Amtrak News/Updates

[Plutonic Panda]

Saw that Amtrak will resume operating the Gulf Coast corridor in 2022 which is great news.

“
Amtrak passenger service along the Gulf Coast is on target to return in 2022 and could come in the early part of next year, an official with the railroad company confirmed Tuesday.

Marc Magliari, spokesman for Amtrak, said the nation’s passenger rail service reached out to CSX and Norfolk Southern in January to inform them “that we intend to begin service in 2022” that will connect New Orleans to Mobile with four stops in Mississippi – Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula. It will be the first time that passenger trains have rolled along the Gulf Coast in more than 16 years.”

https://www.al.com/news/2021/02/amtr...TRsgjKgwn36oz4

[Plutonic Panda]

With Biden being a big Amtrak fan, Buttigieg wanting more emphasis on mass transit, I bet we see some exciting developments with Amtrak in the coming years.

[dankrutka]

With Biden being a big Amtrak fan, Buttigieg wanting more emphasis on mass transit, I bet we see some exciting developments with Amtrak in the coming years.

We really should have a national network of trains with high speed trains mixed in. We already have a decent network. I'd just love to see the U.S. really invest in it. I know the geography is challenging. Maybe it would be too expensive, but how great would it be to have a series of long distance high speed trains.

[mugofbeer]

If there was pursuit of public-private partnerships like Texas has been doing, l bet it would happen. The east coast route is the most obvious need but it's not the only one that would make sense.

[Plutonic Panda]

I hope the Texas HSR gets underway. It’s founders are said to be targeting this year to start. We’ll see if that gets underway. I have completely lost hope for CHSR and I I’ve my doubts if even Virgin will be able to pull of the Las Vegas to Victorville line but I hope I’m wrong.

[mugofbeer]

Really, a whole federal division needs to oversee, plan routes, secure right of way, get through lawsuits, etc. Then oversee public-private partnerships. This is the kind of thing private business can to better, cheaper and faster. Also, don't be proud, the Chinese developed some remarkable construction techniques.

[HOT ROD]

?

The chinese used techniques developed by Japan and Europe, who have been doing high speed trains far earlier (and even still today). ... Japan is at the forefront with the new ShinKanSen that's being built. ... China has no home grown rail technology (in fact, little of any tech that's not copied or stolen). Just sayin;.

[mugofbeer]

?

The chinese used techniques developed by Japan and Europe, who have been doing high speed trains far earlier (and even still today). ... Japan is at the forefront with the new ShinKanSen that's being built. ... China has no home grown rail technology (in fact, little of any tech that's not copied or stolen). Just sayin;.

Whatever, l've just seen a number of fascinating video's of how the Chinese have built so much, so fast. So much of it is pre-fabbed and not fabricated on site which speeds up the construction and, no doubt, reduces the cost significantly. Then there are the machines/trains that lay the bridge sections, the base, the gravel, ties and the rails. Whoever developed it, it's amazing.

Yes, l'm aware the Chinese don't have to worry about politics, environment and lawsuits.

[HFAA Alum]

We really should have a national network of trains with high speed trains mixed in. We already have a decent network. I'd just love to see the U.S. really invest in it. I know the geography is challenging. Maybe it would be too expensive, but how great would it be to have a series of long distance high speed trains.

All of the money you'd need to upgrade that would have to come out of the military budget. And of course, that's going to be completely untouched when all is said and done because it doesn't matter what party you're in, everyone loves spending a good $10 million for something that goes BOOM.

[Mott]

China's early high-speed trains were imported or built under technology transfer agreements with foreign train-makers including Alstom, Siemens, Bombardier and Kawasaki Heavy Industries. Since the initial technological support, Chinese engineers have re-designed internal train components and built indigenous trains manufactured by the state-owned CRRC Corporation.
And I might add, I took a 3 week rail tour of northern China in 1985, and visited Datong, where steam locomotives (2-10-2) were being made. These would have been the equivalent of 1920’s in the USA. However the progress, it’s quite amazing.

[HOT ROD]

the tech the chinese employ today is the same as existed from that which the aformentioned countries imported and invested in China. WHO designed the Shanghai Maglev? Was NOT China.

To sit and call their approach innovative and at the forefront of tech is blindly missing the point that they copied somebody else and implemented with little to no red tape in that the CCP doesn't need to worry about opposition and now call everything their own.

True home-grown engineering relies on self funded research and development, something China is NOT good at and therefore relies on IP theft, bait and switch, and threats - that Trump exposed to the world - to gain technology the rest of the world worked so hard to develop. This is a fact aht I have seen personally, so never leave out this whilst praising the CCP and their "modernisation efforts".

I personally felt safe riding in China built high-speed and Mag-Lev rail because I knew the technology came from tried and true research developed not-from-China. ...

As yourself, would YOU fly on a China built airplane, or buy a China built car or ev, or condo, or drink milk/products that come from China, or use China built masks, ..... etc?

[Rover]

the tech the chinese employ today is the same as existed from that which the aformentioned countries imported and invested in China. WHO designed the Shanghai Maglev? Was NOT China.

To sit and call their approach innovative and at the forefront of tech is blindly missing the point that they copied somebody else and implemented with little to no red tape in that the CCP doesn't need to worry about opposition and now call everything their own.

True home-grown engineering relies on self funded research and development, something China is NOT good at and therefore relies on IP theft, bait and switch, and threats - that Trump exposed to the world - to gain technology the rest of the world worked so hard to develop. This is a fact aht I have seen personally, so never leave out this whilst praising the CCP and their "modernisation efforts".

I personally felt safe riding in China built high-speed and Mag-Lev rail because I knew the technology came from tried and true research developed not-from-China. ...

As yourself, would YOU fly on a China built airplane, or buy a China built car or ev, or condo, or drink milk/products that come from China, or use China built masks, ..... etc?

I’ve got some pretty interesting stories about some large high rise construction projects I’ve worked on in China.

[Plutonic Panda]

We need Japan style maglev on EVERY single interstate in this country to truly be competitive. That needs to be the next step we take to improve our infrastructure. No more stupid trains like what’s proposed in Texas or CA let alone the dumb 50 MPH train proposed in Colorado.. what a joke that is.

[mugofbeer]

We need Japan style maglev on EVERY single interstate in this country to truly be competitive. That needs to be the next step we take to improve our infrastructure. No more stupid trains like what’s proposed in Texas or CA let alone the dumb 50 MPH train proposed in Colorado.. what a joke that is.

Hey, we would kill for a 50 mph train to the ski resorts just to avoid ski traffic jams.

[mugofbeer]

We need Japan style maglev on EVERY single interstate in this country to truly be competitive. That needs to be the next step we take to improve our infrastructure. No more stupid trains like what’s proposed in Texas or CA let alone the dumb 50 MPH train proposed in Colorado.. what a joke that is.

Now, build HSR east from Denver to KC or Omaha to Chicago? Denver SE to OKC then to DFW? Now we're talking. Straight, flat and cheap compared to CA.

[Plutonic Panda]

Speaking of routes to Denver, I’d be much happier with a new OKC-Denver interstate than HSR. I really wish such a corridor could be justified.

[catch22]

Speaking of routes to Denver, I’d be much happier with a new OKC-Denver interstate than HSR. I really wish such a corridor could be justified.

Agree. But would be very expensive. If OK could extend NW expressway from Okarche to connect into Hwy 3 to Watonga that would be a good start, as a lot of the state highways from there are divided 4 lane, but with at grade crossings. Get pretty good speeds through there without the price of a limited access road. Going off of the DrivingOklahoma cost to build the eastern OK county turnpike, it was $300 million for 21 miles. We'll say 15 million a mile for about $420 million to do Okarche to Watonga.

This would be a several hundred billion dollar were it to be an interstate. I don't think we can expect it anytime soon

[Plutonic Panda]

I wonder if it would attract Dallas to Denver traffic. A complete interstate road all the way using I-35 to OKC then I-XX to Denver. Could be faster than the current route that is the fastest from OKC-Dallas but I imagine it would have to be toll free in order to prevent shun pikers. They could use a increased gas tax along the corridor similar to how Virginia is rebuilding and widening I-81.

Alas back to reality yeah it’s a pipe dream at this point. So many other needs the state needs to fill with roads and passenger rail(billions for upgrading the existing routes plus extensions to Kansas and Tulsa).

[catch22]

I don't think it would be worth the money in the end. Driving times to Denver/CO are already quite reasonable. It is a LONG day, but I have done it plenty of times with plenty of life left in me at the end of the day. That's a lot of money to turn a 12 hour drive into a 9 hour drive.

[Plutonic Panda]

I just despise I-70 east of Burlington to I-135. It’s like a breath of fresh air once I hit Salina and if I can eat some Cozy Inn Burgers. Often I’ll go out of my way to travel through the Panhandle and NW OK.

[catch22]

I just despise I-70 east of Burlington to I-135. It’s like a breath of fresh air once I hit Salina and if I can eat some Cozy Inn Burgers. Often I’ll go out of my way to travel through the Panhandle and NW OK.

Going I-40 west, then north through Amarillo, Dalhart, Des Moines, to Raton is the best way. Seems to drag ass a lot less.

[mugofbeer]

I don't think it would be worth the money in the end. Driving times to Denver/CO are already quite reasonable. It is a LONG day, but I have done it plenty of times with plenty of life left in me at the end of the day. That's a lot of money to turn a 12 hour drive into a 9 hour drive.

Sez you! Lol.

I used to drive that god-awful route 6 or so times a year both ways. I've decided l just deal with the extra time to see something - anything, a different route.

The route through the mountains couldn't be high speed but Denver to Cleveland could be done, then slow down some to the coast.

The US simply needs to get things started with HSR. It's a vast country so it doesn't have to go everywhere but do build where the terrain makes it possible.

[catch22]

Sez you! Lol.

I used to drive that god-awful route 6 or so times a year both ways. I've decided l just deal with the extra time to see something - anything, a different route.

The route through the mountains couldn't be high speed but Denver to Cleveland could be done, then slow down some to the coast.

The US simply needs to get things started with HSR. It's a vast country so it doesn't have to go everywhere but do build where the terrain makes it possible.

To be fair, I am easily amused. Once I am on autopilot out on the open road I can be entertained with just about anything to look at. Wow that's a cool fencepost. Huh, I wonder what material that sign is made out of? Bet these crops look cool from the air. What are those red and blue lights and why are they behind me?

[mugofbeer]

To be fair, I am easily amused. Once I am on autopilot out on the open road I can be entertained with just about anything to look at. Wow that's a cool fencepost. Huh, I wonder what material that sign is made out of? Bet these crops look cool from the air. What are those red and blue lights and why are they behind me?

It's usually blowing so hard from one direction or another, my car can't speed.

[catch22]

It's usually blowing so hard from one direction or another, my car can't speed.

Do you drive a box truck? It can certainly be windy in west texas. Last time I made the drive, outside of Texline the wind must have been gusting 60-70MPH. I had never seen tumbleweeds so large, or quick.