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I happened upon the answer to the 10 options question by accident today. It was 8-8car sets for the NEC and 2-6 car battery sets for the Empire Service. It was hinted at in the 2022-2027 plan. That brings the projected size of the Airo fleet to 562 cars, about the current size of Amfleet 1 and 2...

Uh 1: The diesel Airo’s are ALC-42s and Venture cars strung together, by the time the first one is delivered “fatal flaws“ or more commonly kinks will have been worked out. Lead pipes, magnets that wreck batteries, automated announcements that don’t work, door issues, et al. I’ll grant that the...

I think the problem is the size of our market. As a nation we don’t buy enough passenger stock to keep production lines open, so every time we buy equipment everybody from the custodial team to the execs is starting fresh in a certain sense. It’s not like the old days at Budd when some old head...

I think there’s plenty of alarmist nonsense in that article. First, the schematics were proof of concept for ADA compliance. I don’t even think they were to scale. Second Amtrak may not be able to release specific input from car builders. If I were Siemens, I wouldn’t want it on public record...

I was reading this earlier. Apparently AMTRAK tried to convince the NNEPRA to switch the equipment of Downeaster consists from 4 Amfleet coaches to 3 Horizon coaches. They didn’t go for it. Obviously makes perfect sense to move cars that don’t like the cold and snowy to Maine 1000 miles from...

I think “commuter rail” is a failing model, pre, during, and post COVID. Trying only to cater to 9-5 workers leads to bad equipment and labor utilization and greatly reduces viability for many passengers. SEPTA has since the 80’s, at least nominally, considered its railroad to be “regional rail”...

I think the schematics were a good step forward. The only things I referred to public comment were that the lounge be next to the cafe rather than on the other side of the dinner that way people who want to enjoy their cafe/bar fare in the lounge don’t have to walk all through the dinner, which...

2019 was still the opaque Anderson era “reports” with no miles numbers at all. Otherwise I’d look into it. I think all LD’s are affected save the Auto Train (due to actually making money), Palmetto (all Amfleet), and CONO (axle counts prohibit consist reduction). The LSL and Meteor (I think)...

In July the following routes report YTD ridership above July 2019. Ethan Allen Express Vermonter Maple Leaf Berkshire Flyer (vs. last year) Springfield Shuttles Empire South Heartland Flyer Roanoke Regionals Newport News Regionals Norfolk Regionals Missouri River Runner Carolinian Piedmont...

I think there’s merit to the project. I’m not sure I’d frame it as commuter rail at three trips per day. It’s really more of a regional rail project, especially at three trips per day and nobody is going to opt for a 2:38 train ride for a 70 mile trip twice a day to commute. Track and signal...

I believe that is incorrect. 63 cars are returning. 8 VI’s, 18 Horizon, 23 Superliners total makes 49 total, plus 5 SSL’s and 9 transdorms equals 63. I believe we know none of the 23 listed as “Superliners.”

I think restoring the SP would be the better place to start. Tucson and Los Angeles will generate more ridership for a train than overnight service to Chicago especially as such is possible on 421/422. The restoration would also give passenger authorities better opportunities to negotiate more...

On the property, there is ample sleeper and dining equipment to run the Cardinal daily. Whether there is enough active on the roster to do so today without reassignments, I doubt. There was also a question of three sets or four to run the service (I vote 3 and risk the occasional short turn at...

When and why did 93 stop making Trenton? I remember taking taking it to Trenton not too long ago.

Yesterday, 647 ran top and tail, not uncommon, but consist was 5 coaches, cafe, no Metroliner.

I believe 73 was meant to fully replace the remaining Amfleet I and Comets and maintain status quo. The 10 extra should be for additional service. My guess is either 6 or 8 car catenary sets (maybe a mix). The NEC is badly in need of additional frequencies due to crowding and now that Gateway is...

Big things are getting HAZMATs out of the way, pulling up crossing gates, trying to make sure as little as possible is out rolling. CSX often more or less just shuts down the A and S lines when trouble is blowing in. It just isn’t worth it to operate.

I would never deny the merits of premium service, but if a typical consist were 2 45 seat first class cars 3 60-seat business cars with their own lounge, and then 10 coaches with their own cafe, and that ran every 20 minutes on an NER schedule that wasn’t sandbagged, AMTRAK would be able to do...

As a preface I think the Acela is a ton of wasted effort and I would have rathered Amtrak put the resources into having 18 car NER‘s run every 20 minutes between New York and Washington, so consider this biased, but… It seems that Amtrak thought all they had to do was buy new European equipment...

Big news quietly released by SEPTA: PCC’s will begin to make revenue runs on SEPTEMBER 10! https://www5.septa.org/bulletins/route-15-trolley-restoration/