Upgrading tracks for Amtrak

[DET63]

I'm sure you can find isolated stretches, or even significant lengths, of track rated for 65-70 mph, but I would think that the majority of track is much slower. Let's also remember that, if part of the train is in a place where the speed limit is lower, the engineer has to wait for the rear of the train to clear to the slow stretch, irrespective of the speed limit at the front of the train.

Aloha

I am not sorry, ROFLOL, but I must make the comment that I hope the Engineer keeps the front and back at the same Speed

Well, if he's trying to take up some slack, or create some slack . . .

 

[battalion51]

I'm with Dutch on this one. Are many of the MAIN LINES rated for 60 MPH for freight, yes. However, if you look at all the mileage in the systems many of these are rated at speeds that are in lower brackets. I wish I could throw out firm numbers here, but again my life is in boxes right now. There are many places where you don't have signal systems in place for large stretches of mainline which inevitably holds down your maximum speed permitted. West of Tallahassee you don't have signals for a long stretch (til somewhere in Mississippi IIRC). This is still a high density line that sees 20-25 trains a day. But you've got a lot of mileage that moves a lot of freight that doesn't have signals.

Are most high density mainlines operated with track warrants, no. and even under track warrants you can run 40.

Thanks for agreeing with us! Is CSX's A-Line or BNSF's Transcon operated with TWC/DTC? No. But as a percentage of the total rail mileage in the country, there's at least as much TWC/DTC as there is CTC/ABS. And even with ABS you need TWC/DTC if it's single track ABS.

 

[Ryan]

Hi rail trucks 79mph at crew's discretion, he said going over 55-60mph will make the trucks bounce and sway to the point you think they are going to de-rail.

I have a new goal in life - this sounds like one hell of a ride.

 

[Crescent ATN & TCL]

On average the speeds are below 45 mph on majority of all freight lines, exceptions are lines already having passenger traffic.my best guestimate is 90% of all tracks are 45 mph or lower, .

Add to that that todays freight carriers are more fuel sensitive than in a hurry .

Thats not true at all. Most signaled frieght lines on the East coast are 50mph, Intermoadal can run 60mph. Certain types cars like bulkhead flats and individual hoppers are resticeted to 45mph. Curves and small towns are what drops the speeds down.

LOL, Small towns lowering speeds? The Crescent does most of its 80mph running through small towns. NS has taken up a new policy of "speed deters people from running through crossings", so they are ramping up speeds through towns. Also the Crescent's route like many others are straightest in the towns, simply because the towns are in the flat areas, and were built around the railroad which put its facilities on flat level ground where yards and stations could be built.

As for track class its up to the freight railroad as to what class their track is rated as. In other words if NS wants to say the Crescent's route is Class 9 for 200mph passenger operations it can, but everywhere there is a violation of that standard a slow order must be issued to meet the standard the track is currently in. That's why slow orders exist, anywhere you have a defect the railroad must operate trains over that defect at the speed that would be allowed for the track class that would accept that defect.

NS's max speeds per a signal maintainer at Tuscaloosa are:

Local freights that stop to pick up/drop off cars and do yard shunting is 50mph.

Mixed/Manifest Frieghts are allowed 55mph.

Unit trains, i.e. coal trains are allowed 60mph.

Unit trains equipped with ECP brakes are allowed 70mph.

Double Stacks/Piggybacks/Autoracks are allowed 70mph.

Amtrak is allowed 79mph.

NS executive train/FRA train is allowed 79mph if being run with the heritage carbody/cowl diesels, 70mph with freight engines.

RBB circus train 70mph.

Hi rail trucks 79mph at crew's discretion, he said going over 55-60mph will make the trucks bounce and sway to the point you think they are going to de-rail.

He also said the Crescent route is declared by NS to be FRA Class 5 but is maintained to a minimum of Class 4. Generally the first few months after major track work it is class 5 after about a year it has generally deteriorated to class 4 and slow orders are issued to Class 4 standards. He said as of right now there are places between Birmingham and Tuscaloosa that have deteriorated to class 3 and Amtrak is being slow ordered to 60mph in those areas until track work wraps up in mid February.

Tell your maintainer buddy to go and look at the System Timetable. No frieght on NS runs 70mph, pigs an auto racks are 60, theres no difference between a local and a manifest they both run 50. The only thing you got right was the 79mph for Amtrak.

I talked to him again today and for clarification the 70mph speeds are only for The Crescent Intermodal Corridor and the Heartland Intermodal Corridor, the main NS system is still 60mph, manifests do run 55 mph but only if there are no hazmat cars or other cars with a 50 or less restriction. He also said 70mph started in early 2009 and is fairly recent change.

 

[zephyr17]

I'm with Dutch on this one. Are many of the MAIN LINES rated for 60 MPH for freight, yes. However, if you look at all the mileage in the systems many of these are rated at speeds that are in lower brackets. I wish I could throw out firm numbers here, but again my life is in boxes right now. There are many places where you don't have signal systems in place for large stretches of mainline which inevitably holds down your maximum speed permitted. West of Tallahassee you don't have signals for a long stretch (til somewhere in Mississippi IIRC). This is still a high density line that sees 20-25 trains a day. But you've got a lot of mileage that moves a lot of freight that doesn't have signals.

Are most high density mainlines operated with track warrants, no. and even under track warrants you can run 40.

Thanks for agreeing with us! Is CSX's A-Line or BNSF's Transcon operated with TWC/DTC? No. But as a percentage of the total rail mileage in the country, there's at least as much TWC/DTC as there is CTC/ABS. And even with ABS you need TWC/DTC if it's single track ABS.

You need a track warrent or some other form of dispatcher authorization, or be in yard limits, to occupy track under any form of ABS, single or double track. ABS signals alone do not confer the right to track occupancy under any circumstances, unlike CTC. They only indicate what may be ahead of you, and may restrict your speed.