Extension of the Night Owl to Charlotte

[Just-Thinking-51]

Termination at Richmond main (RVM). Are there still just 2 stub tracks at RVM It has been too long but as I remember the 2 stubs were between the "S" line 2 MT and the Newport 2 Main tracks ? The map just shows track for each branch ?

RVM Richmond-Main Street Station.
The two stub tracks have been removed. The support structure have been removed. The outside tracks are still there.

 

[west point]

night owl extension really needs to go RVR - Raleigh = Greensboro - CLT - and future ATL. Just much more population can be served. Present Crescent, Roanoke train and probably another Roanoke train covers the part Crescent route adequately.

 

[Ashland Train Enthusiast]

QUOTE "RVR will need additional facilities to actually be able to split/join trains there though. It can be done sort of at present, but not very reliably".

JIS:; You bring up a very important point. Cannot remember anything about the station, I looked at the open RR map of the area and on reflection it appears that the state of VA has not really addressed the problems in Richmond with auto parking, train storage, off main track station tracks, and ease switching cars on and off trains. There appears need for major renovations if the planned number of NEC trains terminate there in the future.

Several questions.
1. Is the track #1ADV just a non singled siding and is there room for another track east of it in the future ?
2. The platform between 4 & 5. Is it as long as appears ? Is it high level or low level and if low could an intermediate crossover be installed for better switching ?
3. Same questions for platform between 4 & 5.
4. Could track 5 be extended north and / or south? Or make spurs north and south?
5. Is that an abandoned track or road west of track 5 ?
6. How are platforms accessed ? Track level, overhead, or underground ?

What is a shame is that the Broad Street station ( now science museum ) is not an option as it still has 4 platforms with no track connections.

Richmond's my 2nd home station (after ASD) so can provide some context here. For probably the most comprehensive, current look at the track layout, the DC2RVA project maintains an interactive map on their site that includes the current tracks as well as planned enhancements as part of that program: D.C. to Richmond Southeast High Speed Rail :: Interactive Corridor Map

1) 1ADV is a long passing siding coming out of ACCA, last time I was there the track condition was significantly less than 2 or 3 as the main line tracks; there's a bit of room on the east side of it, and DC2RVA is proposing adding infrastructure in terms of tracks and platforms there.
2) Yes (assuming you mean the platform between 3 and 4 here), that's quite long, and low level. I'm sure technically you could put in a crossover, but it'd be some major destructive work to tear through it, most likely at the sound end down towards the bridge.
3) Platform between 4 and 5 is much shorter, so I don't think you'd gain much if any tearing into that one; it's low level too.
4) Very little ability, as when Track 5 was added and 4 lengthened (as it used to just be a stub), they pushed them out as far as they could get away with within the current easement.
5) Not sure exactly what you're referring to, but there is a service road for station traffic/baggage traffic between track 5 and the station. I think you you wholesale were to rebuild the station you could squeeze another track in here, but as mentioned above it looks like the DC2RVA project plan is to expand on the east side.
5) Track level

The big problem with Broad St. is that it's a single spur off of the RF&P ML to access, and it's all stub end tracks to the platforms. You'd have to significantly re-engineer the track layout to gain southbound access and/or through-running given how far it is removed from the main line, which is why the DC2RVA program considered but ultimately rejected it. Check out discussion starting on Page 38 Chapter 4 of the Final EIS, as well as some of the links here for the criteria considered and the reason for the decision.

Termination at Richmond main (RVM). Are there still just 2 stub tracks at RVM It has been too long but as I remember the 2 stubs were between the "S" line 2 MT and the Newport 2 Main tracks ? The map just shows track for each branch ?

No stub tracks at RVM at all; just the two through tracks for the Bellwood and Peninsula Subs; while the approaches are still there, when they re-purposed the train shed for events space gosh, 5, 8 years ago now (a foolish decision imho, but hey, I'm supposed to say that as a card carrying railfan right?), any and all track/infrastructure was decommissioned to utilize that space for rail/transit purposes.

~ ATE

 

[jis]

No stub tracks at RVM at all; just the two through tracks for the Bellwood and Peninsula Subs; while the approaches are still there, when they re-purposed the train shed for events space gosh, 5, 8 years ago now (a foolish decision imho, but hey, I'm supposed to say that as a card carrying railfan right?), any and all track/infrastructure was decommissioned to utilize that space for rail/transit purposes.

~ ATE

Great info ATE. What is the exact plan for RVM in the big VA plan? I presume that the RVM to Petersburg link reactivation is part of it but have not checked recently.

I have an impression that a very significant proportion of Virginia Regionals are expected to go beyond Richmond. How many are planned to be turned at Richmond, and is the turning planned for RVR or RVM? If the latter, what is the planned additional facilities at RVM to facilitate such?

Thanks.

 

[TheVig]

As a resident of Charlotte. I'd like to see service between Charlotte-Columbia-Atlanta. Without getting into the political will, or lack thereof, I'm curious if the citizens of Columbia give a hoot about passenger rail.

 

[sttom]

Would a separate Southeast Owl make sense? DC to Charlotte is approximately 9 hours. That’s not a terrible trip length for a night train.

 

[Mailliw]

Would a separate Southeast Owl make sense? DC to Charlotte is approximately 9 hours. That’s not a terrible trip length for a night train.

It's a good idea, I'd prefer to start in NYC.

 

[bms]

Not quite...

http://www.timetables.org/full.php?group=19720116&item=0060
Apparently, the Silver Meteor/Champion had some thru cars combined with the Southern Crescent that season, between Washington, or New York and Boston. It is interesting that the timetable shows no local traffic anywhere between Washington on Boston on the Silver Meteor, but does allow it on the Southern Crescent. Of further interest, is that for that brief period, you could go all the way from Boston to Los Angeles in the transcontinental sleeper, including an overnight stop in New Orleans...

Good find, that's insane that there was a Boston to L.A. through sleeper!

 

[jis]

AFAICT there was no Boston to Los Angeles Sleeper. The trans-continental sleeper was New York to Los Angeles.

http://www.timetables.org/full.php?group=19720116&item=0071