Texas Eagle reroute between STL and CHI October 17-31

[neroden]

I'm not sure that physical work has actually begun on all the funded projects. Has any dirt moved on the West Detroit (if I got the name right but you know what I mean) project?

Not sure. Google maps, however, shows that there might actually be some work going on:

https://goo.gl/maps/ePvAXc4hHiR2

 

[afigg]

I'm not sure that physical work has actually begun on all the funded projects. Has any dirt moved on the West Detroit (if I got the name right but you know what I mean) project?

Not sure. Google maps, however, shows that there might actually be some work going on:

I did a google search several months ago for news on this project and came across postings on a Michigan forum/BB site from someone who stated that the connection bridge had been completed and the project was waiting on the freight railroads to lay down track and add in the switches. Did a new search can came across this August, 2015 memo on planning for the Dearborn to Detroit transit corridor which states:

The West Detroit Connection Track Project, to be completed by the end of 2015. This project will shorten the travel time between the Dearborn Amtrak station and Detroit’s New Center Station by approximately 12 minutes.

So it appears to be one of those projects that has been underway, but there is no website, no transportation agency project update page, no local press coverage on the track project, so not much info available.

 

[afigg]

Now for afigg's conclusion:

"... I suspect we will see HSIPR funded improvements finally start to kick in on a number of corridors in the fall of 2016 after the 2016 summer track work season."

It's getting closer to midnight on the clock for Stimulus and FY 2010 funded projects -- less than two years until the deadline at the end of FY 2017. Will they all get finished by paying triple time over Labor Day weekend in 2017? Is it too much to think a few projects could complete in 2016 as afigg hopes? I'm not sure that physical work has actually begun on all the funded projects. Has any dirt moved on the West Detroit (if I got the name right but you know what I mean) project?

....

I try not to get impatient about any given project -- even a Billion dollar one like St Louis-Chicago, or even the Viewliner II order. But dayum, we're looking at $10 or $12 Billion worth of projects once described as "shovel ready", and I don't remember Ribbon One being cut yet.

Why I expect we will see a number of HSIPR projects get completed (or the major work completed with "clean-up" work remaining) by late or the end of 2016 is that the FRA has imposed a June, 2017 completion date for almost all of the stimulus projects. That is the date that showed up in the status reports. Since June is in the middle of the constrained construction season for the projects located in the Midwest, Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, that provides an incentive to get the heavy work done in the 2016 construction season so the winter of 2016-2017 and the Spring of 2017 can be spent wrapping up the project.

The actual amount of funding provided directly for the HSIPR grants was $10.1 billion. $8 billion in the 2009 stimulus and $2.1 billion in FY2010 (after the newly elected House Republicans in early 2011 rescinded $400 million of FY2010 funds and killed the $2.5 billion in the FY2011 budget which came that close to getting passed in late 2010 before the Republicans took control of the House). Of that around $3.9 went to the CA HSR project, which is rushing to spend the money on construction before September 30, 2017. What that means is that there is actually about roughly $6 billion of HSIPR funds being spent on projects related to Amtrak service. There are additional funds for passenger rail related projects from TIGER grants and other pots of federal money along with state funds that I don't know if anyone has tried to add up.

BTW, the $2.1 billion in FY2010 HSIPR funds do not have the September, 2017 deadline that the stimulus funds do. So the projects funded with FY2010 grants can drag on for even longer. The $2.9 billion of HSIPR funding that was taken away in 2011 hurt because if those funds had been available, I could see IL getting $200 or $300 million for double tracking several long segments and maybe a few grade separation projects for the CHI-STL corridor. So much of the route is single tracked with passing sidings, I suspect that the on-time performance for the Lincoln service will rarely be very good once the current funded upgrades are completed.

 

[neroden]

Did a new search can came across this August, 2015 memo on planning for the Dearborn to Detroit transit corridor which states:

The West Detroit Connection Track Project, to be completed by the end of 2015. This project will shorten the travel time between the Dearborn Amtrak station and Detroit’s New Center Station by approximately 12 minutes.

So it appears to be one of those projects that has been underway, but there is no website, no transportation agency project update page, no local press coverage on the track project, so not much info available.

There's another interesting tidbit in there. They're studying the next bottleneck:

Capacity analysis of the Canadian National (CN) ownership between West Detroit Junction and Pontiac, to be completed by fall 2015. A decision regarding Beaubien Interlocking and Milwaukee Junction may be impacted by the results of this capacity analysis

This implies that they're seriously considering sorting out the ridiculous situation where the CN line through Detroit station crosses the Conrail line twice (at Milwaukee Junction and then at Beaubien Interlocking) for no-good-reason (purely historical reasons) before heading for Pontiac.

This is getting off topic. But very interesting!

 

[WoodyinNYC]

Now for afigg's conclusion:

"... I suspect we will see HSIPR funded improvements finally start to kick in on a number of corridors in the fall of 2016 after the 2016 summer track work season."

It's getting closer to midnight … I'm not sure that physical work has actually begun on all the funded projects. Has any dirt moved on the West Detroit project?

....

... the FRA has imposed a June, 2017 completion date for almost all of the stimulus projects. That is the date that showed up in the status reports….

...

Thanks for the good backgrounder.

And the link to the West Detroit project info. Wow. If they really deliver a 12-minute time savings from that one project!

Looks like they need to trim the schedule by at least 9 minutes to be able to advertise "Ann Arbor-Detroit in less than an hour". That would be 59 minutes or a bit less. But somehow "less than an hour" seems like a much faster trip than "1 hour 8 minutes".

In the same way, when the time savings Kalamazoo-Dearborn kick in, that last train out of Chicago will reach Detroit "a little before midnight" instead of "after midnight". Some words carry heavy impact, e.g. "after midnight in Detroit".)

It will also help if new stories next year can say, "Work on the route has already cut 12 minutes from the Kalamazoo-Detroit section".

Of course, just 12 minutes out of a 6 hrs 28 min trip Chicago-Detroit ain't much. We'll have to wait for the 40 minutes or so to come out of the Kalamazoo-Dearborn upgrades to see a big difference. But on shorter trips, like Dearborn-Pontiac (roughly an hour) or even Kalamazoo-Detroit (roughly 3 hrs 20 min), even 12 minutes -- 24 minutes round trip -- could make a nice difference to many riders (or drivers considering the train).

So far off-topic I've basically derailed.

Maybe a Moderator could move some of these recent posts? Or start a new thread?

 

[PaulM]

With Illinois budget in a mess, The Guv has proposed to axe the state dollars to fund the state's subsidy to operate any or all of the Illinois trains.

Is the "any or all" part a new development? The idea of eliminating some of the trains was floated about a year ago; but I haven't seen the axe yet. The axe project appears to be making even less progress than the CHI-STL improvement project.

 

[WoodyinNYC]

Allow me to get back On Topic, thanks to the Railway Gazette, with a fine example of good old-fashioned journalism:

http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/infrastructure/single-view/view/blockade-to-speed-chicago-st-louis-upgrade.html

For those who refuse to click thru, the Railway Gazette has taken the 15-day service interruption, which the Brits seem to call a "blockade", as the news peg to give a nice wrap-up on the [280-mile] St Louis-Chicago route upgrade. It notes several previous 8-day blockades since the beginning of 2012, while warning of a few more to come next year and even the next.

The article says about [60 miles] in various spots are being double-tracked. "Around a third of the route is being fenced, and 234 of the 256 level crossings are being upgraded. In total, $757m is being spent on track and structures and $218m on level crossing works …"

Much of the track has been relaid, and "Union Pacific has been deploying its TRT909 automated track renewal train and has already laid more than [190 miles] of concrete sleepers, according to Patrick Halsted, General Director, Design & Construction."

"Work has recently started on installing an optic fibre communications backbone to support the interoperable I-ETMS version of Positive Train Control. The line is also being equipped with elements of GE Transportation's Incremental Train Control System to manage level crossing operation at higher speeds."

The Railway Gazette article says that the Stimulus-funded work must be completed by June 30, 2017. About 75% of the route will be able to handle 110-mph trains. After this phase of the project is finished and the new bi-level cars and Charger locomotives arrive, it says the trip time will be reduced by almost an hour from 5:20 now.

That time savings is more than I recall seeing. I was thinking 40 minutes in Illinois (and 50 minutes in Michigan). Hope the article is right on that point.

It's probably wrong to report that the bi-levels will arrive starting next year. We'll be lucky if they all arrive on June 29, 2017. The Railway Gazette goes on to say that an option for another 20 Chargers was recently exercised (guess I missed that news), which it says will allow all of Amtrak's Midwest fleet of locos to be replaced.

And not least, this news: "The upgrade will also provide capacity to operate a fifth Lincoln Service train each way per day."

Four frequencies on the Lincoln Service got 630,000 passengers. The bi-levels can carry 30% more riders than the Horizons about an hour faster, so that gets me to 820,000. Add a fifth frequency to carry 200,000 more.

Coming soon: Over a million riders on this corridor, plus some St Louis-Chicago riders on Amtrak's Texas Eagle LD train. The governor should just forget about that damn axe.

 

[afigg]

The Railway Gazette article says that the Stimulus-funded work must be completed by June 30, 2017. About 75% of the route will be able to handle 110-mph trains. After this phase of the project is finished and the new bi-level cars and Charger locomotives arrive, it says the trip time will be reduced by almost an hour from 5:20 now.

That time savings is more than I recall seeing. I was thinking 40 minutes in Illinois (and 50 minutes in Michigan). Hope the article is right on that point.

It's probably wrong to report that the bi-levels will arrive starting next year. We'll be lucky if they all arrive on June 29, 2017. The Railway Gazette goes on to say that an option for another 20 Chargers was recently exercised (guess I missed that news), which it says will allow all of Amtrak's Midwest fleet of locos to be replaced.

And not least, this news: "The upgrade will also provide capacity to operate a fifth Lincoln Service train each way per day."

Four frequencies on the Lincoln Service got 630,000 passengers. The bi-levels can carry 30% more riders than the Horizons about an hour faster, so that gets me to 820,000. Add a fifth frequency to carry 200,000 more.

Coming soon: Over a million riders on this corridor, plus some St Louis-Chicago riders on Amtrak's Texas Eagle LD train. The governor should just forget about that damn axe.

Only 1 Lincoln service train has a schedule 5:20 trip time, #301 with fewer stops. The rest have a 5:30 to 5:40 trip time. As I recall, the trip time reduction for all of the funded upgrades is expected to be about 1 hour. Which is what the article says. So the typical trip time, maybe by late 2017 or more likely sometime in 2018, will be cut to 4 hours and 30 to 40 minutes.
If IL can expand the service to 5 daily Lincoln service trains, perhaps they can have one CHI to STL train matching the fewer stops of #301, departing CHI late afternoon, for a 4:20 trip time as the business travelers semi-express.

As for confirming that there will be more closures (or blockades) in 2016 and 2017, those will continue to dampen the ridership numbers. The damage from a 1 or 2 day weekend shutdown is limited, but a continuous 8 or 14 day long shutdown is going to discourage some from taking the train at all.

I expect with 4 daily trains, the Lincoln service could readily carry more than 630K passengers a year right now. If all the improvements don't kick in until 2018, ridership will grow only so much percentage wise per year, so it could be 2020 or 2021 or even later before the annual ridership numbers exceed 1 million.

 

[WoodyinNYC]

The Railway Gazette article says ... the trip time will be reduced by almost an hour from 5:20 now.

... "The upgrade will also provide capacity to operate a fifth Lincoln Service train each way per day."

Four frequencies on the Lincoln Service got 630,000 passengers. The bi-levels can carry 30% more riders than the Horizons about an hour faster, so that gets me to 820,000. Add a fifth frequency to carry 200,000 more.

Coming soon: Over a million riders on this corridor ...

...
... more closures (or blockades) in 2016 and 2017, those will continue to dampen the ridership numbers. ...

... the Lincoln service could readily carry more than 630K passengers a year right now. If all the improvements don't kick in until 2018, ridership will grow only so much percentage wise per year, so it could be 2020 or 2021 ... before the annual ridership numbers exceed 1 million.

Actually, the Lincoln Services carried 633,531 riders in FY 2014 (Audited Monthly Report for September, p 3.5), tho it's down almost 10% this year due to the blockades and delays. The National Corridors site

http://www.nationalcorridors.org/df3/df11032014d.pdf

somehow has a Monthly Report with a footnote I hadn't seen before:

Note: Ridership to some locations south and west of Chicago is shared by state-supported and national network trains, as shown above. Combined ridership for all Amtrak trains on these corridors is as follows for FY14: Chicago-St. Louis, 717,565 ...

That means the Eagle carried about 85,000 riders on this corridor. And the total 717,000 could grow to a million very quickly if they do get an hour out of the schedule.

The hour saved will let departure times be tweaked -- just enuff to make the trains much, much more convenient than now. Earlier arrivals into Chicago will allow a passenger to make a morning meeting or a business lunch. Earlier returns will let riders get home before midnight. The departures can probably move to a clock-face schedule. Plus shiny new trains. I'm optimistic about this corridor again.

 

[afigg]

The service interruptions on the CHI-STL corridor will continue until November 10 with partial service between St Louis and Bloomington. The TE will remain on the re-route through November 10. Provided they don't extent the service interruptions pass November 10, CHI-STL corridor will be mostly shut down for over 3 weeks. Going to be a big hit in ridership that will take time to recover from.

Service Alert content:

Lincoln Service and Texas Eagle: Track Improvements Affect Service between Chicago and St. Louis

Effective November 1 - 10, 2015

As construction continues to bring 110 mph speeds to the Lincoln Service, bridge repairs being performed by Union Pacific Railroad will affect the Lincoln Service and Texas Eagle between St. Louis and Chicago on November 1 through November 10, 2015.

Lincoln Service

Trains 300, 301, 305 and 306 will be canceled. Passengers can make reservations aboard other Lincoln Service train/bus service options described below.

Trains 302, 303, 304 and 307 will operate normally between St. Louis and Bloomington-Normal. Express bus service will operate in both directions between Chicago and Bloomington-Normal providing connections to the trains listed above. Contact Amtrak for bus schedules.

Service will not be available at Pontiac, Dwight, Joliet and Summit.

Texas Eagle

Train 21/421 will detour between Chicago and St. Louis from November 1 through November 10, 2015, and will not stop at any intermediate stations.

Train 22/422 will operate as scheduled to St. Louis. Starting November 1 through November 10, 2015, the train will detour between St. Louis and Chicago, and will not stop at any intermediate stations. Passengers on Train 22/422 destined for Chicago will remain on the train. Passengers on Train 22/422 traveling to stations between St. Louis and Chicago will get off the train in St. Louis and board a bus to their destination. The bus will only stop to discharge passengers.

Possible Delays: The Texas Eagle may encounter up to 45 minutes delay traveling through the detour.

 

[BEDT14]

Greetings all;

I came north on the 22 Texas Eagle on November 2. (DAL>CHI) and the 22 was still rerouted north of St. Louis via UP Pana Subdivision > UP Villa Grove SD .

Now, I was taking notes on the reroute for possible future reference (Subdivisions, frequencies, et al.)

What I need assistance with, is the trackage used AFTER UP Villa Grove SD. I couldn't hear what frequency the pilot engineer told to the crew to switch to. But I did get the last section of trackage were on: NS Chicago Line . I saw the map on page 1 as posted by "Grandpa D", and the map conforms to the route taken as I can remember.

Can someone provide this info? PM if neccesary.

Thanks in advance!

Phil

 

[MikefromCrete]

The detour route utilizes jointly-owned UP-CSX track north of Woodland Junction (dispatched by UP) to Dolton, then UP (ex-C&WI) to around 75th Street when it briefly enters Belt Railway of Chicago then onto to Metra-owned trackage (also ex-C&WI)to NS, then onto Amtrak-owned trackage at 21st St. bridge.