/VbuZguTPnhI/AAAAAAAACcA/7e1s0ZnoUyQ/s1600/Pitt7021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AMAkyrViZ5U/VbuZguTPnhI/AAAAAAAACcA/7e1s0ZnoUyQ/s320/Pitt7021.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #252525;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><b>Pittsburgh</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Providers</u>: <a href="http://www.portauthority.org/">Port Authority of Allegheny County</a><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; line-height: 21.2800006866455px;">, Amtrak</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Modes</u>: light rail, inclined plane, intercity rail</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Unique routes</u>: 6 (2 Port Authority light rail, 2 Amtrak, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monongahela_Incline">1 Port Authority inclined plane</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duquesne_Incline">1 nonprofit inclined plane</a>) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Distinctive stations</u>: Penn Station, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Station_Square">Station Square</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Equipment</u>: Port Authority <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pittsburgh_Light_Rail#Fleet_and_depot">light-rail vehicles</a>, Duquesne inclined plane vehicles, Monongahela inclined plane vehicles, </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Amtrak </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amfleet" style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Amfleet trainsets</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">; Amtrak </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superliner_(railcar)" style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Superliner trainsets</a><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Pittsburgh's passenger rail network story plays out much like Cleveland's, except swap the inclines for the interlined heavy/light-rail infrastructure. Like its neighbor in Ohio, the region's remaining rail transit lines are holdovers from the streetcar era and survived on account of their dedicated rights-of-way. The system was upgraded in the early 1980s and a new subway extension opened to the North Shore in 2012. Sadly, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_Line_(Pittsburgh)">Brown Line</a> through the Allentown neighborhood was discontinued in 2011 (which would have earned it massive quirkiness points were it still in service), although its rails and power lines still remain for times when the main route through the 1904 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Washington_Transit_Tunnel">Mount Washington Transit Tunnel</a> is closed for maintenance. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">The historic inclines are well-preserved and actually host regular commuters as well as tourists and are as synonymous with the city's identity as San Francisco's cable cars. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">While the former </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pittsburgh_%26_Lake_Erie_Railroad_Station" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-decoration: none;" title="Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad Station">Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad Station</a> still exists as Station Square adjacent to the light-rail stop of the same name and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Station_(Pittsburgh)">Pennsylvania Station</a> (technically a Union Station) hosts Amtrak's <i style="color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><a href="http://www.amtrak.com/capitol-limited-train">Capitol Limited</a> </i><span style="color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">and <a href="http://www.amtrak.com/pennsylvanian-train">Pennsylvanian</a> routes, intercity service is infrequent and usually late. The Port Authority still maintains a short branch tunnel to Penn Station, but it's used only for occasional events. Neither facility could be considered a truly active passenger rail station. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">But, like Cleveland, expansion of the light-rail network has essentially stagnated beyond the North Shore Connector. The same paucity of enthusiasm exists for expanded intercity service, as well.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Minneapolis-St. Paul</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Providers</u>: Metro Transit<span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; line-height: 21.2800006866455px;">, Amtrak</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Modes</u>: light rail, commuter rail, intercity rail</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Unique routes</u>: 4 (2 Metro Transit light rail, 1 Metro Transit commuter rail, 1 Amtrak)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Distinctive stations</u>: St. Paul <a href="http://www.uniondepot.org/">Union Depot</a>, <a href="http://www.metrotransit.org/target-field-station">Target Field</a> (see photo)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Equipment</u>: Metro Transit light-rail vehicles; Metro Transit commuter rail trainsets; </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Amtrak </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superliner_(railcar)" style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Superliner trainsets</a><br />
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While the Twin Cities' transit network is not yet as substantial or historic as the other regions described above, few areas are moving faster to enhance their passenger rail networks. Metro Transit's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro_Blue_Line_(Minnesota)">Blue Line</a> (previously known as the Hiawatha Line) got the ball rolling in 2004, connecting downtown Minneapolis with Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and the Mall of America. A decade later, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro_Blue_Line_(Minnesota)">Green Line</a> linked the Twin Cities together with frequent rail transit service for the first time in more than a half-century. Together, they're attracting more than 60,000 daily riders. The two routes' share a common path through downtown Minneapolis and rush hours are a flurry of activity on the line. The Green Line's stretch through the heart of the University of Minnesota is a hive of activity when classes are in session and serves as an excellent model for future rail lines through college campuses, such as the Purple Line through the University of Maryland.<br />
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Meanwhile, the launch of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northstar_Line">Northstar Commuter Rail </a> introduced a new mode to the region in 2009. Although it's a traditional commuter rail rush hours-only pattern, it offers direct connections to the light-rail network at Target Field station in downtown Minneapolis, which just recently completed upgrades to allow for expansion of both the Blue and Green lines to the north and southwest, respectively as well as additional Northstar routes in the future along with potential intercity service to destinations such as <a href="http://www.northernlightsexpress.org/">Duluth</a> and <a href="http://www.goziprail.org/">Rochester</a>.<br />
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The crowning gem in the Twin Cities' rail renaissance has been the revitalization of St. Paul's 1923 <a href="http://www.uniondepot.org/">Union Depot</a> to its original grandeur, even <a href="http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_25230263/obama-outline-302b-transportation-plan-during-st-paul">drawing President Obama for a speech</a> in 2014. The Green Line ends its run at the station's front door and although Amtrak's <i><a href="http://www.amtrak.com/empire-builder-train">Empire Builder</a></i> only offers a single daily roundtrip, a second trip between Saint Paul and Chicago could be added in coming years, along with high-speed or new intercity rail lines.<br />
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At the same time, both <a href="http://www.minneapolismn.gov/publicworks/transplan/comp/public-works_trans-plan_streetcarstudy">Minneapolis</a> and <a href="http://www.stpaul.gov/streetcars">Saint Paul</a> are considering additional light-rail, commuter rail and streetcar lines in the decades ahead to build out one of the fastest-growing rail networks in the nation. <br />
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<b>Denver</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Providers</u>: <a href="http://www.rtd-denver.com/">Regional Transportation Distric</a>t (RTD)<span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; line-height: 21.2800006866455px;">, Amtrak</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Modes</u>: light rail, commuter rail (pending), intercity rail</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Unique routes</u>: 7 present, 4 pending (6 <a href="http://www.rtd-denver.com/lightrail.shtml">RTD light rail</a>, 4 pending <a href="http://www.rtd-denver.com/Fastracks.shtml#fastracks-map">RTD commuter rail</a>, 1 Amtrak)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Distinctive stations</u>: <a href="http://unionstationindenver.com/">Union Station</a> (see photo)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Equipment</u>: RTD light-rail vehicles; </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Amtrak </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superliner_(railcar)" style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Superliner trainsets</a><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In discussing the Twin Cities above, I said few regions are expanding their network faster than Minneapolis-Saint Paul. This is one of them. It's light-rail network is both older and more extensive than the Twin Cities, with its first line opening in 1994. And, unlike most of its light-rail peer cities, it features two routes serving downtown. But the most exciting element for rail observers is the forthcoming addition of an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FasTracks">EMU commuter rail network</a> that will resemble a modern version of Philadelphia's SEPTA Regional Rail network. It will be the only electrified railroad west of Chicago until <a href="http://www.caltrain.com/projectsplans/CaltrainModernization/Modernization/PeninsulaCorridorElectrificationProject.html">Caltrain electrifies</a> its San Francisco - San Jose line in 2020. There's just something about a sprawling EMU network that really scratches me where I itch. I'm looking forward to attending the opening of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Line_(RTD)">A Line</a> to Denver International Airport next year. Meanwhile, the completion of Union Station's restoration and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Station_(Denver,_Colorado)">rejuvenation in 2014</a> readies Denver for the EMU system's arrival with a first-rate rail nexus that's facilitating massive rail-oriented development. My main issue with Denver's passenger rail options is the lack of meaningful intercity routes beyond the <i><a href="http://www.amtrak.com/california-zephyr-train">California Zephyr</a></i> between Chicago and Emeryville, CA. Perhaps momentum established by the commuter rail network will lead to new service to Front Range destinations such as Cheyenne, Fort Collins, Colorado Springs and Pueblo, as well as longer-range places like Albuquerque, Billings and Amarillo. </span></span><br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: center;">Salt Lake City</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Providers</u>: Utah Transit Authority (UTA)<span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; line-height: 21.2800006866455px;">, Amtrak</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Modes</u>: light rail, commuter rail, streetcar, intercity rail</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Unique routes</u>: 6 (3 UTA light rail, 1 UTA commuter rail, 1 UTA streetcar, 1 Amtrak)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Distinctive stations</u>: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_Lake_City_Intermodal_Hub">Salt Lake Central</a> (see photo), <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_Lake_City_Union_Pacific_Depot">Union Pacific Depot</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Equipment</u>: UTA light-rail vehicles; UTA <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FrontRunner#Equipment">FrontRunner trainsets</a>; </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Amtrak </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superliner_(railcar)" style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Superliner trainsets</a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Perhaps Salt Lake City doesn't make my list because I haven't (yet) been able to ride of the network the UTA has steadily built-up over the past two decades. Rail system expansion has received broad public and political support in the conservative-leaning state since its original TRAX light-rail line opened in 1999 in advance of the 2012 Winter Olympics. Subsequent TRAX line have expanded the system to almost 45 miles and attracts more than 68,000 daily riders. UTA's 88-mile FrontRunner connects Utah's largest population centers (Salt Lake City, Ogden and Provo) with frequent, bi-directional service, including weekend options. And the S Line – which debuted in late 2013 – receives high quirkiness marks for its hybrid streetcar-light rail nature, although it has received criticism for low trip speeds and infrequent service leading to low ridership levels. Like Denver, its intercity options are limited to </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">the </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><a href="http://www.amtrak.com/california-zephyr-train">California Zephyr</a>, </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">although FrontRunner fills a substantial gap for trips where passenger rail is most effective. And while the intermodal Salt Lake Central facility lacks the architectural flourish of the 1908 Union Pacific Depot (which is adjacent to the TRAX Blue and Green lines, but no longer is an active passenger rail station), it's activity level seems like a fun place to observe FrontRunner, TRAX and <i>California Zephyr </i>activity.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Of course, there are others: New Orlean's fabled <a href="http://www.norta.com/Maps-Schedules/Streetcar-Schedules-Maps.aspx">streetcar network</a> is the stuff of legend (but little else besides that), <a href="http://charmeck.org/city/charlotte/cats/Pages/default.aspx">Charlotte's rail network</a> is quickly expanding, as too are those in <a href="http://www.gometrorail.org/">Houston</a> and <a href="http://routes.valleymetro.org/timetables/490/transit_route?type=1">Phoenix</a>, but offer little regional or intercity routes. Nearby Tucson has a <a href="http://www.sunlinkstreetcar.com/">neat little streetcar operation</a>, along with <a href="http://www.visitkenosha.com/attractions/top-attractions/electric-streetcar-circulator">Kenosha, Wisc</a>. St. Louis has a decent <a href="http://www.metrostlouis.org/PlanYourTrip/MapsSchedules/MetroLink.aspx">light-rail system</a>, while modern streetcar routes are popping up in <a href="http://m-1rail.com/">Detroit</a>, <a href="http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/streetcar/">Cincinnati</a> and <a href="http://www.kcstreetcar.org/">Kansas City</a>, while a trio of historic-style streetcars primarily serve tourists in <a href="http://www.tecolinestreetcar.org/">Tampa</a>, <a href="http://www.matatransit.com/services/trolleys/">Memphis</a> and <a href="http://www.cat.org/river-rail">Little Rock</a>. Both <a href="http://www.calgarytransit.com/plans-projects/lrt">Calgary</a> and <a href="http://www.edmonton.ca/transportation/ets/alerts_routes_schedules_maps/lrt-station-locations.aspx">Edmonton</a> have light-rail networks that draw tremendous ridership, but there's no way to get between the two cities by train (yet). Ontario is betting big on rail transit, with Ottawa <a href="http://www.ligneconfederationline.ca/">adding light rail</a> to compliment its <a href="http://www.octranspo1.com/routes/o-train">existing O-Train</a>, while a similar network is under construction to <a href="http://rapidtransit.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/">connect Kitchener and Waterloo</a> (you may hear more about Ontario in the Top 10). The lack of expansion of Buffalo's <a href="http://metro.nfta.com/">Metro Rail</a> is the source of unending frustration for your blogger (<a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2011/10/expanding-light-rail-in-buffalo.html">read my thoughts on that here</a>). <a href="http://www.itsmarta.com/rail-schedules-or-route.aspx">Atlanta</a> and <a href="http://www.miamidade.gov/transit/">Miami</a> have 70s-era heavy rail networks that have seen little improvement since their openings, although Atlanta recently opened its <a href="http://streetcar.atlantaga.gov/">first streetcar line</a> and is studying <a href="http://wabe.org/post/marta-commuter-rail-possible-clayton-county#.VbzJygE3b04.twitter">commuter rail service to Cobb County</a>. Miami has <a href="http://www.tri-rail.com/">Tri-Rail</a> to supplement its Metro and Metro Mover and is eagerly awaiting <a href="http://www.allaboardflorida.com/">All Aboard Florida's</a> frequent trips to Orlando (here's <a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2014/10/rail-magazine-podcast-with-all-aboard.html">my post</a> on that). </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Speaking of Orlando, it's <a href="http://sunrail.com/default.aspx">SunRail</a> regional rail is off to a promising start, while New Mexico connects <a href="http://riometro.org/">Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Belen</a> with a similar service. A <a href="http://www.musiccitystar.org/">one-off commuter rail line</a> links Nashville with its eastern suburbs. Austin operates a <a href="http://www.capmetro.org/metrorail/">limited regional rail service</a> that will increase its frequency next year, but has had little success supporting a broader network or regional service to San Antonio. California's <a href="http://www.sonomamarintrain.org/">Sonama-Marin Area Rail Transit</a> service is scheduled to launch in 2016 along a 42-mile corridor, advancing the regional rail mode utilized in Austin, <a href="http://www.njtransit.com/ti/ti_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=LightRailTicketsTo&DP=0">Camden-Trenton, N.J.</a>, <a href="https://trimet.org/wes/index.htm">Portland</a> and <a href="http://www.gonctd.com/sprinter">Oceanside-Escondido, Calif</a>. A new light-rail route between <a href="http://www.gotriangle.org/transit/transit-plan/">Durham and Chapel Hill</a>, N.C. could spur greater rail activity in North Carolina's research triangle while places like the Tampa Bay region, Columbus, Ohio, Nashville and San Antonio – to name just a few – all have population levels necessary to justify passenger rail options. </span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><br /></span>Rich Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696303164954264747noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3179440927042952465.post-6520156818770439992014-10-10T09:19:00.003-07:002014-10-10T09:21:03.830-07:00RAIL Magazine Podcast with All Aboard Florida President & COO Don Robinson<br />
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This week, your blogger spent some time chatting with <a href="http://www.allaboardflorida.com/">All Aboard Florida</a> President & Chief Operating Officer <a href="http://www.allaboardflorida.com/about/team.html">Don Robinson</a>. All Aboard Florida will connect Miami and Orlando on a three-hour trip with 16 daily roundtrips each day ("every hour, on the hour, in both directions," according to Robinson) by early 2017. The effort has the potential to be the first daily scheduled intercity passenger rail service in North America operated by a private entity in more than a half century.<br />
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During the conversation, Robinson discussed the recent announcement that Siemens USA will <a href="http://www.allaboardflorida.com/recent-news/press-announcements/all-aboard-florida-selects.html">manufacture the locomotives and railcars</a> for the service, its rail-oriented development station projects in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, ridership potential and much more.<br />
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<a href="https://soundcloud.com/dxmontagnes/discussion-with-all-aboard-florida-president-coo-don-robinson">Click here to listen</a> to the Podcast.Rich Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696303164954264747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3179440927042952465.post-46246580700374965122014-09-16T08:51:00.000-07:002014-09-16T10:44:07.966-07:00Analysis: The Passenger Rail Reform and Investment Act of 2014 <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives – led by <a href="http://shuster.house.gov/">Rep. Bill Shuster</a> (Pa.), Chair of the House <a href="http://transportation.house.gov/">Transportation & Infrastructure</a> (T&I) Committee – introduced legislation to reauthorize the nation's passenger rail legislation. The full House referred the measure – known as the <a href="http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d113:hr5449:">Passenger Rail Reform and Investment Act of 2014</a> – to the T&I Committee for markup, scheduled for tomorrow.<br />
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Although the bill outlines a four-year authorization period for investment in the operation of Amtrak's national network and capital projects for the Northeast Corridor, those annual investment levels are well below Amtrak's requested funding levels. And while a number of key elements – ranging from restoration of Amtrak service between Florida and the Gulf Coast to allowing domesticated pets onboard trains – could ultimately benefit the nation's passenger rail network, it falls short of the sort of comprehensive investment befitting a mode of travel that has carried record number of riders for 10 of the last 11 years and can shape local and regional economies like few others.<br />
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The co-sponsors of Shuster's bill are significant, given that they represent both the strongest advocates and opponents of federal passenger rail programs in the House: California <a href="http://denham.house.gov/">Rep. Jeff Denham</a> – an outspoken critic of Amtrak and the <a href="http://www.hsr.ca.gov/">California's High-Speed Rail (HSR) project</a> – joins Shuster from the Republican majority, while Shuster's Democratic counterpart – West Virginia's <a href="http://rahall.house.gov/">Rep. Nick Rahall</a> – joins frequent and vocal passenger rail proponent <a href="http://brown.house.gov/">Rep. Corrine Brown</a> of Florida. The combination of those four key representatives suggests the measure could enjoy strong bipartisan support in the House – no small achievement given the body's current gridlock and one that speaks to Shuster's perceived role as a moderate on the issue.<br />
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The most recently-passed version of the legislation – the <a href="https://www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0393">Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008</a> – expired on September 30, 2013, and is considered a reasonable and stable source of federal investment for <a href="http://www.amtrak.com/">Amtrak</a> and intercity rail across the nation. That it was approved by a Congress controlled by the Democrats at the time and signed by President George W. Bush demonstrates recent precedent for bipartisan agreement on passenger rail authorizations.<br />
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Our allies at the National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) recently released an <a href="http://www.narprail.org/releases-statements--letters/house-proposal-outlines-common-sense-reforms-avoids-funding-question">assessment of the bill here</a>.<br />
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<i>RAIL Magazine's</i> assessment of the bill's provisions are similar, although not identical.<br />
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As NARP outlines, the measure does include a number of valuable reforms to contribute to more efficient, responsive operations by Amtrak, including:<br />
<ul>
<li>A comprehensive, ongoing approach to upgrading the Northeast Corridor (NEC) – defined in the legislation as the rail line owned and operated by Amtrak between Boston, Mass., and Washington, D.C. – to the tune of a $14 billion loan to Amtrak over the bill's four-year authorization period along with a $300 million grant requiring corresponding matching investment from the states served by the NEC [for our thoughts on the NEC, <a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2010/06/curious-case-of-nec.html">see our post here</a>];</li>
<li>An effort to restore intercity rail service between Florida and New Orleans that was suspended after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, but never restored;</li>
<li>Studying and developing recommendations for rail-oriented development around Amtrak stations, as well as opportunities for Amtrak to leverages its assets by allowing private sector entities to install utility infrastructure such as power transmission, telecommunications systems and other activities, thereby generating ancillary revenue to support its operations;</li>
<li>Creating a Route Advisory Committee for state-supported routes to ensure their viability and investigate opportunities by which operators other than Amtrak may be contracted with to operate the service – a nod to efforts in Indiana and Oklahoma to explore contracts with service providers other than Amtrak. This provision includes fairly strong protections to avoid abandonment of service at all costs;</li>
<li>Allowing Amtrak passengers to travel with domesticated animals, such as cats and dogs;</li>
<li>Evaluating the railroad's boarding procedures in comparison to best practices within the rail transport industry; and</li>
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<li>Reform of Amtrak's food and beverage program. Although Amtrak's food and beverage operations are a small-minded bugaboo of Amtrak opponents in Congress, the program's continual – and significant – operating losses distract the Congress from properly investing in the railroad's capital and operating needs. By introducing some measures to direct Amtrak towards a more sustainable food and beverage operation, perhaps some hostile opposition can be reduced by political opponents the next time Amtrak requires decisions on overall operating support. While <i>RAIL Magazine</i> supports the continuation of the kind of hospitality that's unique to passenger rail passengers among other modes of travel (<a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2010/09/long-distance-dining.html">see our post here</a> on the charm of dining aboard a train), this program has become too easy a target to avoid some reform measures. </li>
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However, a number of elements in the proposed legislation are more concerning:<br />
<ul>
<li>The overall investment levels for both operation of the national route network and capital investment in the NEC top out at just under $1.5 billion in the final year of the bill, fiscal year 2018. <a href="http://www.railwayage.com/index.php/passenger/intercity/amtrak-fy-2015-budget-something-has-to-change%E2%80%9D.html">Amtrak's budget request</a> in those same categories for fiscal year 2015 is $1.62 billion. Although Amtrak's record ridership in recent years have made its operations more efficient via greater revenues, its capital needs have grown. The authorization levels proposed in PRRIA barely keep pace with inflation;</li>
<li>A total lack of capital investment beyond the NEC. While it's true that the overwhelming majority of the rail miles owned by Amtrak directly are contained within the NEC, routes across the country have benefited from capital investment supported by the current PRIIA of 2008, which established a series of capital grants across the nation. This legislation profoundly constrains Amtrak's ability to grow ridership on its state-supported corridors and long-distance routes;</li>
<li>Tightening on the screws on potential high-speed rail projects. Although some analysis of this proposed legislation argued it prohibits HSR investments outside the NEC, that's not quite the case. What the bill does do is place tighter checks and approvals required for Amtrak to either purchase new rolling stock for procurements in excess of $1 million [Sec. 24318, (f)] or to advance capital projects in excess of $1 billion [Sec. 304, Large Capital Projects]. While not referencing HSR projects directly, those would likely be only types of projects that would be subject to this heightened litmus test</li>
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Ultimately, we agree in large part with NARP that the PRRIA does not substantially improve investment levels or regulatory benefits for the long-term betterment of the nation's passenger rail network. The lack of a substantial re-imagining of federal passenger rail investment is likely driven by strong opposition to federal spending – in general, or for Amtrak and HSR, in particular – large majorities in the House of Representatives. In many cases, House members oppose any ongoing support for Amtrak, so Shuster's ability to draw co-sponsors from both sides of the aisle might be the absolute best this iteration of the Congress can achieve. As a result, the PRRIA – as underwhelming as it is – may be the most plausible mechanism for a predictable level of support for Amtrak, while advocates can hope that alternative mechanisms emerge in coming years to make a more significant investment in the nation's passenger rail network. </div>
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<br />Rich Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696303164954264747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3179440927042952465.post-73917248937677129582014-07-08T12:01:00.000-07:002014-07-08T12:01:14.644-07:00Who Has A Subway?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vcbws9FyMGk/TpiRjmKsHVI/AAAAAAAAAks/EYPsMvRKFns/s1600/162750_486938408935_701143935_5817949_4069402_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vcbws9FyMGk/TpiRjmKsHVI/AAAAAAAAAks/EYPsMvRKFns/s1600/162750_486938408935_701143935_5817949_4069402_n.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buffalo Metro Rail's University station</td></tr>
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What constitutes a subway is pretty simple: a passenger train operating below ground, in a tunnel. Sometimes, though, commentators will equate any kind of heavy rail metro – or even light rail, gasp! – to a subway network, regardless if it goes underground or not. For our purposes, we include any kind of rail subway with two or more stations – heavy rail metro, light rail, streetcar, commuter rail – as a subway. Here's a simple list of metropolitan regions that currently operate a subway network in the U.S. and Canada (info on exact subway segments of the Mexico City Metro is unavailable), followed by systems that incorporate a single subway station. By our count, there are 18 subway systems in the two nations, along with another four light-rail systems with a single subway station. That amounts to 619 total stations. They are arranged by the year their first subway station opened, from oldest to newest, with the year opened and number of unique subway stations in parenthesis (cities with multiple subway systems are noted as appropriate):<br />
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<i>Subway Networks: </i><b>Boston, Mass.</b> (1897; 28 stations [11 green] [10 red] [4 blue] [3 orange]); <b>New York, N.Y. * </b>(1904; 231 stations [30 IND 8th Ave] [12 IND Concourse] [14 IND 6th Ave] [25 IND Queens Blvd] [16 IND Fulton St] [13 IND Crosstown] [15 BMT Canarsie] [5 BMT Nassau St] [14 BMT Broadway] [31 IRT Broadway] [10 IRT Eastern Pkwy] [18 IRT Lexington Ave] [2 IRT Jerome Ave] [7 IRT Pelham] [1 IRT White Plains Rd] [3 IRT Flushing] [2 42nd St Shuttle] [4 Rockaway Park Shuttle] [1 Franklin Ave Shuttle] [6 PATH] [2 LIRR/MNRR at Grand Central Terminal, Penn Station]) <b>Philadelphia, Pa.</b> (1907; 44 stations [23 Broad St/Spur] [9 Market-Frankford] [5 PATCO] [5 Trolleys] [2 Regional Rail]); <b>San Francisco, Calif. </b>(1918; 19 stations [10 MUNI] [9 BART]); <b>Newark, N.J.</b> (1935; 6 stations [4 City Subway] [2 PATH]); <b>Chicago, Ill. </b>(1943; 18 stations [9 Red Line] [9 Blue Line]); <b>Toronto, Ont.</b> (1954; 59 stations [26 Yonge/University/Spadina] [28 Bloor Danforth] [5 Sheppard/Yonge]); <b>Cleveland, Ohio</b> (1955; 2 stations – RTA Red Line); <b>Montreal, Quebec</b> (1966; 68 Stations – Montreal Metro, all subway); <b>Washington, D.C.</b> (1976; 47 stations [16 Red Line] [17 Blue Line] [10 Green Line] [4 Orange Line]); <b>Edmonton, AB</b> (1978; 6 stations – ETS); <b>Atlanta, Ga.</b> (1979; 10 stations [6 Red/Orange Lines] [4 Blue/Green Lines]; <b>Baltimore, Md.</b> (1983; 8 stations – Baltimore Metro); <b>Buffalo, N.Y.</b> (1985; 8 stations – Metro Rail); <b>Pittsburgh, Pa. </b>(1985; 5 stations – PAT); <b>Vancouver, B.C.</b> (1985; 12 stations [4 EXPO Line] [8 Canada Line]); <b>Los Angeles, Calif. </b>(1993; 18 stations [14 Red Line] [2 Purple Line] [2 Gold Line]); <b>St. Louis, Mo.</b> (1993; 2 stations – MetroLink)l <b>Seattle, Wash.</b> (2009; 5 stations – Central Link)<br />
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<i>Single Subway Stations:</i> <b>Portland, Ore.</b> (1998 – Washington Park); <b>Dallas, Texas</b> (2000 – Cityplace/Uptown); <b>Minneapolis, Minn.</b> (2004 – Airport/Terminal 1 Lindberg); <b>San Diego, Calif. </b>(2005 – SDSU Transit Center)<br />
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<i>NOT Subway Networks:</i> Miami Metrorail (1984); San Juan Tren Urbano (2004); Honolulu HART (2017) <br />
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*The total number of unique subway stations is our estimate, but we'd be glad to clarify the number, given the complexity of the city's network.Rich Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696303164954264747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3179440927042952465.post-25176966492691128812014-03-15T07:12:00.001-07:002014-03-15T07:12:03.643-07:00State-Level Tyranny Against Transit in Indianapolis, NashvilleHigh-capacity transit projects – whether they're any mode of rail or bus – are substantial and lasting investments in public infrastructure that deserve thorough scrutiny by elected officials, technical experts and the community at-large. There needs to be an open and transparent planning process as well as an honest determination of the project's costs. And then the voters should have a chance to have their say on the matter, either by voting for referenda, ballot measures or elected officials that determine wither the project moves forward to implementation. These are all signs of responsible and effective direct or representative democracy in action.<br />
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However, a pair of recent developments in two states – Indiana and Tennessee – mark a dangerous trend in state-level usurpation of that process. In both cases, local or regional initiatives to improve transit options have been subverted by state-level legislative interference on issues that are best determined by local residents and their duly-elected office holders.<br />
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In Indianapolis, a multi-year effort – <a href="http://www.indyconnect.org/">Indy Connect</a> – is underway to improve transit service on a number of key travel corridors and has been exploring all modes to transform the region's mobility network. The plan is multi-modal, encompassing new rail and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lines, enhancements to the existing <a href="http://www.indygo.net/">IndyGo</a> bus system, new and improved bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure along with upgrades to the region's roads and bridges. The process has enjoyed strong support from area business leaders, elected officials and community groups, how have contributed their input and needs to the development of the plan.<br />
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So, what's the holdup? Well, in Indiana, the State Legislature must approve a <a href="http://www.indyconnect.org/pages/Plan-Funding/">funding source</a> that's already been developed through the process, then allow counties in the region to hold referenda to join the network. After delaying the initiative by shuffling the matter through a handful of committees over the past several years, a number of state legislators expressed concerns that the process could ultimately select light rail as the preferred mode for a given corridor. Apparently, these lawmakers are philosophically opposed to light rail, regardless of whether local voters or elected officials determine its the right choice for their community and choose how they wish to distribute local tax revenues.<br />
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The final legislation permitting the local funding source and allowing countywide referenda on the plan <a href="http://www.nuvo.net/indianapolis/lawmakers-pass-central-indiana-transit-bill/Content?oid=2785096#.UyRSilFdV7l">did ultimately pass</a> the both houses of the Legislature this week – and is expected to be signed into law by Governor Mike Pence – it included an outright ban on selecting light rail as the locally preferred alternative for any Indy Connect corridor. Whether the ban includes commuter or regional rail – an option for the proposed <a href="http://www.indyconnect.org/pages/NE-Corridor/">Green Line</a> – is yet to be determined. While the legislation is a step in the right direction, its ban on light rail represents state-level subversion of the will of local and regional citizens, as legislators elected from districts not impacted by the plan impose their beliefs on people they do not represent. Isn't there a word for that? Oh yeah, tyranny.<br />
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A similar series of events is unfolding in Tennessee. State leaders there are even less supportive of transit than their counterparts in Indiana. Again, a group of Middle Tennessee elected officials – led by Nashville <a href="http://www.nashville.gov/Mayors-Office.aspx">Mayor Karl Dean</a> – along with business leaders and community groups cultivated plans for a 7.1-mile BRT line, dubbed <i>the Amp</i>, to serve as the first route of a larger regional transit network that would compliment the existing <a href="http://www.musiccitystar.org/">Music City Star</a> commuter rail line. The project has progressed through the <a href="http://www.nashvillemta-amp.org/AMP-Current-Status-Nashville-MTA.asp">required planning process</a>, including environmental and financial impact studies and was recently <a href="http://www.nashvillemta.org/News/News687.pdf">awarded $27 million</a> in federal investment through President Obama's proposed FY 2015 budget under the Small Starts program. Seems like everything is in order to move forward, right?<br />
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Well, both houses of the Tennessee Legislature <a href="http://www.wsmv.com/story/24959959/bills-designed-to-restrict-rapid-transit-advance-in-tn-legislature">have advanced bills </a>that would impose likely fatal restrictions on the project, or reduce its effectiveness to the point where it could hardly be considered BRT. Mayors of the state's four largest cities wrote letters of opposition to the bills, while state legislators representing communities far away from Nashville imposed their leverage over the locally-developed project. Note the conflicting statements opposing legislators told WSMV TV:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"This is a good example of why government's not working. For example, on this issue, I've had no one discuss this project with me," said state Sen. Jim Tracy – who represents Shelbyville, an hour's drive south of Nashville. "This is a state highway that this project is being discussed on."</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"It looks like the legislature is meddling with Nashville," said state Sen. Thelma Harper of Nashville. "We wouldn't do the same thing with Murfreesboro. We wouldn't do it with any of the rest of them."</span></span><br />
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Tracy comes across as a whiny child complaining he doesn't have a say on a matter that doesn't impact him or his constituents, while Harper projects the concerns of residents who have the most at stake in the project.<br />
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This type of thing has happened elsewhere. In 2009, a committee of the Wisconsin State Legislature <a href="http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/news/121184349.html">eliminated the ability</a> of regions in the state to form Regional Transportation Authorities, even after several had already been created. In New Hampshire, state leaders in various offices have stymied attempts over several decades by local Nashua officials to <a href="http://www.nh.gov/dot/programs/nhrta/">extend commuter rail service</a> to Boston across the Massachusetts state line.<br />
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The examples of state-level middling in both Indiana and Tennessee are case studies in hypocrisy, as those state legislatures most likely to impose their will on local transit projects are usually those who claim to be the strongest supporters of local control of government. If they truly believe that those closest to a decision will make the best one, than put the matter to a vote by those who will pay for and use the service, either via referendum or ballot measure or the elected officials they select to represent them. At the same time, these same leaders hardly make a peep when a state department of transportation moves on a substantial highway or road project, initiatives that are hardly ever subjected to the same level of legislative maneuvering and interference.<br />
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Both Indianapolis and Nashville are taking important steps to enhance their transit networks by locally-developed and funded infrastructure projects that create jobs, fuel economic development and radically improve mobility options so local residents can get to employment, health care, retail establishments, community services and much more that achieve a high quality of life. Although both communities are primarily considering improved bus networks as the cornerstones of their plans, these developments set the state for future rail transit routes. Local citizens and their elected officials should be the ones that determine what's best for their communities, not a presumptive and dictatorial process commanded by rabidical philosophies in state capitol chambers. Rich Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696303164954264747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3179440927042952465.post-82416365665751406502014-02-27T05:38:00.000-08:002014-02-27T05:39:37.191-08:00RAIL Magazine Applauds Reauthorization Proposals from Obama, Camp<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OPDed6vukyE/Uw8-rbOHmjI/AAAAAAAABFs/NizWEDL8AgU/s1600/BhcCTsHIQAEUeei.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OPDed6vukyE/Uw8-rbOHmjI/AAAAAAAABFs/NizWEDL8AgU/s1600/BhcCTsHIQAEUeei.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">President Barack Obama inspects a new Green Line light-rail vehicle at <a href="http://www.metrotransit.org/">Metro Transit's</a> Saint Paul maintenance facility before his address at the neighboring <a href="http://www.uniondepot.org/">Saint Paul Union Depot</a>. Photo by White House Photographer <a href="https://twitter.com/petesouza">Pete Souza</a></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Yesterday, a pair of important developments took </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">place that present encouraging signs for the process of reauthorizing </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">the nation's surface transportation legislation, currently known as </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">MAP-21. In Saint Paul, Minn., President Barack Obama announced his </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Administration's FY2015 budget will include a proposal for a four-year </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">reauthorization of MAP-21, including <a href="http://m.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/02/26/fact-sheet-president-obama-lays-out-vision-21st-century-transportation-i">full details</a> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">on corresponding revenue sources to support the $302 billion </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">investment. The President identified a number of tax loopholes that </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">would be closed under his proposal as the sources of revenue to makeup </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">the pending shortfall derived from the nation's transportation trust </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">fund.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Meanwhile, Rep. Dave Camp (Mich.) - Chair of the House of </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Representatives's Ways and Means Committee - also <a href="http://waysandmeans.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=370987">announced a proposal</a> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">that would deliver $126.5 billion over the next eight years to the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">trust fund, resolving the fund's forthcoming insolvency. Camp's </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">proposal would target overseas bank accounts that are currently havens </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">for tax-free stockpiling of capital. Among others, Rep. Bill Shuster </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">(Pa.) - Chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">- signaled his initial support for Camp's proposal.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The twin proposals address the fundamental challenge of the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">reauthorization process: identifying new revenue to support levels of </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">investment necessary to maintain and expand the nation's surface </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">transportation network. During the legislative process in 2012 that </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">ultimately produced MAP-21, revenue sources were not revealed to the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">public until passage of the legislation was imminent, and those </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">sources were only stop-gap measures, hence MAP-21 was a two-year bill. Along with the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">more than 4,000 members of the Community Transportation </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Association of America (CTAA) – which publishes RAIL Magazine – we are encouraged by these developments from </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">leaders in both parties at the federal level.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"The Community Transportation Association and its members embrace </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">yesterday's proposals by the President and Chairman Camp as very </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">positive indicators that reauthorization of our nation's surface </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">transportation legislation is closer now than before," said CTAA </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Executive Director and RAIL Magazine Publisher Dale J. Marsico, CCTM. "The revenue sources </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">identified by both leaders suggest robust support for investing in our </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">nation's transportation network and are a recognition of the vital </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">role that network plays in connecting Americans with the jobs, heath </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">care, social services and all the other elements of strong communities </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">necessary for a good quality of life. Our nation's community and </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">public transportation network is a vital part of overall </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">transportation infrastructure."</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">For the most in-depth coverage of the impact of MAP-21 reauthorization </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">on the nation's community and public transportation providers, visit </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">CTAA's <a href="http://web1.ctaa.org/webmodules/webarticles/anmviewer.asp?a=2923&z=37">MAP-21 Central</a>. </span>Rich Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696303164954264747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3179440927042952465.post-36204414111225729082014-02-20T07:48:00.002-08:002014-02-20T07:54:19.911-08:00Why Rail Supporters Must Push for Investment in Bus Transit Capital<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yg8OFAPs2Pc/S9LvWsgj-MI/AAAAAAAAASs/QFTSGUS1QNQ/s1600/DSCN0954.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yg8OFAPs2Pc/S9LvWsgj-MI/AAAAAAAAASs/QFTSGUS1QNQ/s1600/DSCN0954.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sacramento Regional Transit's light-rail and bus networks share <br />
cross-platform connections at the city's Sacramento Valley rail station.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Judging by the title of this post, you may surprised by its inclusion on a blog primarily focused on passenger rail topics. And, indeed, we don't spend much time on bus issues here, and occasionally get into discussions of the relative utility of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) versus light-rail and streetcar projects. But all that is nuance compared to the reality of the current state of federal investment for the capital needs of the nation's bus transit operators.<br />
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The simple truth is effective passenger rail systems cannot realize their full potential without strong, complimentary networks of bus transit routes. There is not a single rail transit operation (heavy rail metro/subway, light rail, commuter rail, streetcar) that doesn't offer convenient connections to local bus routes. I know the importance of this first-hand as a daily rider of both bus and rail here in the Washington, D.C., region. Bus routes help satisfy many of the first mile / last mile needs of passengers and are crucial mainline transit carriers on corridors without quite enough density to support rail transit. The majority of transit trips – each day, each month, each year – happen on a bus.<br />
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And yet, despite the fundamental role buses play in our nation's transportation network, investment for bus capital needs – namely to buy new buses and construct new garages and maintenance facilities – actually decreased during the most recent version of the nation's surface transportation legislation, known as <a href="http://www.fta.dot.gov/map21/">MAP-21</a> this time around. Although the two-year bill boosted levels of investment in formularized programs for both bus and rail transit, it completely eliminated the dedicated source of funding for new buses and bus facilities. Rail transit operations found their investment streams held steady for both maintaining aging infrastructure and launching new projects.<br />
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Not only was this outcome profoundly unfair to the nation's bus systems and the millions of people who use them, but it undercuts the ability of passenger rail systems to best serve their passengers. Without new buses to replace well-traveled vehicles and new or upgraded facilities to keep them maintained, the reliability of connecting bus routes decreases, ultimately impacting rail ridership. Moreover, rail advocates find a more receptive audience for additional transit projects of any kind when elected officials and community leaders recognize the value of all transit options, including effective bus service in smaller urban and rural communities. Do not underestimate the importance of this perception when legislation to fund high-speed, intercity and local rail projects comes before Congress or state legislatures.<br />
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What can be done to resolve this disparity? In short, simply restore the bus capital program in whatever legislation ultimately succeeds MAP-21. The process of hearings and constituent input for its reauthorization is already underway on Capitol Hill.<br />
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The <a href="http://web1.ctaa.org/webmodules/webarticles/anmviewer.asp?a=3595&z=5">Small Urban Network</a> of the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA) – the organization which publishes <i>RAIL Magazine</i> – has identified <a href="http://web1.ctaa.org/webmodules/webarticles/articlefiles/SUN_Reauthoirzation_1Pager.pdf">four key priorities</a> to help meet bus transit needs around the nation, most importantly the restoration of $890 million for bus capital needs that was the standard level of investment in the legislation that preceded MAP-21.<br />
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The trouble, though, is that most observers expect that Congress will not increase investment levels in the reauthorization process, given that the transportation trust fund that delivers investment for surface transportation programs is now bringing in lower levels of revenue than needed to support those programs. Efforts to raise new revue – such as increasing the federal gas tax or instituting new revenue methods, such as Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) – have no legitimate support by leaders in either party at the national level. Congress will have to scramble to move funds around just to keep investment at its current level.<br />
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As a result, cuts were necessary. In MAP-21, those cuts were borne, in large part, by the elimination of the bus capital program while the rail capital programs remained whole. The impact of that decision has been that many transit systems are running buses well past their recommended retirement age and construction of new bus facilities has ground to a halt.<br />
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Some public transportation advocates believe somehow more revenue will appear during the reauthorization process and the bus capital program will be restored without impacting current levels of investment, including rail programs. There is absolute consensus that such an outcome would be desirable for the entire industry. All advocates should make this case loudly and repeatedly.<br />
<br />
However, the likelihood of new revenue materializing is minuscule in the current political environment. In such a world, many rail advocates seem like they would be okay with maintaining MAP-21's imbalance of investment between the bus and rail programs. Those same advocates also claim that changing that balance would amount to a <i>modal fight </i>and disrupt the chances of reauthorization legislation succeeding in Congress, essentially arguing that bus advocates should take what they're given and go home with their tail between their legs.<br />
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Bus advocates at this stage have nothing to lose by arguing against this imbalance, as their investment levels in MAP-21 were already decimated. It is highly unlikely that Congress would not simply extend the current structure of the legislation if a new agreement was not reached before MAP-21's October 1 expiration date. Were that the case, bus advocates would do no worse than they're already doing by receiving <i>nothing</i>. Rail wouldn't do any worse, either.<br />
<br />
Accordingly, its in the interest of all sides to take measures to restore the bus capital program in whatever surface transportation legislation comes next. No one benefits when bus programs are pitted against rail operations, which MAP-21 succeeded in doing. The outcome is less effective transit networks for all passengers, whether they take bus or rail. Rich Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696303164954264747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3179440927042952465.post-126272169372117162014-02-10T05:31:00.000-08:002014-02-10T05:31:06.127-08:00RAIL Magazine's Exclusive Interview with Amtrak President & CEO Joseph Boardman<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jMh9vwrhmyQ/UvjLcC4-TWI/AAAAAAAABEk/54XNmzfMQTE/s1600/3137.1391795802.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jMh9vwrhmyQ/UvjLcC4-TWI/AAAAAAAABEk/54XNmzfMQTE/s1600/3137.1391795802.jpg" height="272" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by<a href="http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=469126&nseq=45"> Adam Sullivan</a>, railpictures.net</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Last week, <a href="http://www.amtrak.com/">Amtrak</a> unveiled the first of its Cities Sprinter (ACS-64) electric locomotive fleet for use on the <a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2010/06/curious-case-of-nec.html">Northeast Corridor</a> (NEC). On Thursday, February 6th, Vice President Joe Biden joined federal, state, local and Amtrak officials in welcoming ACS-64 #600 in Philadelphia. The following day, #600 hauled its first revenue trip on the NEC from Boston to Washington (see video below).<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/1vbNN4nGLdU" width="560"></iframe>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VIhueVSuFX8/UvjMIZQEfcI/AAAAAAAABEs/G5WLP0rj_6U/s1600/Boardman2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VIhueVSuFX8/UvjMIZQEfcI/AAAAAAAABEs/G5WLP0rj_6U/s1600/Boardman2.jpg" height="123" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of <a href="http://blog.amtrak.com/2013/03/meet-our-blog/boardman2/">Amtrak</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As part of the debut run, <i>RAIL Magazine</i> Editor Rich Sampson interviewed Amtrak President & CEO Joseph Boardman onboard the train (<i>Northeast Regional</i> #171) between the Baltimore Penn Station and BWI Airport stations. They discussed not only the arrival of the ACS-64 fleet, but also forthcoming equipment orders, how the railroad has attracted record ridership while reducing operating costs and the railroad's future in moving Americans from coast-to-coast. While discussing Amtrak's relatively steady position in comparison to discouraging news recently out of Canada of pending service cuts, Boardman explained that "you can't cut your way to prosperity." We couldn't agree more.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://soundcloud.com/dxmontagnes/discussion-with-amtrak">Click here to listen to the full discussion</a>.Rich Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696303164954264747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3179440927042952465.post-13976020121810228542014-02-06T05:09:00.002-08:002014-02-06T05:29:11.043-08:00An Economic Fallacy: Long-Distance Trains Are Less Subsidized Than The NEC<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ev6o1AGnLYA/UvOIAzaUmbI/AAAAAAAABEA/1QQlpDvX6Es/s1600/215046_1852424842768_1605183695_31548279_6812723_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ev6o1AGnLYA/UvOIAzaUmbI/AAAAAAAABEA/1QQlpDvX6Es/s1600/215046_1852424842768_1605183695_31548279_6812723_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
On February 4, 2014, the <a href="http://www.unitedrail.org/">United Rail Passenger Alliance</a> (URPA) – a North American intercity rail advocacy group – <a href="http://www.unitedrail.org/2014/02/04/amtrak2013results/">released a report</a> assessing Amtrak's FY 2013 metrics and concluding that unlike common perceptions, long-distance trains are more effective and less subsidized than Amtrak's Northeast Corridor (NEC) operations. (Take a look at Amtrak's numbers <a href="http://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/730/658/FY13-Record-Ridership-ATK-13-122.pdf">here,</a> and our in-depth backgrounder on the NEC <a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2010/06/curious-case-of-nec.html">here</a>). <br />
<br />
First, we should be clear that <i>RAIL Magazine</i> is a strong proponent of all Amtrak services: NEC, corridor and long-distance. Your blogger has ridden several long-distance
trains (<i>Crescent</i>, <i>Lake Shore Limited</i>, <i>Vermonter</i>, <i>Capitol Limited</i>,
<i>California Zephyr</i>) and appreciates their value that's misunderstood by
many: collections of smaller corridors that do very well despite limited
resources.<br />
<br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420248:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420248:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420248:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0.0"><span data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420248:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0.0.$end:0:$0:0">Unfortunately, the central premise URPA's assessment is statistically misleading: the report argues that the
distance one passenger travels is more important than the price one
passenger pays. Essentially, it claims that if one passenger travels 1,000 miles
and another travels 50, the 1,000 mile tr</span></span><span data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420248:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0.3"><span data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420248:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0.3.0"><span data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420248:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$0:0">aveler
means more. The reason why Amtrak doesn't base their operating budget on this is
because the person who travels 50 on the NEC pays far more than the the
person traveling 1,000 on a long-distance train.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420248:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420248:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420248:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0.3"><span data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420248:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0.3.0"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420248:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420248:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420248:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0.3"><span data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420248:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0.3.0">Here's URPA's claim verbatim from the report: <i>"</i></span></span></span></span><i><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">the critical factor is that any passenger carrier, including Amtrak, exists to move people over </span><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">distance. The best single measure of </span><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">performance in this activity is "revenue passenger miles" </span><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">(RPMs), not the simple number of sales transactions (ridership)." </span></i><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420248:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420248:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420248:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0.3"><span data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420248:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0.3.0"><br data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420248:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$3:0" /><span data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420248:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$4:0">They
base everything - everything! - on passenger miles traveled, not
ridership. Yes, long-distance trains are less subsidized per passenger
mile traveled. Quite the opposite is true per passenger carried.</span><br data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420248:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$5:0" /><br data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420248:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$7:0" /><span data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420248:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$8:0">A good analogy would be a passenger on an airline flight who claims that since a first class seat
is empty after takeoff, they should just get to sit in it at coach fare.
They don't understand the inherent economics of value pricing.</span><br data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420248:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$9:0" /><br data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420248:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$11:0" /><span data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420248:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$12:0">Just
because there's empty seats on an NEC train doesn't mean that the train
is losing money. Capacity does not automatically mean efficiency. URPA basically argues that since Amtrak's long-distance trains operate at or near capacity – which no one argues – that it inherently means that if there were more capacity, it would be met at a similar level. The report doesn't ask the question whether long-distance trains are meeting demand with the ideal amount of capacity. </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420248:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420248:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420248:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0.3"><span data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420248:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0.3.0"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420248:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420248:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420248:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0.3"><span data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420248:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0.3.0">On page 6 of the report, URPA presents a apples-to-nothing comparison in regards to Amtrak's travel share on the NEC. While it claims that Amtrak only serves 2 percent of travel in the NEC (which they choose to define as all vehicle trips, including private automobiles), they never provide a similar percentage of traffic for intercity trains versus nationwide travel data. I haven't looked at the data, but I'd guess Amtrak's long-distance share of nationwide travel is infinitesimal. This is not even an apples-to-oranges comparison, but an apples-to-nothing measure. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420248:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420248:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420248:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0.3"><span data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420248:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0.3.0"><br /></span></span></span></span>
If
Amtrak ran its books the way URPA thinks they should, there would be no
more Amtrak, no more long-distance trains. The economic goal of
transportation isn't to move one person the greatest distance. The
economic goal is, in fact, to move one person the shortest distance for the
greatest revenue.<br />
<br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420223:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body"></span>
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420223:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body">
The bulk of the report is a hack job on Amtrak and the NEC, hoping to raise suspicions by claiming Amtrak's data is unaudited. They scold Amtrak for making capital upgrades to the NEC while also not recognizing those capacity upgrades not only support the railroad's own NEC operations, but the vitality of the numerous commuter rail systems that utilize segments of the route. </span><br />
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<br />
<div>
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420223:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body">It's a real shame a group that claims itself to be advocates for intercity passenger rail spends the majority of its time attacking the nation's only intercity passenger rail provider. </span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420223:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body"><span data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420223:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$4:0">URPA seems to operate in a fantasy world where Amtrak has unlimited fiat over the freight railroads.
We all know they don't. So, they're very limited in what they can do to
make improvement to long-distance trains. The current struggles with
both the <i>Empire Builder</i> (<a href="http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/freight-trains-may-be-causing-huge-delays-for-amtraks-empire-builder-b99194672z1-242632231.html">freight delays)</a> and <i>Southwest Chief</i>
(<a href="http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/legislature/southwest-chief-proposal-clears-first-hurdle-but-lawmakers-wary/article_073ee415-a890-584e-9149-610e3ae9a0b2.html">BNSF's planned decommissioning of the Raton Pass line</a>) illustrate Amtrak's limited
ability to make improvements on infrastructure it does not own.</span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420223:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body"><span data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420223:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$4:0"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div>
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420223:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body">UPRA often chooses to direct its fire at Amtrak rather than the real
culprits: governments at all levels who refuse to make legislative and
regulatory changes in favor of long-distance trains. </span></div>
<div>
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420223:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".2h.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420223:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".33.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420223:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".33.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420223:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".33.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420223:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0.3"><span data-reactid=".33.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420223:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0.3.0"><span data-reactid=".33.1:3:1:$comment622441691143563_5420223:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$16:0">In
the meantime, how about celebrating that Amtrak - unlike VIA Rail and the Canadian federal government, which have been slashing intercity passenger rail across Canada - is not only maintaining and expanding its network, but also carrying more riders on all
phases (NEC, corridor and long-distance) while reducing operating
subsidies? To find that kind of productive advocacy, you may want to direct your attention to the <a href="http://www.narprail.org/">National Association of Railroad Passengers</a>. </span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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Rich Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696303164954264747noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3179440927042952465.post-64860995081004152942013-12-07T10:02:00.004-08:002013-12-07T10:02:54.209-08:00The Debut of Maryland's Weekend MARC Commuter Rail Service <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/uz20Xn1qJUs" width="560"></iframe><br />
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In this video, <i>RAIL Magazine</i> Editor Rich Sampson reports on the debut of Maryland's <a href="http://mta.maryland.gov/news/marc-weekend-service-starts-december-7-2013">weekend MARC commuter rail service</a> from New Carrollton, Md. Rich was on site as the first southbound MARC train from Baltimore – train #675 – arrived in New Carrollton on its journey to Washington's Union Station.<br />
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Maryland is supporting the new weekend trips on the Penn Line – 9 trains on Saturdays and 6 on Sundays, with a handful of those continuing past Baltimore to Martin Airport – through <a href="http://www.mdot.maryland.gov/News/Releases/2013March29_HB1515_Passes_Senate.html">investment approved</a> by the Maryland Legislature earlier this year and signed into law by Governor Martin O'Malley. The same investment stream will also ultimately support two new light-rail systems in Maryland: the <a href="http://www.baltimoreredline.com/">Red Line</a> in the Baltimore region and the <a href="http://www.purplelinemd.com/">Purple Line</a> in the suburban Washington region, which will also serve New Carrollton as its eastern terminus.<br />
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Maryland residents had been clamoring for weekend MARC service for years. Although <a href="http://www.amtrak.com/northeast-regional-train">Amtrak</a> offers relatively frequent service on the route as part of its <a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2010/06/curious-case-of-nec.html">Northeast Corridor operations</a>, ticket prices can be expensive for a local commute, one that only serves two stations between Baltimore and Washington (BWI Rail Station and New Carrollton) compared to the nine stops served by the Penn Line.<br />
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Additional weekend service on MARC's larger network – the Brunswick and Camden lines – is unlikely given that those routes are owned by <a href="http://www.csx.com/">CSX Transportation</a> and host plenty of freight traffic on weekend days. The same is true for the <a href="http://www.vre.org/">Virginia Railway Express</a>' (VRE) Fredericksburg and Manassas lines in neighboring Virginia, although the later of those is instead owned by <a href="http://www.nscorp.com/">Norfolk Southern</a>. Other visions of <a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/15728/through-running-isnt-so-easy-for-marc-and-vre-part-1/">more closely linking</a> the Washington region's two commuter rail networks remain conceptual, at best.<br />
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In early 2014, two new additional passenger rail operations are set to make their debuts as well: the first <a href="http://www.dcstreetcar.com/">DC Streetcar on H Street</a> in the District of Columbia and the <a href="http://www.dullesmetro.com/">Silver Line Metrorail</a> corridor in Fairfax County, Va. Stay tuned to RAIL Magazine (<a href="http://railmagazine.org/">web</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/RAILMag">Twitter</a>) for reports on these exciting new options in the new year!Rich Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696303164954264747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3179440927042952465.post-47328662972933239332013-09-11T05:23:00.002-07:002013-09-11T05:23:41.520-07:00From The Field: Videos from Rail Sites Across the Country<br />
This post marks the addition of a new element to this space: inclusion of video segments taken by RAIL Magazine staff during trips across the nation, and beyond. This summer, I was particularly busy visiting a slew of places around the nation. During most of these trips, I was able to shoot a quick video, sharing the scene in images with some basic narration. We hope you enjoy these quick looks at rail stations, facilities and services in communities of all kinds, and stay tuned for more...<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3BBcTqr6ri0/UjBdNjTyYeI/AAAAAAAAA7c/fowa1CfzaUI/s1600/IMG_0457.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3BBcTqr6ri0/UjBdNjTyYeI/AAAAAAAAA7c/fowa1CfzaUI/s200/IMG_0457.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFlgMCUgWLY">Atmore, Ala.</a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_N8aljZzohM/UjBdoVOWX2I/AAAAAAAAA7k/PdbTqmbIluA/s1600/IMG_0574.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_N8aljZzohM/UjBdoVOWX2I/AAAAAAAAA7k/PdbTqmbIluA/s200/IMG_0574.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-FUhyEctX8">Bemidji, Minn. Union Station</a> </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WbGytVsMB6o/UjBd9P7vOcI/AAAAAAAAA7s/JSfgi8BZub8/s1600/IMG_0624.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WbGytVsMB6o/UjBd9P7vOcI/AAAAAAAAA7s/JSfgi8BZub8/s200/IMG_0624.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ot_zG4bEURA">International Falls, Minn.</a> </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qituyYDAI_U/UjBeS4qppwI/AAAAAAAAA70/0gqrDozuXjU/s1600/IMG_0668.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qituyYDAI_U/UjBeS4qppwI/AAAAAAAAA70/0gqrDozuXjU/s200/IMG_0668.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wPhPR9Zuhg">Duluth, Minn. Union Depot </a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wh1OKl5xlxA/UjBe9oKyi6I/AAAAAAAAA8A/qsVrRvvyqWE/s1600/IMG_0729.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wh1OKl5xlxA/UjBe9oKyi6I/AAAAAAAAA8A/qsVrRvvyqWE/s200/IMG_0729.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBDBKRpVd8A">DC Streetcar Testing & Commissioning Facility Open House</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMe_P4SUWxE">DC Streetcar Interior</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkG2tHqy-2g">DC Streetcar In Motion</a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-01ZDenAnenI/UjBf5TGYGMI/AAAAAAAAA8M/b-UGokppvOw/s1600/IMG_0747.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-01ZDenAnenI/UjBf5TGYGMI/AAAAAAAAA8M/b-UGokppvOw/s200/IMG_0747.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DgWlaw0-uc">Winchester, Va.'s 1893 B&O Depot</a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gb0Sy64GBm0/UjBgF-iwcJI/AAAAAAAAA8U/RAAx0hr8ES0/s1600/IMG_0741.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gb0Sy64GBm0/UjBgF-iwcJI/AAAAAAAAA8U/RAAx0hr8ES0/s200/IMG_0741.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJwfwR4xHOQ">Winchester & Western Railroad, Gore, Va. </a></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlCTkhvay8M">MARC Brunswick Line Departing Rockville, Md. </a></div>
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<br />Rich Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696303164954264747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3179440927042952465.post-48002770856830354992013-09-10T11:50:00.005-07:002013-09-10T11:50:59.981-07:00RAIL Podcast: Napa Valley Wine Train's Anthony Giaccio<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jv7EyLqMDvU/Ui9pGo8y7RI/AAAAAAAAA7M/oDncJG8_v9Q/s1600/8508_10151469075698671_856008711_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jv7EyLqMDvU/Ui9pGo8y7RI/AAAAAAAAA7M/oDncJG8_v9Q/s320/8508_10151469075698671_856008711_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Last month, I spoke with Anthony Giacco, CEO & CFO of the <a href="http://winetrain.com/">Napa Valley Wine Train</a>, which operates high-quality dinner train trips through the heart of California's most prestigious wine-producing region. The Wine Train recently debuted its Grappa Power Car, which provides head-end power to trains to maintain electric power as diesel locomotives are changed from one end of the train to the other – essential to a service where continuous power can make a difference in the quality of food and wine. <a href="http://winetrain.com/ontrack/how-we-made-grappa">Click here</a> to see the full process of creating the Grappa Power car.<br />
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<a href="https://soundcloud.com/dxmontagnes/napa-valley-wine-train">Click here</a> to listen to the full podcast with Mr. Giacco.<br />
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Rich Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696303164954264747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3179440927042952465.post-24757377344714543632013-08-14T12:07:00.001-07:002013-08-14T12:07:09.023-07:00Named Trains: #18 – Alouette <div style="text-align: center;">
<b>#18</b> – <i>Alouette</i></div>
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<b>Railroad(s): </b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_and_Maine_Corporation">Boston & Maine </a></div>
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<b>Operated:</b> ? – 1965</div>
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<b>Route(s): </b>Montreal – Boston</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--5tGUH3H5zY/UgvU7VpJ6RI/AAAAAAAAA6E/czvMOjtWBq0/s1600/TOM-143_Thumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="126" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--5tGUH3H5zY/UgvU7VpJ6RI/AAAAAAAAA6E/czvMOjtWBq0/s200/TOM-143_Thumb.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Surprisingly, we're nearly halfway through our list and have only had one train named after an animal (the <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-26-little-bear.html">Little Bear</a></i>) and none named after a bird, in particular. Considering than animals of all kinds – but especially birds (<i>Falcons, Eagles, Cardinals, Larks</i> of various kinds) – were exceedingly common in train names throughout history, this had to change. Well, technically, the Alouette is a lark in french, which serves as nice background for a train serving Montreal since the French folk song of the same name carries special significance in Quebec. The city's Canadian Football League team is even known as the <a href="http://en.montrealalouettes.com/">Alouettes</a>. The Boston & Maine aptly captured the cultural relevance of the region while also signifying the graceful nature of the train itself.<br />
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<i>NOTE: the Boston & Maine is also the first railroad to appear twice on this list besides Amtrak.</i><br />
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<i>#19 – </i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-19-coast-starlight.html">Coast Starlight</a><br />
<i>#20 – <a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-19-coast-starlight.html">Broadway Limited</a></i><br />
#21 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-21-scout.html">Scout</a></i><br />
#22 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-22-gulf-coast-rebel.html">Gulf Coast Rebel</a></i><br />
#23 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/23-acadian.html">Acadian</a></i><br />
#24 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-24-azalean.html">Azalean</a></i><br />
#25 – <a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-25-mark-twain-zephyr.html"><i>Mark Twain Zephyr</i></a><br />
#26 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-26-little-bear.html">Little Bear</a></i><br />
#27 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-27land-ocorn.html">Land O'Corn</a></i><br />
#28 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/28-minute-man.html">Minute Man</a></i><br />
#29 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-29-fast-mail.html">Fast Mail</a></i><br />
#30 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-30-lake-shore-limited.html">Lake Shore Limited</a></i><br />
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#31 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-31-comet.html">Comet</a></i></div>
Rich Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696303164954264747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3179440927042952465.post-10497675070164281242013-08-13T09:11:00.000-07:002013-08-14T09:12:01.440-07:00Named Trains: #19 – Coast Starlight<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>#19</b> – <i>Coast Starlight</i></div>
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<b>Railroad(s):</b> <a href="http://www.amtrak.com/">Amtrak</a></div>
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<b>Operated:</b> 1971 – present</div>
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<b>Route(s): </b>Seattle – Los Angeles</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-27DSlTlPSOo/Ugur8uiXIwI/AAAAAAAAA50/iwmW_F5bZ6I/s1600/new+CS+logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-27DSlTlPSOo/Ugur8uiXIwI/AAAAAAAAA50/iwmW_F5bZ6I/s400/new+CS+logo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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While previous train titles included on this list have reinforced concepts such as speed, grandeur and history, the first named train on this list germane to Amtrak highlights a different notion: spectral wonder. Of course, it's not quite accurate to credit Amtrak solely with the <i><a href="http://www.amtrak.com/coast-starlight-train">Coast Starlight</a></i> moniker, as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Pacific_Transportation_Company">Southern Pacific</a> operated its own <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coast_Daylight_(SP)">Coast Daylight</a></i> as well as separate <i>Starlight </i>trips – with its iconic red, orange and black color scheme – on most of the same route plied by Amtrak's version from 1937 until the formation of Amtrak in 1971. Regardless of who gets ultimate credit or which temporal period is more distinctive, the name calls to mind the remarkable vistas illuminated either by daylight or twilight along the Pacific shores. Amtrak's 1,300-plus mile trip may not exactly be speedy, but its routinely noted as possessing among the best customer service and scenery in the entire national network. For those reasons, the delightfully-named <i>Coast Starlight</i> seems poised to deliver the same coastal views to travelers between the West Coast's largest metropolitan regions as other similarly-titled trains have done for three quarters of a century.<br />
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#20 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-20broadway-limited.html">Broadway Limited</a></i><br />
#21 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-21-scout.html">Scout</a></i><br />
#22 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-22-gulf-coast-rebel.html">Gulf Coast Rebel</a></i><br />
#23 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/23-acadian.html">Acadian</a></i><br />
#24 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-24-azalean.html">Azalean</a></i><br />
#25 – <a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-25-mark-twain-zephyr.html"><i>Mark Twain Zephyr</i></a><br />
#26 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-26-little-bear.html">Little Bear</a></i><br />
#27 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-27land-ocorn.html">Land O'Corn</a></i><br />
#28 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/28-minute-man.html">Minute Man</a></i><br />
#29 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-29-fast-mail.html">Fast Mail</a></i><br />
#30 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-30-lake-shore-limited.html">Lake Shore Limited</a></i><br />
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#31 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-31-comet.html">Comet</a></i></div>
Rich Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696303164954264747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3179440927042952465.post-22404140405396423452013-08-12T08:37:00.000-07:002013-08-14T09:11:00.752-07:00Named Trains: #20 – Broadway Limited<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>#20</b> – <i>Broadway Limited</i></div>
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<b>Railroad(s):</b> Pennsylvania, Amtrak </div>
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<b>Operated: </b>1912 - 1971; 1971 - 1995</div>
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<b>Route(s):</b> New York – Chicago</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gp6n2ptlnmM/UgujQcgUqMI/AAAAAAAAA5k/jVrMoh3OCYg/s1600/pennsylvania_railroad_broadway_limited_streamliner_poster-r90eb49f6034a435e9cb07d03b76953ca_77vs_8byvr_512.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gp6n2ptlnmM/UgujQcgUqMI/AAAAAAAAA5k/jVrMoh3OCYg/s400/pennsylvania_railroad_broadway_limited_streamliner_poster-r90eb49f6034a435e9cb07d03b76953ca_77vs_8byvr_512.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
In the <a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-21-scout.html">last post</a>, we discussed the lack of true transcontinental routes, and that trains from Chicago to the West Coast were often branded as "transcontinentals" although they never came close to the East Coast. The counterparts of these trains were those traveling from the Eastern Seaboard to Chicago, which fed passengers in both directions to the western "transcontinentals." One of the most notable of these East Coast-to-Chicago runs was the signature train of the Pennsylvania Railroad, <i>The Broadway Limited.</i> As a direct competitor to one of the most famous named trains of all time – the New York Central's <i>20th Century Limited</i> – the <i>Broadway Limited</i> utilized the Pennsylvania's mainline route through its namesake state's mountains and river valleys, but was not an express trip like the 20th Century, despite their shared Limited titles. This was rather odd since that although the <i>Broadway Limited</i> made a handful of stops, the only non-terminal major cities served at a downtown station were Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, bypassing nearby Cleveland, Columbus and Indianapolis in favor of places like Crestline, Lima and Ft. Wayne. Although the train did pass through the Philadelphia region, it stopped at North Philadelphia rather than the city's iconic 30th Street Station to reduce travel time. Also of note: while the train's name might seem to be an obvious reference to Manhattan's famous entertainment thoroughfare, the railroad actually intended it as a implicit nod to its own "broad way," the four-track mainline through most of Pennsylvania – infrastructure it believed to be superior to the Central's Water Level Route through upstate New York (see #30 on this list, the <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-30-lake-shore-limited.html">Lake Shore Limited </a></i>for more on the Water Level Route). However, the <i>Broadway Limited</i> never beat the <i>20th Century's</i> top 20-hour trip time, but did match it with the introduction of streamliner equipment in 1938.<br />
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After Amtrak assumed operation's of the nation's intercity passenger rail network in 1971, the system continued uninterupted service of the <i>Broadway Limited</i> on the same route until 1990, when Norfolk Southern – which had acquired much of the Pennsylvania's network from Conrail – abandoned portions of the route west of Pittsburg. Amtrak then shifted the train to the former Baltimore & Ohio route between Pittsburg and Chicago, but cut back the line to Pittsburgh in 1995 due to redundancy with the <i>Capitol Limited</i> and <i>Lake Shore Limited</i> routes – an ultimate insult to the <i>Broadway Limited's</i> legacy as a competitor to both trains. Although Amtrak briefly restored Chicago – Pittsburgh service with the <i>Three Rivers</i> until 2005, when the portion west of Pittsburg was cancelled and Pittsburg – New York trains replaced with the <i>Pennsylvanian</i>, which still connects with the Capitol Limited in Pittsburg today.<br />
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#21 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-21-scout.html">Scout</a></i><br />
#22 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-22-gulf-coast-rebel.html">Gulf Coast Rebel</a></i><br />
#23 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/23-acadian.html">Acadian</a></i><br />
#24 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-24-azalean.html">Azalean</a></i><br />
#25 – <a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-25-mark-twain-zephyr.html"><i>Mark Twain Zephyr</i></a><br />
#26 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-26-little-bear.html">Little Bear</a></i><br />
#27 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-27land-ocorn.html">Land O'Corn</a></i><br />
#28 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/28-minute-man.html">Minute Man</a></i><br />
#29 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-29-fast-mail.html">Fast Mail</a></i><br />
#30 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-30-lake-shore-limited.html">Lake Shore Limited</a></i><br />
#31 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-31-comet.html">Comet</a></i><br />
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Rich Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696303164954264747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3179440927042952465.post-52737520274810052992013-08-11T08:01:00.000-07:002013-08-14T08:02:56.769-07:00Named Trains: #21 – Scout<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>#21</b> – <i>Scout</i></div>
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<b>Railroad(s): </b>Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe </div>
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<b>Operated:</b> 1916 – 1948</div>
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<b>Route(s): </b>Chicago – Los Angeles</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D0YIwtHJYfA/UgubkRQLGMI/AAAAAAAAA5U/lqb8GpDNcOY/s1600/Scout+1941+Front+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D0YIwtHJYfA/UgubkRQLGMI/AAAAAAAAA5U/lqb8GpDNcOY/s400/Scout+1941+Front+Cover.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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As the first quasi-transcontinental route on our list (in actuality, true transcontinental passenger rail trips ever ran from the Atlantic to the Pacific, most only spanning from Chicago to the West Coast), the <i>Scout</i> is also the first in the AT&SF's (more commonly known as the Santa Fe) exceptional legacy in naming their passenger trains. Bearing the designators of trains #1 and #10 in the Santa Fe until the streamliner era, it could be argued the Scout was the railroad's flagship train for the bulk of the first half of the 20th Century. It made the roughly 2200-mile trip in 58 hours, 35 minutes heading eastbound, although Amtrak's <i>Southwest Chief</i> is scheduled to complete the journey on a similar (but not identical route) in under 48 hours when it's on time – a rare instance of a contemporary intercity train besting its historical counterpart on schedule. Nonetheless, the <i>Scout </i>brand is noteworthy – evoking a Southwestern explorer identity (see beautiful artwork above) that was less effacing to Native American peoples through the Southwest, a problem the railroad created with some of its other named trains.<br />
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#22 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-22-gulf-coast-rebel.html">Gulf Coast Rebel</a></i><br />
#23 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/23-acadian.html">Acadian</a></i><br />
#24 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-24-azalean.html">Azalean</a></i><br />
#25 – <a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-25-mark-twain-zephyr.html"><i>Mark Twain Zephyr</i></a><br />
#26 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-26-little-bear.html">Little Bear</a></i><br />
#27 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-27land-ocorn.html">Land O'Corn</a></i><br />
#28 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/28-minute-man.html">Minute Man</a></i><br />
#29 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-29-fast-mail.html">Fast Mail</a></i><br />
#30 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-30-lake-shore-limited.html">Lake Shore Limited</a></i><br />
#31 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-31-comet.html">Comet</a></i><br />
<br />Rich Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696303164954264747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3179440927042952465.post-82231821339190319742013-08-10T07:41:00.000-07:002013-08-14T07:42:08.150-07:00Named Trains: #22 – Gulf Coast Rebel<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>#22 </b>– <i>Gulf Coast Rebel</i></div>
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<b>Railroad(s):</b> Gulf, Mobile & Ohio</div>
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<b>Operated: </b>1940 – 1958</div>
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<b>Route(s): </b>St. Louis – Mobile</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qlZgdLdwxZc/UguXH9U1gqI/AAAAAAAAA48/eFrHUqJXGd0/s1600/thumb_2004_RebelTrainSignS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="334" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qlZgdLdwxZc/UguXH9U1gqI/AAAAAAAAA48/eFrHUqJXGd0/s400/thumb_2004_RebelTrainSignS.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Continuing our track of named trains through the South, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf,_Mobile_%26_Ohio">Gulf, Mobile & Ohio's</a> signature streamliner evokes the history of the region without becoming overtly antagonistic to Civil War-era contraversies. Although the railroad operated other routes branded with the <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebel_(train)">Rebel</a></i> marker, the Gulf Coast version traveled its main route through nearly the railroad's entire territory. Although the train didn't survive the end of the streamliner era, the <i>Gulf Coast Rebel</i> nonetheless deserves a spot on this list for its strong regional identity and flagship status on the GM&O.<br />
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#23 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/23-acadian.html">Acadian</a></i><br />
#24 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-24-azalean.html">Azalean</a></i><br />
#25 – <a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-25-mark-twain-zephyr.html"><i>Mark Twain Zephyr</i></a><br />
#26 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-26-little-bear.html">Little Bear</a></i><br />
#27 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-27land-ocorn.html">Land O'Corn</a></i><br />
#28 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/28-minute-man.html">Minute Man</a></i><br />
#29 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-29-fast-mail.html">Fast Mail</a></i><br />
#30 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-30-lake-shore-limited.html">Lake Shore Limited</a></i><br />
#31 – <i><a href="http://potomacexpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/named-trains-31-comet.html">Comet</a></i>Rich Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696303164954264747noreply@blogger.com0