Federal-State Partnership BIL Grants for the North East Corridor 11/6/23

[user 14106]

Today the FRA is announcing the first batch of grant awards for the Northeast Corridor portion of the Federal State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail program. Biden will be doing a speech from the Amtrak Bear Maintenance facility to highlight this award. The Northeast Corridor portion of the program covers projects along the main spine of the NEC as well as the Amtrak owned branch lines including the New Haven - Springfield line and the Keystone line between Philadelphia and Harrisburg and must provide benefit to Amtrak services (or other intercity rail services operated by other operators). All other regions are funded under the separately awarded National Network portion of the program. Projects primarily benefitting commuter rail services without major benefit to Amtrak are granted by the Federal Transit Administration and are not eligible for this funding.

https://railroads.dot.gov/sites/fra...ram Selections - Project Summaries_PDFa_0.pdf

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Expect to see 642, 342, 340 & 333 behind Biden at the Bear Shops.
I caught them heading there on Friday.

 

[jis]

So in NJ the whole Delco Lead project got funded. Now to see if NJT will come up with the money for the Midline Loop Project and the Eastbound platform at North Brunswick and Jersey Avenue. Without that all this will do is make County Interlocking a higher level of choke point.

The MNRR to Penn Station work on the Hell Gate Line also appears to be more or less fully funded now.

 

[user 14106]

Did Hudson Tunnels get their FTA portion of the funding yet? Hudson tunnel is being done as a joint intercity/public transportation project so there's both FTA and FRA grant applications for it. The FRA Fed/State program is contributing $3.7 billion. They were supposed to be seeking $6.8 billion in commuter rail grants from the FTA's Capital Investment Grant program as well. The benefits to commuter rail outweigh the Amtrak benefits in terms of dollars so the FTA's piece of the pie is larger.

 

[jis]

Did Hudson Tunnels get their FTA portion of the funding yet? Hudson tunnel is being done as a joint intercity/public transportation project so there's both FTA and FRA grant applications for it. The FRA Fed/State program is contributing $3.7 billion. They were supposed to be seeking $6.8 billion in commuter rail grants from the FTA's Capital Investment Grant program as well. The benefits to commuter rail outweigh the Amtrak benefits in terms of dollars so the FTA's piece of the pie is larger.

FTA has agreed to contribute $6.88 Billion. Don't know if that money has actually been transferred.

FRA is currently funding $3.79 Billion.

Here is what the document in the OP says bout it:

New Jersey/New York – Gateway Program: Hudson Tunnel Project Systems and Fit Out (Up to $3,799,999,820)
Gateway Development Commission

The project includes final design and construction of the Hudson River Tunnel project and rehabilitation of the existing 113-year-old North River tunnels. Construction will include installation of track, signals, traction power, ventilation, fire and life safety systems, and other necessary systems work in the new tunnel. As matching funds, the Gateway Development Commission (GDC) will provide approximately $950 million as part of a financing package through DOT’s Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) loan program. For the larger Hudson Tunnel Project: FRA has committed an additional $912 million through Amtrak; FTA has determined a contribution of up to $6.88 billion under their Capital Investment Grants program; U.S. DOT has provided $25 million through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program; and GDC will provide additional RRIF funds as part of the financing package.
Consistent with the Inventory and NOFO, this Major Capital Project was Highly Rated and is therefore eligible for a Phased Funding Agreement. FRA is selecting the project for a Phased Funding Agreement with a total award amount of up to $3,799,999,820. Following selection, FRA will work with the recipient to establish and obligate the Phased Funding Agreement. FRA anticipates an initial obligation of FY22-23 funds under the agreement of up to $949,999,965, with contingent commitments from Advance Appropriations in FY24-26 providing the balance of funds. The initial funding is anticipated to be sufficient to fund the design support, design management, and construction management scope of the project.

 

[City of Miami]

Does anyone believe JB's claim of 2200 trains a day on the NEC?

 

[Tlcooper44]

Does anyone believe JB's claim of 2200 trains a day on the NEC?

Forgive me, I’m bad at subtext sometimes, but I thought this was rather widely known among rail people. The tracks in an around NYC do indeed see that many trains.


Alon Levy had an interesting take on this:

https://pedestrianobservations.com/2023/11/06/the-northeast-corridor-rail-grants/

 

[BlackDiamond]

Alon Levy had an interesting take on this:

https://pedestrianobservations.com/2023/11/06/the-northeast-corridor-rail-grants/

Interesting although I think he underrates the importance of renewing outdated infrastructure. I do agree with what he says about the Conn River bridge (most likely precludes ever bypassing the curves East of New Haven) and Hartford Line electrification.

By the way, what is "Delco Lead"? First time I've seen that term.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Interesting although I think he underrates the importance of renewing outdated infrastructure. I do agree with what he says about the Conn River bridge (most likely precludes ever bypassing the curves East of New Haven) and Hartford Line electrification.

By the way, what is "Delco Lead"? First time I've seen that term.

https://njtransitresilienceprogram.com/delcoleadoverview/

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Does anyone believe JB's claim of 2200 trains a day on the NEC?

https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/.../fact-sheets/amtrak-nec-fact-sheet-ye2021.pdf

The Northeast Corridor (NEC) is one of the busiest and economically vital transportation systems in the world serving the Northeast’s five major metropolitan regions—Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, DC. Hundreds of thousands of people rely on the approximately 2,200 Amtrak, commuter and freight trains* that operate over some portion of the Washington-Boston route each day.

 

[Bembidion]

Today the FRA is announcing the first batch of grant awards for the Northeast Corridor portion of the Federal State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail program. Biden will be doing a speech from the Amtrak Bear Maintenance facility to highlight this award. The Northeast Corridor portion of the program covers projects along the main spine of the NEC as well as the Amtrak owned branch lines including the New Haven - Springfield line and the Keystone line between Philadelphia and Harrisburg and must provide benefit to Amtrak services (or other intercity rail services operated by other operators). All other regions are funded under the separately awarded National Network portion of the program. Projects primarily benefitting commuter rail services without major benefit to Amtrak are granted by the Federal Transit Administration and are not eligible for this funding.

https://railroads.dot.gov/sites/fra...ram Selections - Project Summaries_PDFa_0.pdf

It's probably a pipe dream, but the best thing that could happen on the Hartford line would be to get the section through Hartford double-tracked.

 

[daybeers]

It's probably a pipe dream, but the best thing that could happen on the Hartford line would be to get the section through Hartford double-tracked.

I-84 has to be rebuilt first and the 84/91 interchange moved. In the meantime, they'll work on extending the double track in Windsor, Windsor Locks, and Enfield, and a few miles south of Hartford.

 

[user 14106]

I-84 has to be rebuilt first and the 84/91 interchange moved. In the meantime, they'll work on extending the double track in Windsor, Windsor Locks, and Enfield, and a few miles south of Hartford.

There are three sections as you said. One is to convert the industrial siding north of current Wood interlocking into a second track and move the interlocking to the north end of the extended track 2. That would essentially extend the existing track 2 closer to Hartford station. The next will extend the current double track from current Hayden interlocking to just north of the planned new Windsor Locks station. And the final will establish a new siding from just north of the Connecticut River bridge to just south of where they plan to build the new Enfield station. The segment from there to the current Field interlocking I believe is planned to remain single track indefinitely. I believe there are some space constraints related to where they plan to put the Enfield station that would make it difficult and costly to have it as a two track station. They did not get the Springfield line Connecticut river bridge replacement in this round of funding. If they get the bridge replacement during a subsequent round of fed state grants, that would also be double tracked and connect the Windsor Locks and Enfield double track sections.

 

[City of Miami]

Forgive me, I’m bad at subtext sometimes, but I thought this was rather widely known among rail people. The tracks in an around NYC do indeed see that many trains.


Alon Levy had an interesting take on this:

https://pedestrianobservations.com/2023/11/06/the-northeast-corridor-rail-grants/

Oh, I see, this designed statistic includes njt, llrr and metronorth and freight ffs. OK! I should have known better. How to Lie With Statistics 101. I wonder how they define a train. Our daily bread these days.

 

[user 14106]

And just to conclude if the bridge eventually got replaced there would then be a continuous double track from Hart to just south of the proposed Enfield station.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Oh, I see, this designed statistic includes njt, llrr and metronorth and freight ffs. OK! I should have known better. How to Lie With Statistics 101. I wonder how they define a train. Our daily bread these days.

All those trains affect the infrastructure, so, yes, they’re included when talking about infrastructure improvements.

 

[Tlcooper44]

Oh, I see, this designed statistic includes njt, llrr and metronorth and freight ffs. OK! I should have known better. How to Lie With Statistics 101. I wonder how they define a train. Our daily bread these days.

I’m pretty sure they define train the same as how we define train.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Oh, I see, this designed statistic includes njt, llrr and metronorth and freight ffs. OK! I should have known better. How to Lie With Statistics 101. I wonder how they define a train. Our daily bread these days.

You forgot MARC and SEPTA and maybe others.

 

[BlackDiamond]

I-84 has to be rebuilt first and the 84/91 interchange moved. In the meantime, they'll work on extending the double track in Windsor, Windsor Locks, and Enfield, and a few miles south of Hartford.

The I-84/I-91 improvements have been rolled into a "Greater Hartford Mobility Study". It is good that they are taking a holistic approach considering rail and other non auto transport. However the study will be 2 to 3 years before any actual project timelines are even known so Amtrak/CTRail will have to live with the single track through Hartford for some time to come.

 

[Bembidion]

I-84 has to be rebuilt first and the 84/91 interchange moved. In the meantime, they'll work on extending the double track in Windsor, Windsor Locks, and Enfield, and a few miles south of Hartford.

I'll give them credit for extending the double tracks north of Hartford I think around the time CT Rail started. I'm glad that they are going to extend the double tracking.

 

[user 14106]

I'll give them credit for extending the double tracks north of Hartford I think around the time CT Rail started. I'm glad that they are going to extend the double tracking.

They did additional double tracking both north of Hartford and south of Hartford in the years prior to when CTrail started and finished that northern most section in Windsor in the year after it started. This will complete the planned double tracking for the line with the exception of the eventual Hartford station relocation and replacement of the Connecticut River Bridge between Suffield and Enfield with a double track bridge. The bridge replacement is also in the running for Fed State - NEC grants but didn't make the cut in this round. Hopefully it will make the cut in one of the next 3 rounds before the IIJA money dries up. Amtrak and CTDOT split the two projects up with CTDOT submitting the double track work and Amtrak submitting the bridge replacement. Based on the announced plans there will remain two short single tracked sections on the line - both pretty short when all is said and done. One is the short single track from Sweeney interlocking to Spring interlocking which sorts the trains onto the 3 tracks in Springfield station itself, and the other will be an under 2 mile section from Field interlocking where it currently transitions between double and single track to just south of the planned Enfield station where one of the new track 2 sections will start. I suspect some of the new track 2 segments will be dispatched as a siding. If there are no meets to occur trains will likely head down track 1 all the way between Springfield to Windsor Locks so that they don't have to slow down for what could be three crossovers in Enfield. This is the practice today - trains generally are only sent on track 2 between Sweeney and Field when there is to be a meet with a train coming in the other direction (or if there is track work on track 1) to avoid the slowdown at Field interlocking. The Amtrak services and CTRAIL run a pretty tight schedule on this line with very little padding so even small slowdowns for crossovers can affect the on time arrival at Springfield or New Haven.

 

[daybeers]

Slowdowns wouldn't be as prevalent if they used higher speed crossovers than 45...

 

[Literalman]

The list of grant awards said that the Susquehanna River bridge is beyond its useful life. Beyond its design life maybe?

 

[jis]

Interesting tidbit from the "New Jersey - Gateway Program: Dock Bridge Rehabilitation" item...

The following is slipped in innocuously:

The 90-year-old, six-track, steel through-truss bridge will undergo repair of the structural steel, installation of straight steel rails to replace moveable miter rails, repair to concrete piers and fender replacement, and installation of a targeted anti-corrosion protection system to slow or stop future degradation to the bridge structure.

The implication of the italicized text is that the bridge will stop being a movable bridge and will be permanently frozen in the rail use position. I had not noticed that before.