High Speed Rail 2050 Question

Back in the good old days of the NYC, Pennsy, and the old New Haven, all of these lines had 4-track main lines in many places.

In many places along these lines in particular, the infrastructure is still there with the bridges still in place and the ROW still wide enough.

Why couldn't this be implemented again?

The ROW could be "split" so to speak with freight-only lines on one part of the ROW and the HSR using their part. The only place there would be shared tracks would be around terminals and yards.

I know that this has been done on some of the NEC, but what about the old River Line along the Hudson, and other parts of the NYC system towards Chicago?

Personally I have had really bad experiences flying. First of all it's one of the most exhausting way to travel. The need to arrive way before the journey, the hassle from getting to and from connections, and the fact that the airlines can cancel flights at their whim and force the passenger to make connections. AND penalize the passenger from swapping air carriers because you have to rebook with someone else at the last minute!

The other thing, which gets me riled up every day is the commuter traffic. It takes me as long to go 80 miles as it does to go 35 in one direction. My miserable commute on the so-called freeway, is riddled with constant accidents and really nasty-slow drivers - doing something like 30 in the passing lane, or stopping dead randomly to answer a mobile phone.

John
 
Back in the good old days of the NYC, Pennsy, and the old New Haven, all of these lines had 4-track main lines in many places.

In many places along these lines in particular, the infrastructure is still there with the bridges still in place and the ROW still wide enough.

Why couldn't this be implemented again?

The ROW could be "split" so to speak with freight-only lines on one part of the ROW and the HSR using their part. The only place there would be shared tracks would be around terminals and yards.

I know that this has been done on some of the NEC, but what about the old River Line along the Hudson, and other parts of the NYC system towards Chicago?

<snip>

John

This is certainly a good way to go where the line is flat and straight, or as a way to get into cities, but it does have a couple of drawbacks. Older lines tend to be built for heavier loads and lower speeds, and are usually flatter and more winding than HSR. Also HSR really needs to be grade separated throughout, though up to 125mph is still fairly common in the UK for level crossings.

Paul
 
Hi All: I just was reading Midwest Assoc. for HSR Letter and in it stated that there was a Bill in congress to Privatize The NEC(Amtrak would still be the owner) It sounds kind of good What do you think??
 
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