It is going to allow for an increase of frequency, as well as improve OTP for the corridor. it is bypassing a busy single track bottleneck with a passenger train only route.Thanks for your reply, too bad , this is not an improvement
Looking at google maps aerial view (showing construction underway) It looks like single track. It also looks like right of way and track location is being done to facilitate double track in the future.The Lakewood Subdivision, which the new service will use, is mostly single track. Anyone know if they are planning to make it double? Charlie's link gives no details about that.
Not sure.it would appear that the spacing of 2 MT is a defining point. If spacing is 10 miles then a late train could be further delayed up to 10 minutes. If spacing is variable then ? ? ? Does any one know the various single track segments distances of the by pass ?
Each double track section distance is also a factor to prevent slowing of at least one train of a meet.
I went SEA-Vancouver BC, and it hugs the coast pretty much all the way from SEA to half an hour away from VAC, although it crosses a cool old bridge in VACWhile I think overall the extra frequency and better reliability is a good trade-off, I'm bummed about losing the scenic section between Olympia and Tacoma. Truly one of the factors in choosing to take the train between Portland and Seattle.
That said, there's still a lot of water-hugging trackage along the Cascades route on the section north of Seattle. But that features much less service and isn't scheduled for any additional frequencies in the foreseeable future.
Can't speak to the wheelchair issue, but the baggage situation is easily handled by temporary suspending checked baggage service to Tacoma. There is precedence for doing this at other stations on both corridors and LD routes. Amtrak would simply issue a Service Alert telling people who want to check their bags that they can schlep them up to SEA if they need that service.Amtrak stops in Tacoma on a different line right now.
Sounder stops at Tacoma Dome, but (a) the trains are *shorter*; Amtrak needs a longer platform for the Coast Starlight, and (b) there are no facilities for Amtrak yet. The bypass can't be used until Amtrak has ticketing and baggage handling (Tacoma is a checked baggage stop!) and whatever's needed for wheelchair access on Superliners and so on. Amtrak is certainly not going to staff two stations at once, so...
Enter your email address to join: