Are there any plans to enlarge the NY Penn station tunnels?
- Thread starter denmarks
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It's not just the North River and East River tunnels which would have to be enlarged. There are probably many more places and overpasses where the catenary would have to be raised.
You're talking big bucks. Where would the money come from?
jb
You're talking big bucks. Where would the money come from?
jb
With the amount I am paying for my next trip I feel that I am already paying for it.
The NEC doesn't even have constant tension catenary yet and that's needed much more than Superliner's going into New York City.
jb
jb
Forget the tunnels, all the high platforms along the NEC aren't going anywhere. Not even a worthy "pipe dream" thread topic.
The billions of invenstment cash to make a silly idea happen is a waste.
A few better ideas:
-Make superliner replacements compatable with the whole country, with high and low platforms possible.
-Order Viewliner II's to replace all superliners (not gonna happen, but still a better and cheaper idea than OP)
A few better ideas:
-Make superliner replacements compatable with the whole country, with high and low platforms possible.
-Order Viewliner II's to replace all superliners (not gonna happen, but still a better and cheaper idea than OP)
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Given that the next generation of Superliners officially got cancelled, the only thing preventing the use of Viewliner IIs are the lower platforms in the places the Superliners roam.
The VLIIs are being used on the Silvers. Those trains serve low/ground level platforms.
When I boarded a VII at Orlando, that was certainly a low lvl platform.
A new tunnel underneath the Hudson absolutely needs to be built.
However, accommodating the Superliners is probably the last reason for such a tunnel.
Ryan
Court Jester
There is zero chance ever of Superliners roaming rails north of DC. Bridges, tunnels, wires, etc, etc, etc.
Was it a pleasant experience you'd like to see replicated throughout the LD network? Should that be the standard for new service?
Granted, the Siemens Venture just has a lower staircase in their vestibule...
I have no problem using the stairs. There’s fewer of them than on the Superliner.
It was a smooth and unremarkable boarding process. Considering half the LD network uses it, I don't see it being that big of an issue.
That said, I am a young and very able bodied individual. Perhaps my privilege is getting in the way. There were, however, elevators to assist for those who needed it.
This sort of begs the question for other reasons: Would you rather see Viewliner IIs as the standard throughout the country or Siemens Mobility trains?
I liked VIIs, and the upper bunk window in roomettes certainly would be nice, so I wouldn't mind it.
For those who can't climb the stairs into a single level car, Amtrak uses a hand operated elevator.
jb
jb
You know, back in the good old days, all the long distance trains had single level cars that could service low level and high level platforms. For operation flexibility, it probably makes sense to eventually replace the Superliners with Single level equipment. Maybe even an updated version of the Viewliner, which is, after all, a 40 year old design, but at least Amtrak owns the rights to the design. (On the other hand, off-the-shelf equipment from the increasing number of vendors with experience at making railcars to US standards, might be cheaper.)
Aside from the fact that single-level cars can operate across the Amtrak system, they would also aid in improving access for people with disabilities, and even allow disabled passengers to eat in the dining car. On the Superliners, if they can't do the stairs, their stuck in their rooms the whole trip.
Thus, I see no reason to spend big bucks to allow Superliners to access Penn Station (or Baltimore, for that matter.)
Aside from the fact that single-level cars can operate across the Amtrak system, they would also aid in improving access for people with disabilities, and even allow disabled passengers to eat in the dining car. On the Superliners, if they can't do the stairs, their stuck in their rooms the whole trip.
Thus, I see no reason to spend big bucks to allow Superliners to access Penn Station (or Baltimore, for that matter.)
Ryan
Court Jester
The only thing less likely than Superliners roaming the rails north of DC is the purchase of a single new Viewliner car.
The Superliners are going to have to be replaced sometime in the next decade.
They just finished a run of Viewliner IIs whereas nobody could get past the crash test phase of a bi-level car.
Why do you think another run of Viewliners is so unlikely?
Because it's probably cheaper to just have a company like Siemens build long-distance cars based on their off-the-shelf Venture platform than having them take the 40 year old Viewliner design and update it. Certainly, neither Amtrak nor CAF want to work together on anything for the foreseeable future.
Does the Venture platform have dining and sleeper cars?
I'd honestly rather see Siemens build new cars for the Western trains. But that not withstanding, is there something bad about the Viewliner IIs for the entire LD network, platforms not being an issue? Costs of interoperability and readiness to build seem to outweigh the costs of a new design.
I recall reading somewhere the Seimens is currently only providing a replacement for coaches, not anything else. That said, no idea if they have something of the like up their sleeve.
The biggest problem is that CAF seems to be extremely slow in getting VLIIs out - I don't think all the sleepers have been delivered yet and we're already at least 5 years past the promised last-delivered date when the contract was signed. If we want enough cars to replace the Superliner fleet within the next 50 years, it'll be best to find an off-the-shelf rail car (even if it's single level) and use that instead of trying to build from scratch (even with a known design.)
If they don't, designing new interiors is a lot easier than designing a new passenger car that meets US standards.
