East River Tunnels rehabilitation 2024-2027

[Amtrak25]

What would be the extra costs? Track fees at Grand Central? I think it is still a better alternative than no train.

Metro North said no - case closed.

 

[west point]

The Park avenue viaduct from GCT is being rehabbed. All the steel and iron works is being upgraded with removal of present steel.. That has one of the 4 tracks not in service so now it is 2 tracks one way with counter flow just one track, MTA did not want Amtrak on the one counter flow track so it said NO! This is what happens when too much deferred maintenance happens all at once.

Find it puzzling why Amtrak had to wait so long to rehab the East River bores after "SANDY". It will be no surprise to this poster if bores 3 & 4 end up being done after 1 & 2 are finally finished.

 

[Amtrak25]

Amtrak waited for MTA to open East Side Access or LIRR would have had to cut rush hour service 20%.

There is no Sandy damage to tunnels 3 and 4.

I have come up with several ways to minimize the impact on the Empire service and posted them here. ESPA has done the same on their Facebook. The fact is Amtrak does not care, nor does the highway obsessed NYS DOT, obviously not wanting to let a crisis go to waste to slash their subsidies. Amtrak knows full when there is poor state oversight of their operations, and will take advantage.

Governor Hochul blew a $15 Billion hole in MTA's capital budget unilaterally killing congestion pricing at the 59th minute of the 11th hour. The Empire Corridor by comparison is irrelevant.

Representative Stefanik, with 6 co-signers, sent a Republican delegation letter insisting Amtrak postpone for 60 days to get past the holidays. It is clear Amtrak is ignoring the 3rd in command at the House of Representatives, playing a juvenile game of chicken.

Absent a new business model to replace DOT as funder with one that would hold Amtrak's arrogant feet to the fire, the future of the Empire Corridor lies in more buses, especially if Tuesdays election goes a certain way. Karma will emerge, and they will deserve it.

 

[MARC Rider]

Amtrak waited for MTA to open East Side Access or LIRR would have had to cut rush hour service 20%.

There is no Sandy damage to tunnels 3 and 4.

I have come up with several ways to minimize the impact on the Empire service and posted them here. ESPA has done the same on their Facebook. The fact is Amtrak does not care, nor does the highway obsessed NYS DOT, obviously not wanting to let a crisis go to waste to slash their subsidies. Amtrak knows full when there is poor state oversight of their operations, and will take advantage.

Governor Hochul blew a $15 Billion hole in MTA's capital budget unilaterally killing congestion pricing at the 59th minute of the 11th hour. The Empire Corridor by comparison is irrelevant.

Representative Stefanik, with 6 co-signers, sent a Republican delegation letter insisting Amtrak postpone for 60 days to get past the holidays. It is clear Amtrak is ignoring the 3rd in command at the House of Representatives, playing a juvenile game of chicken.

Absent a new business model to replace DOT as funder with one that would hold Amtrak's arrogant feet to the fire, the future of the Empire Corridor lies in more buses, especially if Tuesdays election goes a certain way. Karma will emerge, and they will deserve it.

1. What was the full story about the demise of congestion pricing in NYC? I recall that it was quite unpopular in the NY suburbs, and perhpas the state legislature also has something to say about it. It would seem that if there's a budge hole, a small increase in the motor fuel tax would provide at least a short-term fix.

2. I wonder what Rep. Stefanik's position is on congestion pricing and increases in the gas tax. Being that she's from way upstate, she might not care one bit about the wishes of suburban New York voters, but I would suspect that she'd raise bloody hell about any increases in the gas tax. But then, she's a US representative, so maybe she doesn't weigh in on state and local issues, unless she has ambitions for running for statewide office.

3. I also suspect that the Empire Service is pretty low in the priority list of most New York voters. Whatever support for funding rail transportation is probably focused on the NY subway, the Metro-North Harlem and Hudson Lines, and the Long Island RR. The state government merely reflects the attitude of the voters.