Okay, so we all have a route or two that we want Amtrak to bring back, whether it be the Desert Wind or the old 20th Century Limited. But the reality is that with our nation’s railroads operating as private entities, Amtrak’s ability to expand current services, let alone start new ones, is incredibly limited and subject to many hoops.
The goal is this thread is to provide a place to compile the various ideas for infrastructure improvements across the Amtrak network, including stations, MoW, etc. I’ll stay in my Midwest stomping grounds to start:
The section of the NS Chicago Line between Porter and Chicago is one of the biggest causes of delays for Amtrak Michigan Service trains traveling to and from Chicago. More often than not, trains are halted by a lift bridge in northwest Indiana for boat traffic. Project #1 would be to rebuild that portion of the line in a manner where it would be possible to run trains without the interference from barges. It would likely require a grade, but it would certainly be more efficient for both NS and Amtrak. Project #2 would be to allow Amtrak to rebuild the two main lines between NW Indiana and Chicago that would be exclusively used for passenger service. This would help to eliminate NS-caused delays on one of the most congested sections of track in the Midwest.
Post yours below!
The goal is this thread is to provide a place to compile the various ideas for infrastructure improvements across the Amtrak network, including stations, MoW, etc. I’ll stay in my Midwest stomping grounds to start:
The section of the NS Chicago Line between Porter and Chicago is one of the biggest causes of delays for Amtrak Michigan Service trains traveling to and from Chicago. More often than not, trains are halted by a lift bridge in northwest Indiana for boat traffic. Project #1 would be to rebuild that portion of the line in a manner where it would be possible to run trains without the interference from barges. It would likely require a grade, but it would certainly be more efficient for both NS and Amtrak. Project #2 would be to allow Amtrak to rebuild the two main lines between NW Indiana and Chicago that would be exclusively used for passenger service. This would help to eliminate NS-caused delays on one of the most congested sections of track in the Midwest.
Post yours below!