Vermonter HSR Funds Released (Part 2)

[transit54]

Looks like MA, the FRA and Pan Am Railways finally settled everything yesterday, as the second half of the Vemonter project was awarded.

"Amtrak's Vermonter Line to Receive $72.8m upgrade"

This will improve the Pan Am line that stretches from the VT border to right before the Springfield, MA station, eliminating the reverse move in Palmer and saving a substantial amount of time. The train will no longer service Amherst after the project is done, but it will be stopping in North Hampton and a few other places in MA instead.

If anyone is interested in the progress of the first part of the project (upgrades of the NECR in VT), an individual is running a great blog following the work, here.

 

[afigg]

This is good news for Mass and VT because it obligates and thus locks in the funding for the Knowledge corridor reroute. $40 million of the HSIPR stimulus funding for the New Haven to Springfield line has also been obligated, but the rest - FY10 grant and the $30 million from the FL HSR re-allocation have not been so far. Those funds are at some unknown level of risk if the Republicans demand the unobligated HSIPR funds from the stimulus be rescinded as part of a raise the debt ceiling deal. Most of the track improvement funds for Michigan, New York state Empire corridor, VA, PA along with the recent FL HSR re-allocations for the NEC are not obligated yet. Hope the FRA, Amtrak, and the states can hurry up.

The VT track upgrades are supposed to reduce total trip times north of MA by 30 minutes and the Knowledge corridor re-route is supposed to save another 25 minutes. So the Vermonter will be close to an hour faster north of Springfield. The work on the New Haven to Springfield corridor may knock another 30 minutes or more by 2016. Not HSR, but at least the Vermonter won't be as far behind driving time as it currently is.

The VT and Mass long range plans are for increased frequency of service north of Springfield on the corridor with 6 additional trains from Springfield to Greenfield MA (all likely to be extensions of the current NHV - SPG shuttles) and 1 additional daily train to St. Albans, if not Montreal.

 

[George Harris]

The newspaper article does not seem to understand the difference between the funds just released and the previously released funds. The bus substitutes have nothing to do with the $72.8 million grant. They are not even to the same railroad. The $72.8 million is to Pan Am, which the older of us here know as the Boston and Maine. Right now this line has no passenger siervice at all. Based on the article, this line is getting a 100% rail replacement.

The first grant was for the New England Central part north of Massachusetts. There is a L B Foster press release relating to the rail in the trains shown in transit54'sink.

L.B. Foster Supplying 28,500 Tons of CWR Rail for NECR Vermont Upgrade
Company-Owned CWR Trains Delivering to New England Central Railroad Jobsites

PITTSBURGH, PA - December 22, 2010 - L.B. Foster Company (NASDAQ: FSTR) of Pittsburgh, PA has begun delivering 28,500 tons of 115# standard continuous welded rail (CWR) to New England Central Railroad (NECR), an operating subsidiary of RailAmerica, Inc. for upgrading approximately 140 miles of track. L.B. Foster's specially-equipped CWR trains will complete 18 shipments of welded rail by mid-2011 for installation at various locations throughout Vermont. The track improvements are included in the Federal Railroad Administration's High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program award to the State of Vermont and funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The 115# rail is being manufactured in 240ft lengths by L.B. Foster's strategic partner, Steel Dynamics, Inc. (SDI), and then welded into 1600ft strings at SDI's state-of-the-art Columbia City, Indiana facility. "We provide the highest quality standard rail possible, in the longest lengths possible, and welded with the best equipment and control procedures in the western hemisphere," comments Paul Kotsenas, Manager - Rail and Special Products, Steel Dynamics.

The new rail will improve the speed of the State of Vermont sponsored Amtrak Vermonter intercity passenger service and add capacity for freight carloads. L.B. Foster's personnel are managing trackside off-loading in Vermont. "The convenience of our own weld train and jobsite management helps to expedite deliveries and minimize off-loading along this busy track," said Greg Lippard, Vice President, L.B. Foster Rail Sales.

RailAmerica, Inc. (NYSE: RA) owns and operates short line and regional freight railroads in North America, operating a portfolio of 40 individual railroads with approximately 7,300 miles of track in 27 U.S. states and three Canadian provinces.

Since this is a press release, I am assuming that it is OK to quote it in full.

My calculation: 28,500 tons of 115RE rail gives you 141.5 miles of track. That is relay of 73% of the total distance from St. Albans to the Massachusetts state line, as that distance is about 192 miles.

Proporinate to the ridership, this is a lot of money, more than $500,000 per person for the daily passenger count. If on the same per passenger mile basis, this should be able to get the Southwest Chief trackage between Kansas City and Albuquerque all new rail so it could go back to a smooth riding 90 mph if not 110 mph.

Parenthetical thought" Since after the work is completed, the speed limit will be 79 mmph in the signaled territory and 59 mph in the non signaled territory and curves will make the 79 mph limit more theoretical than real on most of its portion, this is not really high speed at all, but simply getting the line back up to the limits it had in years past.

 

[Anderson]

The newspaper article does not seem to understand the difference between the funds just released and the previously released funds. The bus substitutes have nothing to do with the $72.8 million grant. They are not even to the same railroad. The $72.8 million is to Pan Am, which the older of us here know as the Boston and Maine. Right now this line has no passenger siervice at all. Based on the article, this line is getting a 100% rail replacement.

The first grant was for the New England Central part north of Massachusetts. There is a L B Foster press release relating to the rail in the trains shown in transit54'sink.

L.B. Foster Supplying 28,500 Tons of CWR Rail for NECR Vermont Upgrade
Company-Owned CWR Trains Delivering to New England Central Railroad Jobsites

PITTSBURGH, PA - December 22, 2010 - L.B. Foster Company (NASDAQ: FSTR) of Pittsburgh, PA has begun delivering 28,500 tons of 115# standard continuous welded rail (CWR) to New England Central Railroad (NECR), an operating subsidiary of RailAmerica, Inc. for upgrading approximately 140 miles of track. L.B. Foster's specially-equipped CWR trains will complete 18 shipments of welded rail by mid-2011 for installation at various locations throughout Vermont. The track improvements are included in the Federal Railroad Administration's High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program award to the State of Vermont and funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The 115# rail is being manufactured in 240ft lengths by L.B. Foster's strategic partner, Steel Dynamics, Inc. (SDI), and then welded into 1600ft strings at SDI's state-of-the-art Columbia City, Indiana facility. "We provide the highest quality standard rail possible, in the longest lengths possible, and welded with the best equipment and control procedures in the western hemisphere," comments Paul Kotsenas, Manager - Rail and Special Products, Steel Dynamics.

The new rail will improve the speed of the State of Vermont sponsored Amtrak Vermonter intercity passenger service and add capacity for freight carloads. L.B. Foster's personnel are managing trackside off-loading in Vermont. "The convenience of our own weld train and jobsite management helps to expedite deliveries and minimize off-loading along this busy track," said Greg Lippard, Vice President, L.B. Foster Rail Sales.

RailAmerica, Inc. (NYSE: RA) owns and operates short line and regional freight railroads in North America, operating a portfolio of 40 individual railroads with approximately 7,300 miles of track in 27 U.S. states and three Canadian provinces.

Since this is a press release, I am assuming that it is OK to quote it in full.

My calculation: 28,500 tons of 115RE rail gives you 141.5 miles of track. That is relay of 73% of the total distance from St. Albans to the Massachusetts state line, as that distance is about 192 miles.

Proporinate to the ridership, this is a lot of money, more than $500,000 per person for the daily passenger count. If on the same per passenger mile basis, this should be able to get the Southwest Chief trackage between Kansas City and Albuquerque all new rail so it could go back to a smooth riding 90 mph if not 110 mph.

Parenthetical thought" Since after the work is completed, the speed limit will be 79 mmph in the signaled territory and 59 mph in the non signaled territory and curves will make the 79 mph limit more theoretical than real on most of its portion, this is not really high speed at all, but simply getting the line back up to the limits it had in years past.

Please, please, please don't put such thoughts in my head. You're making me think we might actually be able to beat the old Super Chief timetable someday.

 

[George Harris]

Proporinate to the ridership, this is a lot of money, more than $500,000 per person for the daily passenger count. If on the same per passenger mile basis, this should be able to get the Southwest Chief trackage between Kansas City and Albuquerque all new rail so it could go back to a smooth riding 90 mph if not 110 mph.

Please, please, please don't put such thoughts in my head. You're making me think we might actually be able to beat the old Super Chief timetable someday.

Sorry. No I'm not. The thought is swirling around in my head. Why should I be alone with it?