MTA: Amtrak demands stalling Metro-North plan to open Manhattan's West Side to Westchester

[Lawrence St]

On 10/28/2018 at 2:25 PM, RailRunRob said:

Pelham Parkway for sure!! Seems they had in on the plan, in the beginning, I wonder that changed? Funding? 

What is this plan? Its horrific! People lose direct New Haven Line access from Fordham, I dont know what's serving Mount Vernon East to New Rochelle, Hudson Line customers lose access to GCT, I dont know what's serving Spyten to 125th. Please no!

[RailRunRob]

1 hour ago, Lawrence St said:

What is this plan? Its horrific! People lose direct New Haven Line access from Fordham, I dont know what's serving Mount Vernon East to New Rochelle, Hudson Line customers lose access to GCT, I dont know what's serving Spyten to 125th. Please no!

Initial plans from 2000-2002. 

[Union Tpke]

6 hours ago, Lawrence St said:

What is this plan? Its horrific! People lose direct New Haven Line access from Fordham, I dont know what's serving Mount Vernon East to New Rochelle, Hudson Line customers lose access to GCT, I dont know what's serving Spyten to 125th. Please no!

This would increase service, not decrease. Additional New Haven Line service would go to Penn, and ADDITIONAL Hudson Line service would go to Penn. Penn Station Access will be the most cost effective large Capital Project, using existing lines and adding stations allows passengers in the East and West Bronx better access to Manhattan and opens up reverse commuting. I hope they fund Hudson Line PSA. 

[40MntVrn]

Considering today's announcements to push forward with "West Side Access" plans, what equipment would be used on this branch?

[trainfan22]

37 minutes ago, 40MntVrn said:

Considering today's announcements to push forward with "West Side Access" plans, what equipment would be used on this branch?

The M8 cars.

[40MntVrn]

1 hour ago, trainfan22 said:

The M8 cars.

I'm assuming with theyll be retrofitted with the adjustable shoe?

[paulrivera]

2 hours ago, 40MntVrn said:

I'm assuming with theyll be retrofitted with the adjustable shoe?

Some M8s won’t need to be retrofitted at all as there are ~60 new cars next year which should have dual compatible shoes.

Theres also one final ~30 car option still on the table that can be used to help get this service started.

Metro-North and CT played it really smart with the M8 contract.

[Bay Ridge Express]

On 10/30/2018 at 8:52 AM, Lawrence St said:



Lots of stations on the West Side... not sure how I feel about that

[Union Tpke]

21 hours ago, Bay Ridge Express said:

Lots of stations on the West Side... not sure how I feel about that

Those are all the sites evaluated. The stops will be at 125th and 62nd. I would argue for stops at Dyckman, 155th and 42nd as well.

[RR503]

If they can work through the cab signal issue, they should also consider through running trains from Croton to, say, Ronkonkoma with the Hudson phase. Same agency, (almost) same rolling stock...

[Union Tpke]

1 hour ago, RR503 said:

If they can work through the cab signal issue, they should also consider through running trains from Croton to, say, Ronkonkoma with the Hudson phase. Same agency, (almost) same rolling stock...

I would have them run through to Hempstead.

[bobtehpanda]

This wonderful tidbit from Signal Problems:

Quote

Well, yes! But: one of the hold-ups was Amtrak wanted the MTA to pay for replacing the century-old Pelham Bay Bridge which it argued could not accommodate the heavier load. Here’s WNYC on how they solved that impasse:

> Under the agreement brokered by Cuomo, the Pelham Bay Bridge replacement would be postponed for 10-20 years. 

Short of Andrew Cuomo standing outside the MTA headquarters and kicking a can of “What The L” Blue Point lager down Broadway, this is about as close to the literal manifestation as “kicking the can down the road” as you’ll find.

 

[Union Tpke]

On 1/26/2019 at 1:48 PM, bobtehpanda said:

This wonderful tidbit from Signal Problems:

 

The MTA should agree to fund a portion of grade-separating SHELL Interlocking, but has refused.

Screen Shot 2019-03-24 at 8.31.19 AM by Union Turnpike, on Flickr

Screen Shot 2019-03-24 at 8.31.25 AM by Union Turnpike, on Flickr

[Union Tpke]

@RR503 It sounds like they are evaluating options for a new yard for PSA in New York; perhaps an expansion of New Rochelle Yard?

Screen Shot 2019-03-24 at 8.37.07 AM by Union Turnpike, on Flickr

[RR503]

1 hour ago, Union Tpke said:

@RR503 It sounds like they are evaluating options for a new yard for PSA in New York; perhaps an expansion of New Rochelle Yard?

Wish I knew for certain. MNR, to me, is a strange land. If I had to guess this'd involve incremental changes to existing facilities, though.

[Lance]

On ‎3‎/‎24‎/‎2019 at 9:28 AM, Union Tpke said:

perhaps an expansion of New Rochelle Yard

At first, I was wondering what New Rochelle Yard you were talking about, but I guess they consider those three layup tracks northeast of the New Rochelle station a yard. On the subject of a potential expansion, I don't see where MN would get the space for it. The entire ROW in that area is sandwiched between private property and new developments on one side and I-95 on the other.

[RR503]

Really speaking, the NHL is fast approaching the limitations of its mainline railroad infrastructure. Yards are great, but until you grade separate the junctions and terminals, simplify stopping patterns and install high density signals, the same basic capacity limits will remain. 

[Union Tpke]

On 3/25/2019 at 8:59 PM, RR503 said:

Really speaking, the NHL is fast approaching the limitations of its mainline railroad infrastructure. Yards are great, but until you grade separate the junctions and terminals, simplify stopping patterns and install high density signals, the same basic capacity limits will remain. 

The MTA should pay for part of the grade-separation of Shell Interlocking. When I asked someone working on PSA via email they said that they had just done some improvements there. Grade-separating the junction at Stamford should be done as well.