RandomWalk
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Is that an Amcan in the middle?
Yes. Dinette car.Is that an Amcan in the middle?
Lost amongst all this discussion is, unfortunately, the fact that the 60-mile Springfield Line doesn't even have anything resembling an electrification plan yet. Cart-before-horse and all...and MassDOT spitting in ConnDOT's eye with the E-W switcheroo over the wholly interstate-collaborative NNEIRI doesn't help with settling that pressing bucket-list item sooner rather than later. You won't have a fully electric Inland Route corridor to tinker with at your heart's content until TWO wire-ups meet at Springfield Union. And as for BEMU's...the 50-mile gap might be something to play with, but if a majority of the total travel demand is going to be bending south thru Hartford rather than terminating at Springfield it would royally help to have the wires re-pickup at Springfield Union because the BEMU is most definitely not going to have enough juice to get all the way from Worcester to New Haven.
Let's get the way way easier line with rapidly densifying commuter traffic settled up before we get too precious here about CSX. The B&A outside of MBTA territory is by no means the higher-priority leg in this game of tinker toys. Springfield Line is the highest-priority wire-up in the whole Northeast outside of the T mainlines.
They literally addressed this last week during the STB hearing on the Pan Am merger. Amtrak/MassDOT came in looking for concessions on E-W and other passenger deals, stating they'd oppose the merger if they weren't granted concessions. CSX spent the last several months negotiating with them. They reached a framework agreement behind the scenes last week, and the Amtrak/MassDOT objection was formally dropped ahead of the hearing. During the hearing CSX sang about how the Virginia deal and negotiating process for the Virginia deal being the model template for delivering on those promises, and folks as born-obstinate as saber-rattling Rep. Neal issued statements in the hearing dripping praise on CSX for being such a good-good partner in all these passenger dreams. It's largely settled business, except for hashing out the on-the-ground backfill details of dispatching whatever the Preferred Alts. service schedules end up being. Preferred Alts. from the existing studies that de-emphasized electrification for all its complications. So, yes, CSX most definitely got its run-on-any-track service indemnities too in the deal for when their assigned track isn't available on a given day.
It's not a blank slate or open bully pulpit anymore. The pax-freight negotiations are literally about 95% done now between all parties. The merger itself is slated for an up/down approval vote before the end of this month and only has one remaining objector (arch-rival Canadian Pacific, no surprise) they haven't pre-settled with...so we might know by the end of next week whether CSX has a rubber-stamp for taking the keys to Timmy Mellon's castle and enacting everything they just agreed to.
Faster Wi-Fi but slimmer seats: Here’s a first look on board Amtrak’s newest trains - The Points Guy
These new trains are a glimpse into the future of Amtrak -- and subsequently, for train travelers across the country.thepointsguy.com
Review of the new Midwest Venture cars' interiors (with pics).
All of the seat reductions were put into additional aisle width for wheelchair accessibility. Fully unfurled wheelchairs won't fit down the aisle of an Amfleet, only at the ends by the vestibule doors. That meant their ADA compliance, while legally kosher, was only partial...as wheelchair patrons could only sit either in the rows closest to the doors or required staff to shuffle them down the aisle on a specialty cart. The Ventures have exactly the extra 8 inches of aisle width to take a wheelchair anywhere in the car. Amfleets and Ventures are exactly the same width in the middle, so 100% accessibility compliance is the entirety of the explanation.I wonder how they managed to lose seat width, wider aisles or are the cars themselves actually narrower than the Amfleets/Horizons?
The recline is the same on the ICE3 and ICE4. It's like why even bother trying, and that is including First class on the trains.The "recline" looks atrocious.
The Spirit Airline of railcars
Delayed to Fall, per a presentation they gave about 3 weeks ago. They're running behind on the 160 MPH high-speed testing portion.Does @F-Line to Dudley or anyone else have any updates on the Acela Avelia roll-outs? If it’s still for this spring I’m surprised there are no promotions for it.
Thank youDelayed to Fall, per a presentation they gave about 3 weeks ago. They're running behind on the 160 MPH high-speed testing portion.
Delayed to Fall, per a presentation they gave about 3 weeks ago. They're running behind on the 160 MPH high-speed testing portion.
The Acelas only offer Business or First Class — on the existing trains, First Class has fewer seats per carriage as they have more single seats on each side of the aisle, and a meal and drinks are included, which are served at your seat.I wonder how the bizz class seats will look, since you pay more for those seats to be a little more comfy.
The Acelas only offer Business or First Class — on the existing trains, First Class has fewer seats per carriage as they have more single seats on each side of the aisle, and a meal and drinks are included, which are served at your seat.