Though your sentiment is accurate, fun fact: Florida doesn't tax groceries.
But, yes, timing was horrible. Ironically, sales tax revenue SHOULD increase significantly due to inflation of all other goods and services, provided volume of sales remain constant. It would be interesting to see if volume of sale decreased proportionately to increase in prices.The start of service sliding again (I think we were hearing Valentine's Day a few weeks back, and I thought they were shooting for Christmas 2022 early this year?) is frustrating.
Several months of testing and remediation of any problems for getting FRA certification for 125mph operation is what remains.
I agree as the Wabtech I-ETMS system to my knowledge has never been certified for 125mph operation. There very well could be several months of delay for that alone.
And now, per a link in the other thread (albeit with a vanishing article), we're apparently on to "late summer/early fall"...
What is different in terms of certification for 125 mph versus say 100 or 80 mph?
The FRA regulation states that certification of 80mph or 100mph does not require specific testing (except signals and PTC). Proof that the tolerances are met is enough to get certification. For 125mph and above merely meeting tolerances is not enough. Each individual segment has to be certified based on test results.
Well, they also said what difference does it make if we run an SDP40F and an E-60 at 79 and 110mph. Afterall boxes are ticked and all that, and then they started falling off tracks all over the place. After that E60 never operated at anything over 90mph and were withdrawn way earlier than originally intended, replaced by AEM-7s, and the SDP40F was completely withdrawn soon, replaced by F40PHs. Actually many early F40PHs were essentially rebuilt SDP40Fs, the innards repackaged in a new Bo-Bo frame. Stuff happens that are discovered only during extensive testing and operation.
Of course simple explanations like we still have to complete bridges, double tracking and ballasting the new tracks along the FECR alignment and testing 110mph operations through zillions of grade crossings and sealed corridor operation is a completely inadequate explanation for a 3 to 6 month push back to inauguration.
I don't think all this double tracking has to be complete prior to MCO service. They can certainly start with only one track available with the existing sidings on the existing ROW.Of course simple explanations like we still have to complete bridges, double tracking and ballasting the new tracks along the FECR alignment and testing 110mph operations through zillions of grade crossings and sealed corridor operation is a completely inadequate explanation for a 3 to 6 month push back to inauguration.
Frankly, the early 2023 date came out of the expected completion of construction date for the OIA multimodal station AFAICT. The assumption somehow was that all the complex traack work would be done by then. When we visited the OIA station with the FECRS group they basically said service will start sometime in 2023 without commuting to anything more than that. And this was now many months back.
I don't think even the full 125ph certification will be done before April-May at the earliest, which pushes service start to after that anyway, since I doubt they will start service without the full speed on the Orlando segment, even if they choose to do some single track operation along the shore. Incidentally we were told that they will not start with substantial single track operation on the shore, but of coourse such things can change when push comes to shove.
Both are used for traction. Usually the front one is used for HEP too.
