Exact routing to Roanoke

[Train2104]

For the sake of me adding the route to the map -

What is the exact route Amtrak will be taking to Roanoke? Via Bedford or Altavista? If via Bedford, what does the routing in the Lynchburg vicinity look like?

Thanks.

 

[GaSteve]

Bedford. Not familiar with the trackage in Lynchburg.

 

[RPC]

Amtrak's "Track Your Train" map already shows the route - you could compare that to Google Maps to figure out the details.

 

[niemi24s]

Details of the route (or route possibilities) are often easier to discern using this: https://fragis.fra.dot.gov/GISFRASafety/ But I find it only works for me when I allow unsecure content.

 

[SouthernServesTheSouth]

When leaving Roanoke it will take the old N&W east over the Blue Ridge thru Bedford & Bedford County. When arriving in Lynchburg it will switch over to the old Southern Railroad tracks. This is accomplished by the double wye between the Woodall yard and Mountview yard. It will continue north to Kemper Street station where the original Lynchburger started.

The route from Lynchburg to Roanoke is the reverse of the above.

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[Seaboard92]

Ex N&W mainline via Bedford. And when it comes into Lynchburg it'll take the south leg of the west wye and the north leg of the east wye.

The altavista route is the ex VGN and only connects to the southern route going south. But very scenic.

 

[LookingGlassTie]

I'm wondering, with the restored service to Roanoke, will one or more of the Northeast Regionals be routed between Lynchburg and Norfolk? So that people could travel between NFK and RNK without having to go through WAS?

 

[Ryan]

No plans for that in the immediate future.

 

[LookingGlassTie]

No plans for that in the immediate future.

Ok, thanks!

 

[Ryan]

You may find this interesting reading.

http://www.drpt.virginia.gov/rail/reference-materials/virginia-state-rail-plan/

 

[SouthernServesTheSouth]

Did Amtrak put in the same amount of infrastructure in Roanoke (car cleaning facilities and storage tracks (3)) as they did in Lynchburg?

I know they put a nice raised and covered platform for the passengers. They need to do the same in Lynchburg.

 

[Train2104]

Ex N&W mainline via Bedford. And when it comes into Lynchburg it'll take the south leg of the west wye and the north leg of the east wye.

The altavista route is the ex VGN and only connects to the southern route going south. But very scenic.

Thanks! Added to the map.

What is the rail mileage to Lynchburg? Amtrak's updated Regional timetable does not have mile numbers.

 

[niemi24s]

What is the rail mileage to Lynchburg?

The FRA map (see link in Post #4) has mileposts from which it can be found. The Path measuring feature of Google Earth can also be used to find that distance.

 

[WestBerkeleyFlats]

You may find this interesting reading.

http://www.drpt.virginia.gov/rail/reference-materials/virginia-state-rail-plan/

Interesting - the improvements in terms of double/triple/quadruple tracking and station upgrades tend to be fairly specific whereas possible route extensions tend to be pretty speculative at this point. Are there possible extensions that could occur in, say, the next 10 years? The gap between Richmond and Charlottesville along the I-64 corridor seems like one possibility, but I think connecting bus service makes more sense at the present time. https://www.amtrak.com/virginia/bus-connections.html

 

[Thirdrail7]

It is listed as 53 miles.

 

[niemi24s]

It is listed as 53 miles.

Listed where? This asked because I get 51.92 miles from platform center (or 51.83 miles from station building center) in Lynchburg to shelter center in Roanoke using Google Earth but 51.2 miles using milepost data from the FRA map (which is probably less accurate).

Perhaps the 53 mile figure includes a wye reversal at Roanoke? Or is for an older route not currently used?

 

[AmtrakBlue]

It is listed as 53 miles.

Listed where? This asked because I get 51.92 miles from platform center (or 51.83 miles from station building center) in Lynchburg to shelter center in Roanoke using Google Earth but 51.2 miles using milepost data from the FRA map (which is probably less accurate).
Perhaps the 53 mile figure includes a wye reversal at Roanoke? Or is for an older route not currently used?

Since the poster works for Amtrak s/he probably has access to this info.

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[jis]

It is listed as 53 miles.

Listed where? This asked because I get 51.92 miles from platform center (or 51.83 miles from station building center) in Lynchburg to shelter center in Roanoke using Google Earth but 51.2 miles using milepost data from the FRA map (which is probably less accurate).

Perhaps the 53 mile figure includes a wye reversal at Roanoke? Or is for an older route not currently used?

What Wye reversal at Roanoke?? There is no reversal in the route that is being used. That may be the problem.... wrong route?

 

[jackal]

Did Amtrak put in the same amount of infrastructure in Roanoke (car cleaning facilities and storage tracks (3)) as they did in Lynchburg?

I know they put a nice raised and covered platform for the passengers. They need to do the same in Lynchburg.

I don’t know what specific facilities they added, but a news article I read this morning indicated a $5 million layover facility was constructed.

As for the route, it’s the one highlighted in this image:



(That’s from the system-map.pdf file from the NS website, with my highlighting, of course.)

I did a GPS trace of the route this morning if it’s useful. I can upload it somwhere and share the link if it’s useful.

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[niemi24s]

What Wye reversal at Roanoke?? There is no reversal in the route that is being used. That may be the problem.... wrong route?

Please re-read what I wrote. I mentioned wye reversal simply as a guess for the extra mile in the 53 mile distance posted by Thirdrail7.

My measurement of 51.92 miles is the average of measurements in both directions - no wye reversal involved - just used a single leg of, as I recall, three wyes And I'm quite confident in measurements using the Path tool of Google Earth as, with care, I can attain accuracies within about ±0.03% when measuring known distances - such as between runway threshold markings. Over a route length of 50 miles, that works out to an error of only about 80 feet.

 

[west point]

Mile post mileage can be very accurate or not at all. All it takes is a change in the track route which the RR will only add / or subtract from the actual mileage. Costs too much to re do the whole route. An example is that SOU RR re configured its ATL - WASH route many years ago. No change in Mile markers but ICC required it to slightly reduce their fares to reflect te shorter distances.

 

[niemi24s]

This map shows the route I measured on Google Earth:

 

[jis]

I don’t think Amtrak’s published mileage in time tables is always quite that accurate anyway. So you may be looking for accuracy that is just not to be found [emoji57]

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[Thirdrail7]

Please re-read what I wrote. I mentioned wye reversal simply as a guess for the extra mile in the 53 mile distance posted by Thirdrail7.

My measurement of 51.92 miles is the average of measurements in both directions - no wye reversal involved - just used a single leg of, as I recall, three wyes And I'm quite confident in measurements using the Path tool of Google Earth as, with care, I can attain accuracies within about ±0.03% when measuring known distances - such as between runway threshold markings. Over a route length of 50 miles, that works out to an error of only about 80 feet.

See below:

Mile post mileage can be very accurate or not at all. All it takes is a change in the track route which the RR will only add / or subtract from the actual mileage. Costs too much to re do the whole route. An example is that SOU RR re configured its ATL - WASH route many years ago. No change in Mile markers but ICC required it to slightly reduce their fares to reflect te shorter distances.

The train manuscript provided by the host (and agreed to by the state since they pay for the mileage) indicates the route is 53 miles. This may be the a result of mile markers along a route duplicating or perhaps they aren't true measured miles (some longer, some shorter.) The railroad is replete with them.

I'm sure your tool is lovely but if the hosts say the mileage is 53 (which is probably rounded anyway), that is the bottom line since that is probably what they are charging access to.

 

[niemi24s]

The train manuscript provided by the host (and agreed to by the state since they pay for the mileage) indicates the route is 53 miles.

Thanks, that's all I was really asking. And I'm well aware of the foibles of railroad mileposts.

The funny (funny?) part is that the 1970 era timetables for both the Mountaineer and Hilltopper show the distance from RNK to LYH as 49 miles. But that was back when the station at LYH was located at 5100 Woodall Rd. - some 3.20 miles closer to RNK by Google Earth. So using Google earth, 51.92 - 3.20 = 48.72 ≈ 49 miles - just like the old timetables! So kindly excuse my apparent obsession over such matters. My background in metrology often gets me going down these paths, much to the annoyance of many fellow AU members.