The Butchering of Tampa Station - A Bruce Richardson Essay

[user 1215]

Many years ago, this forum regularly posted articles from Bruce Richardson's "This Week at Amtrak" publication. Like me, Bruce is a paradigm - politically conservative while being very pro passenger rail service. You may disagree with him, but the system ain't working well right now. His insight bears at least a consideration.

http://corridorrail.com/u-s-florida-the-butchering-of-tampa-union-station/

 

[joelkfla]

Seems to me there are lots of leaps of logic here.

The author admits that the removed tracks were decrepit. Why keep unusable tracks on the long shot that there might be a use for them in the future, when keeping them would preclude improvement of the active track & platform?

The tracks can be rebuilt, as the author stated. The only downside given is that it might take longer because it would be considered new construction. He says it might take months. Is there any real possibility that new service would be added without several months lead time anyway?

He uses analysis of a station in Roanoke to make the case that there aren't many wheelchairs anyway, so why bother with a high platform? But this is Florida, not Virginia. On my last trip from Kissimmee, the portable lift had to be positioned and deployed at 3 different cars. And I would not call being hand cranked up on the lift as being treated with "dignity, grace, and efficiency", no matter how nice the Amtrak employees are about it.

As for both directions of the Star arriving at Tampa at the same time, he says it's happened "more than once". Twice? Thrice? Over how many years? If it's on the order of once a year or less, maintaining a 2nd (or 3rd & 4th) track for that rare occurrence hardly seems justified, to avoid a delay of maybe an hour at most.

 

[cirdan]

Seeing there are so many disused tracks, I wonder why they didn't invite Brightline to plan their Tampa terminal there, rather than have Brightline plan for a new facility elsewhere as presently seems to be happening.

 

[user 1215]

He uses analysis of a station in Roanoke to make the case that there aren't many wheelchairs anyway, so why bother with a high platform? But this is Florida, not Virginia. On my last trip from Kissimmee, the portable lift had to be positioned and deployed at 3 different cars. And I would not call being hand cranked up on the lift as being treated with "dignity, grace, and efficiency", no matter how nice the Amtrak employees are about it.

I would almost agree with you here - Even when I lived in Savannah, they used the lift almost every time the train arrived. That being said, a ramp, or even an electric lift with red carpet and velvet handrails would be cheaper than requiring all stations to be built with high platforms.

 

[jruff001]

Seeing there are so many disused tracks, I wonder why they didn't invite Brightline to plan their Tampa terminal there, rather than have Brightline plan for a new facility elsewhere as presently seems to be happening.

I have wondered this too. Seems like there is plenty of room, and the station is very nice, and the sites Brightline is looking at in the Western Ybor area are very very close to Union Station anyways - but a few blocks further away from downtown, just beyond a comfortable walking distance (by most people's definitions) compared to Union Station.

 

[user 1215]

I think that the decision to stop at Ybor is possibly to eliminate the need to contract outside dispatching and keeping control over their entire line. That being said, it goes against the philosophy that put the "Union" in Union Station.

 

[jis]

It should not be all that hard to build a connecting walkway from the planned Brightline station to Union Station. The eastern end of the platform won't be all that far from the new station. The new station will be an elevated one anyway, since they simply don't want to deal with yet another CF of grade crossings in the middle of a station approach as is the case with the ground level approach to Union Station.

 

[Eric S]

That was a bizarre anti-high platform rant. Level boarding (whether accomplished through low-floor equipment or high-level platforms) is helpful to (approximately) every passenger, not just those using wheelchairs.

 

[jis]

That was a bizarre anti-high platform rant. Level boarding (whether accomplished through low-floor equipment or high-level platforms) is helpful to (approximately) every passenger, not just those using wheelchairs.

Par for the course from the author. He comes up with a lot of these and always posted with a commercial for his company attached.

He uses analysis of a station in Roanoke to make the case that there aren't many wheelchairs anyway, so why bother with a high platform? But this is Florida, not Virginia. On my last trip from Kissimmee, the portable lift had to be positioned and deployed at 3 different cars. And I would not call being hand cranked up on the lift as being treated with "dignity, grace, and efficiency", no matter how nice the Amtrak employees are about it.

Fortunately both Savannah and Jacksonville are slated to get high level platforms and at both there are no freight interference issues at the passenger station preventing such. And of course eventually in Jacksonville if Brightline and Amtrak happen to share a station near the Convention Center that will of necessity be high level platform too.

As for both directions of the Star arriving at Tampa at the same time, he says it's happened "more than once". Twice? Thrice? Over how many years? If it's on the order of once a year or less, maintaining a 2nd (or 3rd & 4th) track for that rare occurrence hardly seems justified, to avoid a delay of maybe an hour at most.

Should it become necessary it will indeed be possible to add a second platform track on the other (unused) side of the high level platform in relatively short order. I think Florida might have to be captured by Cuba or something like that before a third track will be required , specially if Brghtline provides bulk of the high value Florida regional service other than LD.

 

[jiml]

No matter which side of his position one takes, it was an interesting read and still "pro" passenger rail - which is never a bad thing.

 

[cirdan]

Should it become necessary it will indeed be possible to add a second platform track on the other (unused) side of the high level platform in relatively short order. I think Florida might have to be captured by Cuba or something like that before a third track will be required , specially if Brghtline provides bulk of the high value Florida regional service other than LD.

what are the chances of there ever being a commuter service of some sort?

 

[Ryan]

still "pro" passenger rail - which is never a bad thing.

Non-concur. Being pro-passenger rail doesn't make a bad argument good just because you agree with the underlying opinion. J. Bruce's ramblings frequently fall into that bucket.

 

[cirdan]

It seems to me that his only gripe is that a lot of money was spent and the result is still minimalist.

So to please him they should either have spent no money at all or much more money to create several high-level platforms.

I agree with the sentiment that Amtrak funds are limited and one should think carefully and spend them where they are most effective. I'm not in a position to judge whether that happened in this case. But neither does the author apparently, otherwise he would have argued along those lines and produced examples of projects that would have delivered more benefit for the same money.

And if that is his line of argument, then he shoots himself in the foot by saying a second platform should have been built that gets used maybe a few time a year.

 

[jis]

what are the chances of there ever being a commuter service of some sort?

Here is what has been discussed as the two possible corridors for commuter service on trackage that CSX wants to get rid of...

https://www.facebook.com/urbnTB/pos...ia-about-the-csx-passenger-/1513279482325140/
If and when such is built there is ample space for buidling a second two track platform, high or low level, depending on what sort of rolling stock is selected for it. It is premature to build capacity at a station without knowing what is actually going to be the shape of the service and what its requirements will be.

 

[RebelRider]

He uses analysis of a station in Roanoke to make the case that there aren't many wheelchairs anyway, so why bother with a high platform? But this is Florida, not Virginia. On my last trip from Kissimmee, the portable lift had to be positioned and deployed at 3 different cars. And I would not call being hand cranked up on the lift as being treated with "dignity, grace, and efficiency", no matter how nice the Amtrak employees are about it.

As for both directions of the Star arriving at Tampa at the same time, he says it's happened "more than once". Twice? Thrice? Over how many years? If it's on the order of once a year or less, maintaining a 2nd (or 3rd & 4th) track for that rare occurrence hardly seems justified, to avoid a delay of maybe an hour at most.

A high level platform is SOOOOO much better all around for EVERY passenger. Getting rid of stairs greatly speeds boarding/detraining and makes it safer, too. No more lugging bags/small children up and down the narrow, steep steps. Fewer back injuries for employees constantly assisting with said bags. Tampa is the #1 station by passenger volume for the Star, and having level boarding has decreased dwell time. Passengers constantly remark how much nicer it is to have level boarding.

The issue of 91 and 92 being in Tampa at the same time has occasionally cropped up. Someone is going to loose a little time, but there would be absolutely no payback to putting a second track in at this time. It just doesn't happen enough. The last few miles into TUS are controlled by track warrant, so if the trains are that close you can't just fleet them in on signals, anyway. Especially with the high level platform, it's just faster to run one in and back out than juggle warrants and hand throw station switches between trains. You'd end up with more total delay minutes over two trains than just one.

I don't give much credit to someone writing an article who frequently references, "according to Wikipedia...". Let me go edit the TUS entry to say CSX is installing a double track CTC mainline from AY to TUS, with Amtrak installing three high level and one low level platform with eight tracks to be in service by late-2022.

 

[jis]

Isn't it the case that when both 91 and 92 show up together the first one is Wyed and backed into Tampa and the second one is held in the Wye until the first one departs Tampa, and then it is backed into Tampa?

Do they ever run straight into Tampa and back out for departure these days at all?

 

[me_little_me]

Seeing there are so many disused tracks, I wonder why they didn't invite Brightline to plan their Tampa terminal there, rather than have Brightline plan for a new facility elsewhere as presently seems to be happening.

They might have. Then, again, Brightline would probably never want to share with Amtrak and lower their reputation for having nice facilities. People might think that Brightline serves ugly "flex meals", has inconsistent service, dirty trains, poor on-time performance and more.

 

[atltpa]

One of the problems with Bruce's essay is that he relied on Wikipedia--and specifically the entry for Tampa Union Station--as a main source for his criticisms. I wrote much of the Wikipedia entry for Tampa Union Station. I apparently didn't do a good enough job of it in certain places--some of what I wrote there is misunderstood.

There are currently two active tracks at Tampa Union Station, yes--but both are capable of hosting Amtrak trains. One is 2, with the low-level platform, and the other is the track served by the new high-level platform.

Amtrak did have a maintenance facility at Tampa, from 1984 (when Amtrak dropped train service to Clearwater and St. Petersburg, the latter where Amtrak's previous west coast of Florida maintenance facility was located) until 1995. I hated to see it closed, too. I loved to see the yard at TUS filled with Amtrak equipment.

Fact is, the track configuration at TUS has changed several times over the years. For instance, some of the tracks removed to construct the high-level platform were only added back in 1984 to support the Tampa maintenance base. They were there in 1912, removed in the 1970s to save maintenance expenses, added back in 1984, and removed for the high-level platform construction.

Moreover, this isn't something Amtrak did on its own without seeking input. The nonprofit advocacy group Friends of Tampa Union Station and the City of Tampa were both asked by Amtrak specifically to review and comment on the plans for the high level platform. And that process yielded positive results. Amtrak literally has plans to add tracks 4, 5 and 6 back in the future, if the need arises--in part due to the input of the Friends and the City.

It's also worth noting, as others have pointed out, that two of the parcels being considered for Brightline's Tampa station are immediately adjacent to the TUS yard--so the possibilities for connectivity are real.

Do I wish Tampa Union Station had 8 tracks filled with Amtrak and commuter trains today? Yes. It doesn't, but the new, modern platform is an improvement over the decrepit tracks it replaced. I think it is also an affirmation of Amtrak's commitment to Tampa service--which I appreciate greatly.

I believe the future of Tampa Union Station is bright. Remember, this is an historic station which was saved from condemnation and likely demolition in the 1980s by a grassroots effort of people (including regular Amtrak passengers) who gave a damn. Many of those folks remain on the job today.

And so I choose to remain positive about what lies ahead.

 

[jruff001]

It should not be all that hard to build a connecting walkway from the planned Brightline station to Union Station. The eastern end of the platform won't be all that far from the new station. The new station will be an elevated one anyway, since they simply don't want to deal with yet another CF of grade crossings in the middle of a station approach as is the case with the ground level approach to Union Station.

Has a site definitely been decided? Last I heard they were still considering several possibilities in Ybor but had not made a final decision, but that was a few months ago and I haven't been following it closely (because I'll probably be dead when / if Brightline makes it to Tampa).

 

[jruff001]

what are the chances of there ever being a commuter service of some sort?

I think about zero. There is a thread on it here:
Commuter Rail around Tampa Proposed

(Also note the URBN Tampa Bay link in post # 14 is from 2015.)

 

[jruff001]

Do they ever run straight into Tampa and back out for departure these days at all?

For six years I have lived within sight of the trains coming and going in and out of Tampa Union Station and I have never noticed them not backing in.

 

[jis]

Has a site definitely been decided? Last I heard they were still considering several possibilities in Ybor but had not made a final decision, but that was a few months ago and I haven't been following it closely (because I'll probably be dead when / if Brightline makes it to Tampa).

I don't think the decision is cast in stone yet, but apparently the only significant property development discussions have been with respect to the Ybor City site.

Here is the latest that I could find...

https://www.bizjournals.com/tampaba...tline-in-talks-to-connect-with-streetcar.html

 

[jruff001]

I don't think the decision is cast in stone yet, but apparently the only significant property development discussions have been with respect to the Ybor City site.

Here is the latest that I could find...

https://www.bizjournals.com/tampaba...tline-in-talks-to-connect-with-streetcar.html

Thank you!

(And IMO the link to the laughable streetcar "system" (really one small, slow line) discussed in the article is a waste of time until they do things to upgrade that, like giving the trolley priority over cars through intersections and having traffic lights coordinated with trolley movements - things that will never happen in car-centric Tampa.)