Other People's Rail: Amtrak, commuter rail, rapid transit news & views outside New England

[#bancars]

Look at that cameo!

Related:

 

[Semass]

It looks like the massive Albany Central Warehouse may finally be coming down. It is immediately adjacent to the Amtrak line and falling debris has halted trains in the past. Will this ever help facilitate more or better service on the Empire Service or Lakeshore? Who knows, but I don't think anyone will miss this building.

Albany Central Warehouse’s days are numbered as demolition contractors come on

Negotiations are under way to demolish Albany’s Central Warehouse.

www.wamc.org

 

[themissinglink]

South Dakota Senate votes down Amtrak resolution - Trains

PIERRE, S.D. — South Dakota’s Senate has voted down a bill calling for support for introduction of Amtrak service in the state. House Concurrent Resolution 6008 calls for state’s congressional delegation and the Trump administration to work for development of a route through the state connecting...

www.trains.com

 

[themissinglink]

Fuck everything about this.

Elon Musk suggests the U.S. should privatize the Postal Service and Amtrak

During a remote appearance at a technology conference in San Francisco, Musk told attendees the U.S. should privatize "as much as possible."

www.nbcnews.com

 

[BostonBoy]

Fuck everything about this.

Elon Musk suggests the U.S. should privatize the Postal Service and Amtrak

During a remote appearance at a technology conference in San Francisco, Musk told attendees the U.S. should privatize "as much as possible."

www.nbcnews.com

Amtrak already is a "Private Corporation" This guy is not a genius; he's a con man on the spectrum

 

[HenryAlan]

Amtrak already is a "Private Corporation" This guy is not a genius; he's a con man on the spectrum

As for the post office, while not a private corporation, it essentially functions like one already. And unlike Amtrak, it's Constitutionally established, so I don't think Musk can simply privatize it on a whim. Complete jackass.

 

[bakgwailo]

I also don't get the USPS angle, either.

As for the post office, while not a private corporation, it essentially functions like one already. And unlike Amtrak, it's Constitutionally established, so I don't think Musk can simply privatize it on a whim. Complete jackass.

Franklin is rolling in his grave.

 

[Stlin]

Looking at the MTA / Metro North's battery locomotive procurement, it appears that their press release very strategically took place before the release of board materials that included the cost: for 13 locomotives, the MTA will be paying just shy of $305M, for ~23.5M per locomotive for delivery in 2029-30.

Spoiler: Rant about the illogic of this procurement for Metro-North

That said, I (and apparently the NYC rail folks) am confused by the utility of these for Metro North ... its weird. Apparently earmarked for New Haven Line & Penn Station Access (PSA), which is using the Amtrak / NEC Hell Gate, which has already been in the process of constructing the substations for the past 3 years for a tiny segment of 750V 3rd rail to allow the M8s to run into NYP. Even if they're doing an 11th hour change of plan, given the proposed frequencies, the 13 they're buying won't be able to replace M8 service volumes, and as they'll have catenary pantographs and no 3rd rail shoe, they're not useful for the Hudson/Harlem lines to access Penn or LIRR... the only logic I can see is slushing some PSA funding to cover electrification of the Danbury/Waterbury branches, but that would be much more of a CT thing rather than one announced by the NY Gov, especially since they already just bought a full complement of new diesel dual modes (the original order these battery locomotives are option orders of) . Plus their new RFP for coaches when CTDOT already ordered new coaches for Hartford & the CT New Haven Branches with plenty of options for the rest of Metro-North? The decision making down there doesn't make any sense to me.

Compared to their Dec 24 procurement of Diesel-Electric dual modes, 44 of which will cost $787M for ~18M each, or even compared to TRE's Feb 24 procurement of 5 straight diesels for $63M / 12.5M each, that 5.5/11M markup is severe, but doesn't seem too bad compared to Caltrains battery premium. It appears that costs are getting rationalized in this space, and more "off the shelf" - those numbers seem to actually compare favorably when you put them next to the T's most recent electrification estimates per mile. They're a little funky for Metro North - Amtrak compatible AC pantograph and no 3rd rail shoe - but that means these are basically perfect for the T's current vision, if the T doesn't want to build out the infrastructure immediately absent major power dollars for the southside.

Governor Hochul Announces Metro-North to Operate First-in-the-Nation Battery- and Electric-Powered Locomotives for Penn Station Access

Governor Hochul announced details of a major expansion of Metro-North Railroad’s railcar fleet, unveiling plans to add new trains that will provide New Haven Line service to Penn Station and four additional stations in the Bronx.

www.governor.ny.gov

Alternative propulsion solutions for commuter trains

Removing the diesel engine and adding alternative methods of propulsion

www.mobility.siemens.com

 

[F-Line to Dudley]

Looking at the MTA / Metro North's battery locomotive procurement, it appears that their press release very strategically took place before the release of board materials that included the cost: for 13 locomotives, the MTA will be paying just shy of $305M, for ~23.5M per locomotive for delivery in 2029-30.

Spoiler: Rant about the illogic of this procurement for Metro-North

That said, I (and apparently the NYC rail folks) am confused by the utility of these for Metro North ... its weird. Apparently earmarked for New Haven Line & Penn Station Access (PSA), which is using the Amtrak / NEC Hell Gate, which has already been in the process of constructing the substations for the past 3 years for a tiny segment of 750V 3rd rail to allow the M8s to run into NYP. Even if they're doing an 11th hour change of plan, given the proposed frequencies, the 13 they're buying won't be able to replace M8 service volumes, and as they'll have catenary pantographs and no 3rd rail shoe, they're not useful for the Hudson/Harlem lines to access Penn or LIRR... the only logic I can see is slushing some PSA funding to cover electrification of the Danbury/Waterbury branches, but that would be much more of a CT thing rather than one announced by the NY Gov, especially since they already just bought a full complement of new diesel dual modes (the original order these battery locomotives are option orders of) . Plus their new RFP for coaches when CTDOT already ordered new coaches for Hartford & the CT New Haven Branches with plenty of options for the rest of Metro-North? The decision making down there doesn't make any sense to me.

Compared to their Dec 24 procurement of Diesel-Electric dual modes, 44 of which will cost $787M for ~18M each, or even compared to TRE's Feb 24 procurement of 5 straight diesels for $63M / 12.5M each, that 5.5/11M markup is severe, but doesn't seem too bad compared to Caltrains battery premium. It appears that costs are getting rationalized in this space, and more "off the shelf" - those numbers seem to actually compare favorably when you put them next to the T's most recent electrification estimates per mile. They're a little funky for Metro North - Amtrak compatible AC pantograph and no 3rd rail shoe - but that means these are basically perfect for the T's current vision, if the T doesn't want to build out the infrastructure immediately absent major power dollars for the southside.

Governor Hochul Announces Metro-North to Operate First-in-the-Nation Battery- and Electric-Powered Locomotives for Penn Station Access

Governor Hochul announced details of a major expansion of Metro-North Railroad’s railcar fleet, unveiling plans to add new trains that will provide New Haven Line service to Penn Station and four additional stations in the Bronx.

www.governor.ny.gov

Alternative propulsion solutions for commuter trains

Removing the diesel engine and adding alternative methods of propulsion

www.mobility.siemens.com

It's a scandal. The 2016-exercised supplemental order of Kawasaki M8's, which was supposed to inoculate for Penn Station Access fleet increases, was for $3.85M per car. Assuming they really are still hard-up for cars, taken with inflation another supplemental order of M8's is still going to be less than the $5.25M per car they're paying Alstom for new regular-assed push-pull coaches, plus the bath they're taking on these wild-ass unicorn locos. I can't fathom why they'd want to run such a much-hyped Urban Rail service into a very dwell-constrained terminal on piggish push-pull ops with coaches that not only have an inferior door configuration to the M8's, but have an inferior door configuration (vestibule-only doors instead of the additional center doors on a good chunk of the Shoreliner coach fleet) as the P-P coaches they're replacing. Especially since Penn Station Access is going to be run solely from electric territory Stamford or New Haven...no Danbury or Waterbury sojurns (they're already buying considerably cheaper conventional diesel+third rail Charger dual-modes to cover the future of the branches into Grand Central). Even if the M8 fleet is load-bearing for this service, schedules are going to have to be plotted out against the poorer-performing P-P's with their longer door dwells that could be taking any turn in the rotation so it's not going to be as tightly-run a service as it deserves to be.

Just total incoherence of a plan. At least buy a Sprinter for half the price if Not Invented Here syndrome is just begging for an injection of slovenly push-pull ops on the fucking New Haven Line. Or, better yet, don't at all.

 

[themissinglink]

Bill for Amtrak Cascades improvements passed by Washington House - Trains

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Legislation calling for increased frequencies and reduced travel times for Amtrak Cascades service has passed the Washington state House of Representatives and moved to the Senate. House Bill 1857 passed by a 68-29 vote last Wednesday, March 12, beating a deadline for bills to...

www.trains.com

The bill calls for service to be more than doubled, to a minimum of 14 daily round trips between Seattle and Portland, Ore., and five between Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia, and for infrastructure improvements to improve trip times

 

[fatnoah]

Elon Musk suggests the U.S. should privatize the Postal Service and Amtrak

In the interest of "efficiency" maybe it's time to combine the two and bring back the mobile post office, mail trains, and attaching mail freight to passenger trains.

 

[themissinglink]

Amtrak CEO steps down as Trump targets transit - The Boston Globe

Stories you may have missed from the world of business.

www.bostonglobe.com

According to Reuters, Gardner was forced out by the Trump Administration:

The White House this week forced Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner to step down as head of the U.S. passenger railroad after President Donald Trump sought the changes, two sources told Reuters.
Gardner said on Wednesday he will resign immediately, ending more than four years as head of the railroad, citing concerns about maintaining the carrier's support from the Trump administration.

 

[themissinglink]

Trump nominates Robert Gleason for Amtrak board seat - Trains

WASHINGTON — The former head of Pennsylvania’s Republican Party has been nominated by President Donald Trump to fill the last remaining vacancy on Amtrak’s board of directors. But unlike those Trump advanced during his first term, this nominee has been actively involved in pushing for increased...

www.trains.com

Earlier this month he told the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat that despite a temporary hold on a $143 million Federal Railroad Administration-awarded grant to help pay for infrastructure improvements Norfolk Southern says it needs to permit a second daily round trip of the New York-Pittsburgh Pennsylvanian, he is “confident that the project will move forward.”

As is the case with other FRA grants [see “FRA personnel cuts …,” Trains News Wire, March 3, 2025] the agency has never obligated the money after funding was approved in December 2023. Gleason says, “My own personal opinion is that [funding] is not in jeopardy. But, if it is, I would not hesitate to go to President Trump and to be sure that this grant is honored.”

 

[F-Line to Dudley]

Amtrak Statement: An Update on Trains Affected By Horizon Car Removal - Amtrak Media

In less than two weeks, all Amtrak trains on the Borealis, Hiawatha, and Amtrak Cascades routes have been restored and operating on schedule. Each

media.amtrak.com

Amtrak removes its entire 104-car Horizon fleet from service after routine inspections found extensive corrosion on the undersides of their aluminum carbodies. Mass cancellations on the Cascades and several Midwestern routes that rely on them as a primary fleet, and the Downeaster is running 1 car short until further notice since it's running mixed Horizon and Amfleet consists. No word on when they might be reinstated. Built in 1988 by Bombardier, the Horizons are an almost identical make in everything except intercity seating to all of the T's multiple orders of single-level Commuter Rail cars, NJ Transit's Comet II & IV single-levels, Metro-North's entire east-of-Hudson single-level fleet, and SEPTA's push-pull fleet. Might make the commuter operators nervous enough to spot-check their own cars for frame rot, since theirs trend even older than the Horizons.

 

[Stlin]

Amtrak Statement: An Update on Trains Affected By Horizon Car Removal - Amtrak Media

In less than two weeks, all Amtrak trains on the Borealis, Hiawatha, and Amtrak Cascades routes have been restored and operating on schedule. Each

media.amtrak.com

Amtrak removes its entire 104-car Horizon fleet from service after routine inspections found extensive corrosion on the undersides of their aluminum carbodies. Mass cancellations on the Cascades and several Midwestern routes that rely on them as a primary fleet, and the Downeaster is running 1 car short until further notice since it's running mixed Horizon and Amfleet consists. No word on when they might be reinstated. Built in 1988 by Bombardier, the Horizons are an almost identical make in everything except intercity seating to all of the T's multiple orders of single-level Commuter Rail cars, NJ Transit's Comet II & IV single-levels, Metro-North's entire east-of-Hudson single-level fleet, and SEPTA's push-pull fleet. Might make the commuter operators nervous enough to spot-check their own cars for frame rot, since theirs trend even older than the Horizons.

And the Borealis is completely bustituted. My understanding is that the Amtrak Horizons never got anything along the lines of a midlife overhaul; but perhaps an opportunity for the T to earn some national goodwill?

They won't be comfy, but I think we're probably the only major operator with a decent number of freshly retired cars; (other than possibly NJT) I know we're still using most of our bombardier trailers, but some of the retired single level cabs may be in decent enough shape those that are retired can probably serve as donor shells/frames, or even the MBB fleet that came back from CTRail may well just need a good clean and inspection - At least a few made it to scenic RRs which don't approach the rigors of Amtrak service, but we should be able to send a few to the Northside to temporarily plug downeaster numbers.

 

[F-Line to Dudley]

And the Borealis is completely bustituted. My understanding is that the Amtrak Horizons never got anything along the lines of a midlife overhaul; but perhaps an opportunity for the T to earn some national goodwill?

They won't be comfy, but I think we're probably the only major operator with a decent number of freshly retired cars; (other than possibly NJT) I know we're still using most of our bombardier trailers, but some of the retired single level cabs may be in decent enough shape those that are retired can probably serve as donor shells/frames, or even the MBB fleet that came back from CTRail may well just need a good clean and inspection - At least a few made it to scenic RRs which don't approach the rigors of Amtrak service, but we should be able to send a few to the Northside to temporarily plug downeaster numbers.

I can't imagine the T's refuse would perform well on intercity routes. The flats ride like ass in their dotage, much worse than the Horizons which at least had a lot more preventative maintenance on their trucks because of the rigors of daily intercity running and the need for a comfortable ride. Maybe the Pullmans, which were remanufactured in 1996 with new trucks, ride a little better than the Bombardiers and MBB's, but pretty much all of them are worn totally the hell out. You can tell by how much louder and bumpier they ride now than nearly all of the bi-levels. CTrail riders hated the MBB's for how rough they rode, as the light refresh they got when being loaned out of state didn't touch the undersides.

It's not like all of the Horizons are going to have severe frame rot. The hidden rot they found on a few cars was just alarming enough that they need time to thoroughly inspect all of them before giving the all-clear to the ones that pass the test. They'll be back, perhaps in reduced numbers (though not all of them were being used to begin with because of the new Midwest fleet being far along in deliveries, so they have spares), within days...enough to get the bustituted routes back up and running, even if they still have to triage car shortages with inter-region reassignments. And the Downeaster can get by temporarily on 4-car Amfleets because we're still a long way from "Vacationland" summer season when the loading to Maine tends to increase. I doubt they're selling out all 5 cars in late-March.

It's just a general cautionary tale on holding onto fleets too long. Even though the interior liveries were recently refreshed, the Horizons still have problems with water leakage in their vestibules. And lightweight aluminum frames don't typically last as long as sturdier stainless steel frames. Everything has a practical expiration date, and the Pullman/Bombardier "Comet"-class cars--all of them across multiple agencies--are pretty much hitting that point of no return right this moment.

 

[themissinglink]

Amtrak to resume Borealis service with Superliners - Trains

CHICAGO — Amtrak will begin restoring Borealis service between Chicago and St. Paul, Minn., on Thursday, March 27, using Superliner equipment in place of the Horizon cars sidelined because of corrosion issues. Meanwhile, bus substitution for about half of the trains on the Chicago-Milwaukee...

www.trains.com

 

[F-Line to Dudley]

Amtrak to resume Borealis service with Superliners - Trains

CHICAGO — Amtrak will begin restoring Borealis service between Chicago and St. Paul, Minn., on Thursday, March 27, using Superliner equipment in place of the Horizon cars sidelined because of corrosion issues. Meanwhile, bus substitution for about half of the trains on the Chicago-Milwaukee...

www.trains.com

Probably means some other routes are going to run short on cars like the Downeaster while they bum those Superliners, but perhaps an indication that this is going to take more than a few days to sort out.

But hey, it's better than the RR.net hive-mind proposal: "Just borrow a bunch of surplus World's-worst-seating-arrangement™ gallery cars from Metra and Caltrain and run them forever as a totally intercity-inappropriate surge fleet, because it's literally a crime to retire any rolling stock ever. NO NEW, ONLY OLD!!! UH-UH!!!"

 

[themissinglink]

AECOM-HNTB Team Wins $186M Contract to Manage NYC Second Avenue Subway Extension

The MTA selected the joint venture over two other teams that submitted proposals for the work on the Second Avenue subway extension.

www.enr.com

The board of New York’s Metropolitan Transit Authority voted on March 26 to approve a $186.6-million contract with AECOM-HNTB JV for project management consultant services on MTA’s $7.7-billion Second Avenue subway extension second phase.

 

[RandomWalk]

Unless they can self-fund the $7.7B, I doubt that is going to proceed to construction until something drastically changes in DC.