Empire Corridor Track Work

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warrenwarner

Train Attendant
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Feb 6, 2016
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Philadelphia
I am wondering what this "extensive track work" being done by CSX on the Empire Corridor is. Will it improve service for passenger rail? Are they going to put down double track?


Empire Service and Maple Leaf Temporary Schedule Change Effective April 24 - July 13, 2016From April 24 through July 13, CSX Transportation will perform extensive track work between Albany-Rensselaer and Niagara Falls, NY. To accommodate this work, Empire Service and Maple Leaf schedules will be adjusted.

  • Trip times between Albany-Rensselaer and Niagara Falls will increase by up to 25 minutes.
  • On Sunday through Wednesday, Trains 284 and 281 will not run.
  • Some train numbers will change, however, frequencies between Albany-Rensselaer and New York will not be affected.
  • Some trains will depart earlier. To avoid missing your train, check Amtrak.com, our free mobile apps or speak with Amtrak personnel for the most up-to-date schedules.
We appreciate your patronage and apologize for any inconvenience. Thank you for traveling with Amtrak.
 
the_traveler said:
One improvement I believe will be to double track between ALB and SDY.
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IIRC, as late as 1967, this section was at least double-tracked, and may have been four-tracked. Sadly, those who created Penn-Central, then CONRAIL were so short-sighted that they had no vision, and ripped up trackage down to the bare minimum. Now due to increased traffic and changed transportation values, bare minimum lines are being expanded throughout the Country at much greater expense than was realized by scrapping the rails 40 years ago.

Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart. :blush:
 
It may be that the removal of tracks earlier does not affect the costs of double tracking. Both ALB and the NH corridor is having much subgrade work and replacement bridges installed. Rebuilding the subgrade will have long term benefits such as ballast deck bridges, more stable tracks. less often track maintenance, etc. Some of the present tracks are also having this work done.
 
Freight traffic is pretty heavy at times on that stretch, heavy maintenance as described above would need to be scheduled for the warmer months, it can be miserable up there in the winter.
 
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As a point of clarification, the work is entirely the purview of CSX. Neither New York State or Amtrak has any money involved, so I doubt anyone is going to be forthcoming about what exactly is happening.
 
Albany Hill was four-tracked from Albany Union Station all the way to Schenectady until after the PC merger in 1968. I'd be curious to know the condition of the roadbed where CSX is adding the second track after nearly 50 years of no traffic, or even track for than matter, assuming PC or CONRAIL didn't sell off the margins.
 
CSXT is doing standard track work. Yes there is a upgrade in signal system in progress. However the Frieght railroads are now force Amtak to adjust to their work zones. No longer working around Amtrak trains times.

Standard tie and in some location rail replacement. Ever spring and fall.
 
Just-Thinking-51 said:
CSXT is doing standard track work. Yes there is a upgrade in signal system in progress. However the Frieght railroads are now force Amtak to adjust to their work zones. No longer working around Amtrak trains times.

Standard tie and in some location rail replacement. Ever spring and fall.
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There is (or was) a $18.5 million HSIPR funded project for crossovers and signal upgrades at Syracuse that is supposed to improve the traffic flow for the passenger trains at the station. Have not read anything about that project in some time, not sure about the status. Has that project been completed or is it part of the track work blitz underway on the western Empire corridor? Or has it been dropped? Anyone know?
 
The project is listed on the NYS DOT website, both on the list of projects and on the map, but it doesn't really have any status information. At least they have pictures of the work on SDY-ALB. I may be doing a rail trip to that area in a few weeks, if I do I'll try and update.
 
CSX does major track work on the corridor every spring. Spring / summer is the construction season in NY, just like on the highways.

In regards to PC/ Conrail ripping out the third and fourth tracks on the old NYC main line. That process began in the late 1950's / 1960's. With the introduction of CTC and other signaling technology plus a dramatic decrease in both passenger and freight traffic it was a prudent decisions. Railroads are in a business to move freight and in turn make a profit. They are in the business to maintain redundant track for the common good.

This cycle of capacity reduction is happening again. We see it on the CSX where entire divisions are moth balled and with experiments of running super long trains in the effort to increase return on investment and reduce operating cost.

If the the trend continues in the reduction of coal traffic, the same things that occurred in the fifties will start again with line reductions.
 
Yeah, we're seeing incompetence at work again.

There's smart downsizing and then there's stupid downsizing. Smart downsizing involves keeping your signal masts outside the trackway for the *temporarily*-removed track. Smart downsizing involves keeping the most valuable and direct rights-of-way while selling off yard properties. Smart downsizing involves mothballing through routes which have good bones and might have a future, while eradicating branch lines which are entirely dependent on a single commodity.

Guess which sort of downsizing CSX will do. Hint: their management has been idiots for decades, starting before 1999 when they sold off SeaLand.
 
I think there should be two tracks from Schenectady to Niagara Falls. They just built a new station in Niagara Falls.

It doesn't matter whether the freight companies or Amtrak does the work. Maybe they could split the cost.

It would make travel easier and faster for people.
 
warrenwarner said:
I think there should be two tracks from Schenectady to Niagara Falls. They just built a new station in Niagara Falls.

It doesn't matter whether the freight companies or Amtrak does the work. Maybe they could split the cost.

It would make travel easier and faster for people.
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Isn't it already at least mostly double track?
 
The trackage is entirely double tracked, and it also has some long sidings to either get slower trains out of the way of faster ones, or to park them off the main line.
 
Google satellite view suggests that it is not two tracks between Buffalo and Niagara Falls (at least not for the entire distance) but that it once was (bridges and overpasses appear to have a second unused/formerly used trackbed.
 
The track work being done by CSX from ALB to NF - we came to the conclusion its routine maintainence - what type of machines are they using??
 
BTW, according to posts at railroad.net, a Track Laying Machine is going to start putting down the second track between ALB and SDY this week. Will be at it for the next 8 weeks.
 
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