Keystone Corridor discussion

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It’s March 19. Check it out. It makes no sense to me. train 665. It says 100 percent for the whole leg. But 10 percent or less to Phila. same train. I don’t get it.
 
Wilbur1010 said:
Thank you! I just thought maybe they would always go from the same track. Is the new station in NYC as crazy as Penn Station? I just recall it was always a mad rush. Is this more organized? We will be there probably an hour before our departure. So, I need to just relax. LOL
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New passenger facilities, same old tracks, running at near-maximum capacity.
Dispatchers constantly juggling trains and tracks to get them in and out.
 
Wilbur1010 said:
It’s March 19. Check it out. It makes no sense to me. train 665. It says 100 percent for the whole leg. But 10 percent or less to Phila. same train. I don’t get it.
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Because they swarm on at NYP, take every seat, and really do get off in Philadelphia—I don’t know why unless it’s for a Phillies-Mets game, which of course isn’t happening on March 19. Maybe some of them coming home from a St. Patrick’s Day weekend? Sundays are particularly bad. I live in southern New Jersey, and I’ve stopped traveling by train on Sundays.

Not sure what direction you’re starting from, but could you start from a different station and take the regional? (Like New Haven if you’re coming from the north, for example.) So you can avoid New York with redcaps who sometimes don’t bother to show up, plus people rushing around and knocking you over as you try to find the right platform.

The Keystone between Philly and Harrisburg is a lovely and relaxing experience, with the beautiful farm country—I would save the Keystone for that.

I have spent 50 years finding ways to avoid NYC—not easy, but it is sometimes possible.
 
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I got a serious problem with the Amtrak station in Ardmore, no security, hardly any rails or fences, not even a building. What's stop some poor fool from getting runover by a train approaching or leaving the platform

jis said:
110mph on the Keystone Corridor, 125mph on the Northeast Corridor

Depending on the speed they are traveling, with emergency brakes on, a mile or more.

No.
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If they were going slower like when they're approaching a platform could they stop abruptly then?
 
Ardmore is pretty typical. Most small-midsize stations are just a platform and maybe a small office. That’s just the custom in this part of the world. That’s kind of just the way it is. I will note the station is under construction, which makes things a little tighter than usual and an office, primarily for SEPTA, is being built. The new platform will have a yellow tactile no-go area to help people with disabilities be safe around the tracks. Public safety is the responsibility of local police, who, given the safety of the borough, see no need to be a regular presence.
 
Septa9739 said:
Ardmore is pretty typical. Most small-midsize stations are just a platform and maybe a small office. That’s just the custom in this part of the world. That’s kind of just the way it is. I will note the station is under construction, which makes things a little tighter than usual and an office, primarily for SEPTA, is being built. The new platform will have a yellow tactile no-go area to help people with disabilities be safe around the tracks. Public safety is the responsibility of local police, who, given the safety of the borough, see no need to be a regular presence.
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So that's what the construction I've been seeing is
 
Ask21771 said:
I got a serious problem with the Amtrak station in Ardmore, no security, hardly any rails or fences, not even a building. What's stop some poor fool from getting runover by a train approaching or leaving the platform
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They are rebuilding Ardmore station with high level platforms and a footbridge which will make it much less likely that people will wander onto the tracks
 
Ask21771 said:
But if someone stepped on the tracks as the train was approaching the platform would the train be able to stop in time?
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How would someone step on the track from a high level platform, unless they fall off it? But whether a train will be able to stop or not depends on how fast it was going when the Engineer notices the person on the track. In most cases it is unlikely that it would be able to stop. That is why the considered recommendation is to stay away from active tracks.
 
jis said:
How would someone step on the track from a high level platform, unless they fall off it? But whether a train will be able to stop or not depends on how fast it was going when the Engineer notices the person on the track. In most cases it is unlikely that it would be able to stop. That is why the considered recommendation is to stay away from active tracks.
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Ardmore's platform is barely higher than the track
 
Ask21771 said:
Ardmore's platform is barely higher than the track
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Ardmore is in the process of getting a high level platform.

In any case it is idiotic for anyone to step on the track whether it is by stepping off any platform or otherwise, when a train is approaching. They should not do it, and if something bad happens it is mostly their fault.
 
Ask21771 said:
But if someone stepped on the tracks as the train was approaching the platform would the train be able to stop in time?
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Wouldn't that be the case at (approximately) every train station? Step or fall on the tracks as a train approaches and there would be problems, at Ardmore PA and Ardmore OK and anywhere else, right?
 
Ask21771 said:
I got a serious problem with the Amtrak station in Ardmore, no security, hardly any rails or fences, not even a building. What's stop some poor fool from getting runover by a train approaching or leaving the platform
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"What's stop some poor fool from getting runover by a train " - Being smart enough to remember "See Tracks, Think Trains" and stays off the tracks.
 
AmtrakMaineiac said:
They are rebuilding Ardmore station with high level platforms and a footbridge which will make it much less likely that people will wander onto the tracks
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I’m thrilled they are doing this. I went through Ardmore on the Keystone many years ago and remember thinking it looked nice and I would love to do a day trip there out of Philly. But (at least from the train window) it did look like there might be a steep hill to get down there.

Ask21771 said:
I got a serious problem with the Amtrak station in Ardmore, no security, hardly any rails or fences, not even a building. What's stop some poor fool from getting runover by a train approaching or leaving the platform


If they were going slower like when they're approaching a platform could they stop abruptly then?
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Ardmore calls itself the “Main Street of the Main Line.” My impression (and someone please correct me if I’m wrong) is that it considers itself a town with some historic buildings and trendy shops and restaurants. I assume most people going there for the shops and restaurants are driving and not walking anywhere near the tracks. Any Ardmore SEPTA commuters will be well aware of keeping a safe distance from the tracks.

I think the danger of someone stepping/falling on the tracks is greater at the population extremes — a crowded city platform or someone wandering onto the tracks in a sparsely populated area not realizing there are still trains using those tracks.
 
Thought about high level platforms. All high level platforms should be constructed so that there is a space under the platform that some one who is on the track can get out of the way of an oncoming train. That is especially important on subway train systems.

More expensive? Yes!
 
west point said:
Thought about high level platforms. All high level platforms should be constructed so that there is a space under the platform that some one who is on the track can get out of the way of an oncoming train.
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This is actually common on new SEPTA RRD stations. The platform comes in “hollow” prefabricated sections. I think it is also cheaper.
PaTrainFan said:
Major work in store on the Keystone line between Harrisburg and Lancaster.
April-Nov. Most daytime trains M-F will be replaced by buses.

https://media.amtrak.com/2024/03/amtrak-begins-major-harrisburg-line-track-renewal/
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It’s very good to see the Commonwealth continue to invest in the route, even in a less than perfect ridership environment. Gunn was heroic in bringing the line into the 21st Century. It’s good to see that progress continue. It probably helps that Steelton, one of only a handful of rail-making mills is on the route and a large employer. It is also worth noting though 450 riders is about 1 in 10 on a given day.
 
"between Pittsburgh and New York City will still provide daily midday service through the project area, featuring additional seating capacity."

What will that mean - another coach (+72 seats) or replace the 4-Am-2 coaches with 4 Am-1 coaches (+48 seats) ?
 
west point said:
How will this have effect on freight customers. Seem to remember last year there was some controversy about freight service on another section.
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If I remember correctly about a year ago work that took one track of service for six weeks some businesses in Lancaster raised holy hell with the STB that they would not be able to access the main. I do not recall how/if that was resolved.
 

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