53 replies to this topic

[KevinKorell]

FRA is leading the planning and environmental evaluation of the NEC, an effort known as "NEC Future", in close coordination with the involved states, the Northeast Corridor Infrastructure and Operations Advisory Commission, Amtrak and other stakeholders. Environmental Impact Statement to evaluate potential passenger rail improvements between Washington, D.C. and Boston. View the full article

[jis]

This is funded by a $10 million grant from FRA to NJT which was handed back to FRA to lead the effort.

[CNJRoss]

from NECFuture.com:

NEC Future
News & Announcements

posted 07.31.12

NEC FUTURE Public Scoping Meetings

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) will host a series of nine public Scoping Meetings from August 13-22 as part of the environmental review process for NEC FUTURE.

Meetings will be held in each state along the corridor and the District of Columbia. These meetings will provide an opportunity for the public to learn about the project, ask questions and provide oral and written comments. Each meeting will include a brief presentation and an informal open house.

View List of Public Scoping Meetings

Public Comments will be accepted by mail or email anytime during the comment period, which ends on September 14, 2012. The website provides information on how to submit a comment online, by mail or email.

[jis]

FRA is holding a series of Workshops and Webinars in December in connection with the NEC Future Tier 1 EIS Project. Details can be found at:

http://www.necfuture...c_meetings.aspx

Anyone can attend. If you plan to attend please RSVP with which session you plan to attend as instructed in the info page.

[CNJRoss]

4/15/13

DOT Secretary's update--NEC FUTURE makes tracks toward faster rail service

The Obama Administration has invested over $3 billion –more than any previous Administration– to improve rail service along the Northeast Corridor (NEC). We've helped develop stations and track; modernize power systems; replace aging infrastructure; and support purchases of new equipment.

Through the Federal Railroad Administration, we have also set in motion the first comprehensive planning effort to determine the future of America’s busiest rail corridor in more than three decades.

We call it NEC FUTURE, and it is happening now...

You can read more about NEC FUTURE on my Fast Lane blog

[CNJRoss]

ProgressiveRailroading.com, 4/7:

NEC commission report: Northeast Corridor provides big boost to U.S. economy

The Northeast Corridor (NEC) is shared by eight commuter railroads and Amtrak, and moves a workforce that contributes $50 billion annually to the U.S. economy, according to a new report by the Northeast Corridor Infrastructure and Operations Advisory Commission.

Titled, "The Northeast Corridor and the American Economy," the report states that the corridor expands business and employment opportunities within "reasonable" commuting distance of NEC stations. Seven million jobs are within five miles of an NEC station, almost one-third of all jobs in the NEC region, the report states.

Continue.

Report: The Northeast Corridor and the American Economy

[CNJRoss]

The Inquirer, Philadelphia, PA 11/10:

 

Three new visions for northeast rail

 

A look at the future of rail on the East Coast produced some pretty radical ideas for revamped Amtrak service in Philadelphia.

 

Some of these proposals may seen unlikely to materialize, but they're part of a first of its kind project that seeks to create a unified vision for the future of rail along the nation's northeast states.

 

Continue here.
 

 

[KevinKorell]

With proper foresight and good tunneling, anything is possible.  I can't see however how or where a downtown Philadelphia (they lost the local term "Center City" in the process!) station would be, since I would expect there to be comparable capacity to 30th Street Station, which would be bypassed.    There is probably not enough room to bring Amtrak trains into Suburban Station (which has 7 or 8 tracks) on a through route, and still have room for the current SEPTA network.  Jefferson (former Market East) only has 4 tracks.

 

Moving to New England, the original intent of what is now the mainline of the Long Island RR was an alternate route to Boston. However the Long Island Sound was never crossed, and that obstacle still has to be considered.  The most drastic of the maps in the article shows a line running from Ronkonkoma to New Haven, but it's going to be a very wet one unless a massive tunnel or bridge is built.

 

Very interesting and something I haven't seen before is a totally different route between New York and Boston that would run via White Plains, Danbury, Waterbury, Hartford, and then diagonally into Boston.  And one offshoot of that between Hartford and Providence continues to provide service to the latter on the way to Boston.  It would be assumed that to utilize the Metro North Harlem Line a train headed from New York to Boston would have to hang a right from the Empire Connection after the bridge to the inbound Metro North Hudson Line tracks, and then turn north again on the outbound Harlem Line at Mott Haven.   But if the idea has been to eliminate as many curves as possible, this would not be the best option, at least not within the New York area.

[CNJRoss]

NEC Future announcement:

• 11.10.15

 

Tier 1 Draft EIS Available for Public Comment

 

 

The FRA has released the Tier 1 Draft Environmental Impact Statement for NEC FUTURE. The Tier 1 Draft EIS assesses the broad impacts of an investment program to improve passenger rail service within the NEC FUTURE Study Area. It evaluates three Action Alternatives for the NEC against a No Action Alternative, and considers impacts to transportation, the economy, the built environment, and natural resources.

 

The public comment period for the Tier 1 Draft EIS is open until January 30, 2016. Comments may be submitted on this website using the comment form, by email to comment@necfuture.com, by mail, or in person at a public hearing. Comments sent via social media will not be included as part of the Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement decision-making process.

 

During the comment period, the FRA will be conducting eleven public hearings throughout the NEC FUTURE Study Area. Members of the public are encouraged to attend one of these hearings to provide input in person.

[CNJRoss]

Greater Greater Washington, 11/24:

 

The Northeast Corridor carries more rail passengers than anywhere else in the country. What could it look like in 2040?

 

The Federal Railroad Administration recently unveiled their draft plans to improve rail travel across the northeast, from Washington to Boston. The plan will help set the stage for a potential transformation of train service in the mega region.

 

Today, Washington, Philadelphia, New York, and Boston are linked by a busy rail line known as the Northeast Corridor (NEC). The 457-mile line is the busiest passenger railway in the nation, carrying over 750,000 passengers each day on more than 2,200 trains.

 

But the corridor is desperately in need of investment just to bring it to a state of good repair. Several chokepoints mean that the line is currently operating near capacity, which means it can't support expected growth in population, employment, or intercity travel.

 

Continue here.