Federal Railroad Administration Just Announced $16.4 Billion for Northeast Corridor Projects (Philadelphia: crime, live)

[NSHL10]

But do you guys really want to bring a railroad from NYC to Poconos? I live on LI and think if this happens, LI and NYC will further empty out into the Poconos. Do you guys really want to be suburban instead of rural?

[fisheye]

Originally Posted by NSHL10

But do you guys really want to bring a railroad from NYC to Poconos? I live on LI and think if this happens, LI and NYC will further empty out into the Poconos. Do you guys really want to be suburban instead of rural?

I don't think you have anything to worry about other than another politician wasting more our our money in an election year.

[BPP1999]

Originally Posted by skeddy

how many Americans have any reason to go to Scranton Pa?.

What a waste of money

About as many people as want to go to Fitchburg, MA. The idea is not to take people to Scranton; the idea is to make it possible for people in NE PA and NW NJ to commute to NYC.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by NSHL10

But do you guys really want to bring a railroad from NYC to Poconos? I live on LI and think if this happens, LI and NYC will further empty out into the Poconos. Do you guys really want to be suburban instead of rural?

It will take forever to get from Scranton or even Monroe County, PA (let's say even East Stroudsburg, near the NJ border) to get into major employment centers in Northern NJ, let alone NYC proper, on Amtrak. This isn't going to be a high-speed rail line. If this was going to be like the Brightline in Florida? Yes, then you might see Scranton explode as people fed up with the cost-of-living in NYC/Northern NJ jumped over the Delaware River and up into Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties for cheaper housing while still having urban amenities.

[jtab4994]

Originally Posted by Wells5

Unfortunately nothing is allocated for the proposed rehabilitation of the route from NYC to Scranton. Those who thought that Biden would prioritize this project since he is a Scranton native were wrong.

Jut FYI peeps, the OP points out that $0.00 has been allocated for the Scranton choo-choo line. Whether that's "unfortunate" is a matter of opinion.

[Wells5]

A new high speed line from Scranton to Stroudsburg or from Pittsburgh to Harrisburg would require building long tunnels which exit onto high viaducts. This straightens the route and reduces time. The new Tel Aviv to Jerusalem high speed railroad which climbs about 2500 feet is a good example. Also, high speed electrified rail beds can sustain a 4% grade whereas a 4% grade on a freight railroad would result in wheel slippage due to poor adhesion. Grades on freight railroads are 1% or less.




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xaov6c79ZM

[charmed hour]

Originally Posted by BPP1999

About as many people as want to go to Fitchburg, MA. The idea is not to take people to Scranton; the idea is to make it possible for people in NE PA and NW NJ to commute to NYC.

Speaking as a Poconos resident who drives into the Bronx for work, this project (if it ever comes to fruition) is not a viable option for consistent commuting into the city for some, particularly for me.

1- Amtrak is pretty expensive, even with commuter package rates, for rush hour commute times. Using Philly to NYC as the barometer- commuter packages are available with restrictions on lines/times. They do not offer packages at all for the Acela. A monthly pass presently costs $1083 ($53 per round trip at 20 trips), next package deal is a 10-trip package for use over 45 days is $483.

2- not being a true high-speed rail, the projected average trip time out of Scranton to NYC is over 3 hours, with multiple route stops. Using Philly as an example again, the Acela to NYC is about an hour and 15 minutes. It makes fewer stops, so the question is if they do decide to utilize Acela trains with this project, what stops are eliminated to ensure faster times? I think it would be similar to utilizing Martz buses for many commuters- drive a fair distance to their park and ride to even get to the bus.

3- depending on exactly where you work in the city, you are most likely going to need to transfer to another mode of transportation to get there. Being in the Bronx, I have to get to an MTA train, bus, or express bus. From the train, I then need an MTA bus to arrive at work. From an MTA bus, I need to make a transfer to another bus or walk about a mile. The express is great, leaves me across the street but also adds more money to the commute costs.

Any of the above adds over 1.5 hours to my travel time (when I've utilized Martz to get in). No thanks, I'll just sit in my car in traffic for nearly the same commute time and what looks to be cheaper cost.

[pman]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

Naw. I live in Pittsburgh. I love Pittsburgh. It's an underrated city with a rapidly diversifying economy.

With that being said it would be extremely cost-prohibitive to get Brightline-like speeds on the stretch of rail between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg due to the intense terrain crossing the Allegheny Mountains in the Johnstown and Altoona areas. While I would love to be able to board a train in Pittsburgh and get to another major city in competitive timing vs. driving I would rather our nation's scarce funds be spent elsewhere. I DO see a benefit in a new line from Pittsburgh to Chicago via Columbus and Indianapolis. Columbus especially is rapidly growing (almost 1,000,000 people in the city proper alone now) and, if I'm not mistaken, just landed a major Intel plant, which will create more spin-off businesses/industries there, too. Columbus has ZERO Amtrak right now, so it makes sense to connect Columbus with Pittsburgh and Chicago (and Indy, since it's on the way anyways) with a basic Amtrak line before spending billions on making the ride faster between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg or spending billions linking the 11 people who will ride Amtrak daily between Scranton and NYC.

you wouldn't cross the same way, more than likely you'd follow the turnpike. the turnpike is 40 miles shorter and itself follows a never completed railroad alignment from the 19th century. I'm not saying the stat WILL build it just that if there's any line it makes sense for the state to advocate for it will be Philly pittsburgh (which would then continue on to columbus). columbus is a growing market but the big numbers are the NEC and chicago.

as much as everyone says brightline, there is already a line in PA that is as fast as brightline, it's the Philly to Harrisburg line. it could make sense to extend that further west or north to williamsport. unlikely on all counts a new high speed line will be built to scranton before other places.

[pman]

Originally Posted by BPP1999

About as many people as want to go to Fitchburg, MA. The idea is not to take people to Scranton; the idea is to make it possible for people in NE PA and NW NJ to commute to NYC.

at the slower speeds the target market will be leisure and people whose work takes them there occasionally not commuters...although with remote work these types of people are more common than they used to be.

[RetireinPA]

Originally Posted by Wells5;66262108.

Grades on freight railroads are 1% or less.

except in the mountains.


Pertinent examples where most of the traffic runs: (mains, not branches)



Tehachapi to name one is 2.2% and generally has distrusted power on both ends and the middle and the solution is so unique that a medium sized train or larger, actually loops itself.


The most famous grade out of altoona by gallitzen is 1.95% (everyone knows the curve, even people who have never been there)



Raton pass in NM is 3.3%



sandpatch is 2%, go look up what the big N&W Y6's used to chuff up on the tidwater run, and for fun, look at much of the KCS line from chicago to mexico...


If they spend this money on what will ultimately be less than 100 passengers per day, then we are losers.