frequentflyer
Conductor
- Joined
- Jun 10, 2008
- Messages
- 1,206
My wife is on the Eagle that arrived into FTW 15 minutes, two hours later, still waiting to cross Tower 55, they need to fix that junction and fix it quick.
I agree! I'm in Temple waiting on #21 and Julie is telling me that it is running 2 Hours Late, left FTW @ 4:04PM!My wife is on the Eagle that arrived into FTW 15 minutes, two hours later, still waiting to cross Tower 55, they need to fix that junction and fix it quick.
I think I saw you in Temple, we're you inside the guy inside the station?I agree! I'm in Temple waiting on #21 and Julie is telling me that it is running 2 Hours Late, left FTW @ 4:04PM!My wife is on the Eagle that arrived into FTW 15 minutes, two hours later, still waiting to cross Tower 55, they need to fix that junction and fix it quick.
This track work is scheduled to continue for 3 months and will result in Re-Routes and Bustitutions for the Eagles starting Mon 4/28 on certain days! Its much needed as is the Re-Route of the Eagles on the TRE Route between FTW and DAL!!!
Yeah, I was the guy that looked like Brad Pitt! LOL We were 2 1/2 Hours Down into Austin due to UP Freight Traffic around Taylor!I think I saw you in Temple, we're you inside the guy inside the station?I agree! I'm in Temple waiting on #21 and Julie is telling me that it is running 2 Hours Late, left FTW @ 4:04PM!My wife is on the Eagle that arrived into FTW 15 minutes, two hours later, still waiting to cross Tower 55, they need to fix that junction and fix it quick.
This track work is scheduled to continue for 3 months and will result in Re-Routes and Bustitutions for the Eagles starting Mon 4/28 on certain days! Its much needed as is the Re-Route of the Eagles on the TRE Route between FTW and DAL!!!
The stated estimated completion date for the Tower 55 project is September, 2014. Which is only 5 months away.Yeah I remember you I was the Black guy sitting by the wall for a little bit.
Looks like that same consist is 4 hours down at FTW as train 22. They reallllly need to fix Tower 55 junction .
If the TE switches to the TRE tracks between FTW and DAL (as have been proposed) instead of using the UP tracks (as they do now), they only have to cross once.Unfortunately the changes currently being made to Tower 55 will not actually eliminate most of the conflict movements -- it'll still be an at-grade diamond, and Amtrak will still have to cross it three times on every Texas Eagle visit to Ft. Worth.
Have there been any reports or reliable sources on the status of the discussions/negotiations to move the TE to the TRE tracks? Is it still be discussed or worked on? Or it is a plan that is effectively dead in the water?Not to mention if they switch over to the TRE routing they can avoid having to make the backup move every trip. It'd be nice if they can work out the liability issues and make the change, maybe even add a stop at Centreport/DFW Airport...
I haven't heard a damn thing on this project in 2 years.If the TE switches to the TRE tracks between FTW and DAL (as have been proposed) instead of using the UP tracks (as they do now), they only have to cross once.
The project that is tied to allowing Amtrak to use the TRE tracks is the Valley View Double Track project, correct? The $7.4 million grant is listed as a FY2009 project, so it does not have the deadline that the ARRA funds do. A search turned up a January 2013 TXDOT status sheet on the TRE project with a projected May 2014 completion date. Unless a contract was awarded and construction work started last year, presumably that schedule has slipped.I haven't heard a damn thing on this project in 2 years.
It was stalled in arguments over insurance. TxDOT managed to wangle something where USDOT committed the money to TxDOT in advance of TRE and Amtrak settling their differences, but apparently the money is just sitting at TxDOT and TRE and Amtrak have not settled their differences. If it isn't spent by 2017 the ARRA money for this project goes away. USDOT probably should not have agreed to TxDOT's proposal to sit on the money.
Sounds right though I don't remember.The project that is tied to allowing Amtrak to use the TRE tracks is the Valley View Double Track project, correct?
I'm pretty sure that's actually a change. There were a number of other delayed projects which were originally ARRA-funded which had their funds "swapped" with FY2009 funding for projects which were running on time (money is fungible). One of those was the Iowa City train service; I think those funds are still in limbo, but maybe they've been reallocated by now.The $7.4 million grant is listed as a FY2009 project, so it does not have the deadline that the ARRA funds do.
By a lot.A search turned up a January 2013 TXDOT status sheet on the TRE project with a projected May 2014 completion date. Unless a contract was awarded and construction work started last year, presumably that schedule has slipped.
The TX Valley View Double Track project was listed as a FY2009 project in a 2011 HSIPR project list document I have a copy of. It is a relatively small project with the state providing 1:1 matching funds, so I expect it was a FY2009 grant from the start. The Chicago to Iowa City grant was a FY2010 award, it was not "swapped" from the ARRA funding pot. AFAIK, the portion of the grant that was set aside for Iowa, after IL had their part obligated, is still in limbo.I'm pretty sure that's actually a change. There were a number of other delayed projects which were originally ARRA-funded which had their funds "swapped" with FY2009 funding for projects which were running on time (money is fungible). One of those was the Iowa City train service; I think those funds are still in limbo, but maybe they've been reallocated by now.The $7.4 million grant is listed as a FY2009 project, so it does not have the deadline that the ARRA funds do.
This is getting off-topic and is really a minor point, but the Chicago to Iowa City corridor service award was a FY2010 grant from the (then) $2.4 billion that was allocated in the FY2010 budget. There was NO swapping with the ARRA grants. Here is the FRA press release from October 28, 2010 announcing the FY2010 selections. Which you will note includes the Chicago to Iowa City project. Really not that difficult to look these things up.The Iowa City grant was definitely swapped. It was originally announced as an ARRA award for the whole Chicago - Iowa City route (insufficient to complete the route), followed by a FY2010 award for the whole route; after trouble in the Iowa legislature, this was redefined as an ARRA award (perhaps plus an FY2010 award) for Chicago to Moline, and an FY2010 award from Moline to Iowa City.
"Swapping" happened after the announcement and prior to the official paperwork.
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