Louisiana is apparently doing their study as part of the three state effort to initiate service from Dallas to Meridian.
You'd think the first question to be asked is - will the KCS give them access and at what cost. Might shorten the study time considerably.
I think the photo in the article was an effective way to demonstrate Amtrak as an 'essential' service.
Posted by mr williams (Member # 1928) on :
Wasn't service to Meridian proposed about a decade ago?
Posted by RRRICH (Member # 1418) on :
Mr. Williams -- indeed, this service, along with several other routes, was proposed by NARP 20+ years ago (I believe). The only proposed route which ever actually got service was Dallas-Houston, in 1988, but that service did not last long. (statement based on notes I made in a railroad atlas many years ago)
Posted by PullmanCo (Member # 1138) on :
KCS was out of the passenger service before the initial window of RPSA 70. As such, it did not join Amtrak at the time.
I do not know if it a part of Amtrak now.
For service, they can, IIRC, charge what their traffic will bear. It will be a joining Amtrak for them.
GBN: Yes/No?
Posted by George Harris (Member # 2077) on :
Dallas-Houston: Run time, in a word pathetic. Ridership likewise pathetic. (Maybe the second was related to the first?) I think if we could get run time down to somewhere close to driving time, there would be decent ridership, but htis is a whole nother subject.
Meridian - Vicksburg - Shreveport - Dallas / Ft. Worth:
The main problem we have here is that a good connection to the Crescent gives miserable times for point west, partucularly eastbound due to the early departure of the Crescent from New Orleans.
KCS, or more aptly KCS & NS have poured a lot of money into the ex-ICRR Meridian Shreveport line, adding signals, sidings, heavier rail, etc. It would make no sense if they DID NOT ask for quite a bit of money for additional sidings at the least. For sure there would also need to be lengthening the circuits for all road crossings, and probably adding protection to additional road crossings.
It would seem to be a good idea to have direct service frm the DFW area to the east, but what would seem to be a reasonable schedule out of the DFW area does not line up with the Crescent. Do we want another train all the way to the east?
Posted by Geoff Mayo (Member # 153) on :
quote:Originally posted by George Harris: It would make no sense if they DID NOT ask for quite a bit of money for additional sidings at the least.
It would be breaking with tradition not to milk Amtrak of whatever the host RR could get away with to benefit said RR as a whole regardless of the actual impact of an additional passenger train.
quote:Originally posted by George Harris: For sure there would also need to be lengthening the circuits for all road crossings, and probably adding protection to additional road crossings.
If you believe the hype, sure. If Amtrak toodle along at the prevailing speed then of course not. But would it help the RR? Sure! Go for it!