New Gulf Coast service (New Orleans - Mobile and Baton Rouge)

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rwb1122 said:
Why not extend it through Baton Rouge to St.Francisville, Woodville, Natchez and Vicksburg. From there, a connection could be made with the Magnolia Star to Dallas and beyond.
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I think one thing at a time is probably best. I don't know about the possible ROW's and their owners for that route, but perhaps if the initial service is successful that can be something later on.
 
rwb1122 said:
Why not extend it through Baton Rouge to St.Francisville, Woodville, Natchez and Vicksburg. From there, a connection could be made with the Magnolia Star to Dallas and beyond.
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Not sure the tracks even there for some the places on this list, and if they are, they would probably require significant upgrades to achieve acceptable passenger train speeds. If your ultimate objective is Dallas, which would be a reasonable target, then the route from Baton Rouge should be the former KCS or MP/T&P route through Alexandria LA to Shreveport where it would meet Meridian to Dallas. Again, let's get the first part going, then talk about extensions. Also, I had been of the impression that New Orleans to Mobile was step one, then go for adding New Orleans to Baton Rouge.
 
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Never having been east of NOL on the train, I'm wondering what the stations are like. I remember some years ago Amtrak did a test run through the panhandle of Florida, there was film of it but I haven't found it online. I just remember the train was greeted enthusiastically even at small towns I was surprised to learn had stations...
 
George Harris said:
You are making this sound much bigger than it really is. Almost everything you have listed is straight out of the box stuff CSX does every day. Except for the overall layout it is simply a matter of grabbing the company's standard plans and stacking them together.
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Are power switches even necessary? How about hand-thrown spring switches on both ends of the station siding? Hand throw the switch to get into the siding and spring your way out of it. Very little signalling would need to be done initially. Then, later on, the power switches and signals could be added.

jb

west point said:
A very big impediment is the installation of the station track. As understood a power switch off the main track is to be installed. Now has CSX even started doing the engineering for that station track? once the engineering is complete a left hand turnout will have to be specified and constructed and installed. Signal masts will need installing. A signal bungalow will need wiring up and then placed at the turnout. Then wiring of the switch and signals will have to be run to the bungalow. Testing of the turnout including any effects on grade crossings will also need verifying.

It is going to take time. Now who is going to build the station siding is not clear and can it be built before the permanent station is complete?
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I'm not up to speed on this, but why is a station track necessary? Why not just have the platform adjacent to the main track and make the station stop from there?

jb
 
John Bobinyec said:
I'm not up to speed on this, but why is a station track necessary? Why not just have the platform adjacent to the main track and make the station stop from there?

jb
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The station is a terminus and requires the train to stop at the platform between the morning eastbound and afternoon westbound runs, plus overnight. It's a busy two track main and the host railroad and port definitely aren't willing to introduce a single track bottleneck. That's why they want a single powered switch for the station siding - it makes moves into and out of the siding marginally faster, and critically it's controlled by and visible to the dispatcher.
 
absolutely correct. All this was a requirement for CSX to approve the station track. Additionally, there is no way for a spring switch onto a PTC controlled main line will happen. A runaway Amtrak train going thru that switch no way. As well probably there will be a dispatcher controlled derail on the station track to prevent any Amtrak train to enter the main until the route is set up.
 
west point said:
absolutely correct. All this was a requirement for CSX to approve the station track. Additionally, there is no way for a spring switch onto a PTC controlled main line will happen. A runaway Amtrak train going thru that switch no way. As well probably there will be a dispatcher controlled derail on the station track to prevent any Amtrak train to enter the main until the route is set up.
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Correct. All switches on PTC controlled trackage must be "electrically interlocked", even if they are manually operated. Spring switches that are not electrically locked are absolute no no.

Meanwhile some details about the final deal:
Fox10tv.com said:
  • A long-term lease, paving the way for a downtown train stop.
  • A funding agreement guaranteeing Amtrak $3.048 million over three years to subsidize the service.
  • Accepting an agreement with the Alabama Port Authority to contribute $1 million toward the subsidy.
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You can read the whole article at:

https://www.fox10tv.com/2024/07/26/...ckage-that-mobile-city-council-will-consider/

Here is what needs to happen now for service to actually begin. The proverbial fat lady is on the stage ready to sing, but concert is not near its end when she does sing quite yet.

 
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Deal finally inked.
https://www.wxxv25.com/mobile-passe...-resume-amtraks-gulf-coast-passenger-service/
The Mobile City Council passed three resolutions Tuesday that would bring passenger rail service back to the Gulf Coast.

The city, the Port of Mobile and Amtrak reached an agreement on July 24 that would provide for funding and the construction of a platform for rail passengers.

New Orleans is pushing to have the rail service in place before the Super Bowl, scheduled for Feb. 9, 2025.
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turtlypo said:
Yeah, I was really hoping this would pave the way for a return to coast-to-coast Sunset Limited.
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Having two daily track slots along with active stations east of New Orleans certainly doesn't hurt the Sunset Limited's chances. I imagine Mobile would support swapping one daily trip from their support to Federal support.
 
thefirewarde said:
Having two daily track slots along with active stations east of New Orleans certainly doesn't hurt the Sunset Limited's chances. I imagine Mobile would support swapping one daily trip from their support to Federal support.
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The Sunset East will never be revived. There were way too many operational problems. As far as switching out a short-distance train for a long distance train, I doubt if they will ever happen anywhere on the Amtrak system. To succeed, short distance trains need to operate on a dependable schedule, something that is close to impossible nowadays.
 
MikefromCrete said:
The Sunset East will never be revived. There were way too many operational problems. As far as switching out a short-distance train for a long distance train, I doubt if they will ever happen anywhere on the Amtrak system. To succeed, short distance trains need to operate on a dependable schedule, something that is close to impossible nowadays.
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Getting a New Orleans to Miami separate route via Jacksonville is certainly operationally easier than running a true coast to coast train. I actually deleted a couple paragraphs about operationally simpler alternative services that would still fill the Gulf Coast to Silver Service gap.

As for swapping short, timely, frequent trains for longer distance runs that use the same time slot, that's how the Borealis, Roanoke NER, Carolinian, etc etc etc got made. It's proposed for several more trains, too.

Of course Amtrak would prefer to just add a third daily service, but I believe if it came down to "restore Florida to New Orleans and lose one short state supported train" versus "no Florida to New Orleans", I think Amtrak would take the trade.
 
thefirewarde said:
As for swapping short, timely, frequent trains for longer distance runs that use the same time slot, that's how the Borealis, Roanoke NER, Carolinian, etc etc etc got made. It's proposed for several more trains, too.
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All of the examples you mentioned are intercity routes, and I think all of those (except for the Carolinian) were just extensions of existing corridor services. None of them are a corridor timeslot being completely absorbed by a true long-distance route. So no, it's not comparable.
 
Why the big fuss about a New Orleans - Miami train? Given the limitations of the existing infrastructure, including the big, out-of-the-way loop the tracks have to take between Mobile and Pensacola, I can't see how such a serve could be even remotely competitive with driving or taking the bus. With limited funding, I would name many other higher priorities for new long-distance service: A daily Sunset Limited and Cardinal, for one, and additional frequencies on the Lakeshore Limited Corridor and Chicago - Omaha - Denver for another. The "Meridian Speedway" to connect the NEC and Atlanta with Texas would be another. I'm sure there are more that others can name.

The state and local government agencies paying for the New Orleans - Mobile services are mainly interested in reliably moving people between Mobile and New Orleans. They really don't care about people being able to connect with unreliable long-distance trains taking them outside the states in question. And the local people who might want to ride a New Orleans - Mobile train would not appreciate it if one of the trains they needed to use was an unreliable long-distance train.
 
Back before the Floridian was cut, people used to connect Florida and New Orleans via Birmingham, and the Crescent. Not so direct, but better than what’s available now…
 
IMO the Sunset from NOL to Florida only has a chance if it was to go NOL - Montgomery - Bow line to JAX. But that appears it will need Mobile approval? A very unlikely in the future would be NOL - MEI - the Meridian & Bigbee to Montgomery - Bow line. But that would require CP and CSX approval for upgrades to M&B.
 

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