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I recently made the comment when talking about South Carolina: "But you can be sure no train funding even a remote possibility."
Shows you how much I know - as a few days later this appeared on the City of Columbia website:
"City Council Travels to Raleigh by Train to Discuss Future Railway Use
The Central Midlands Council of Governments (COG) has coordinated a visit to the NCDOT Rail Division and Amtrak in Raleigh, NC to discuss a potential Columbia-Charlotte Interurban Rail Project known as the Commuter Rail Plan. The two day visit will begin today at 2:30pm as Mayor Steve Benjamin, Councilman Sam Davis and Councilman Brian Newman depart from City Hall. Council will be traveling as guests of the COG. Representatives from USC will also join them. The delegation will travel to Charlotte and board the NCDOT interurban train to Raleigh.
The Columbia-Charlotte route is seen as a prospective connection to the Raleigh-Atlanta High Speed Rail Corridor which could benefit each of the surrounding areas. In August of 2010, during a meeting of local transportation leaders called by Mayor Steve Benjamin, there was a consensus that the Columbia to Charlotte route should be investigated further. If implemented, this route would give the Central Midlands a way to connect to the future High Speed Rail Corridor connecting Washington, Richmond, Raleigh, Charlotte, Greenville and Atlanta. A report on this trip will be presented at the March COG meeting."
Thanks to an email from the Carolina Association for Passenger Trains advising of this.
notelvis Member # 3071
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I received the same email........
They've been talking about this for awhile....including running a test train a few years ago.
Doesn't seem to be going anywhere beyond 'further study' and that's a shame.
notelvis Member # 3071
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As a PS -
Any wonder why the delegation isn't just catching #92 up to Raleigh instead of busing to Charlotte and catching the train there?
palmland Member # 4344
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Good question, but I suspect it's because politicians don't do 4am train departures (nor do I). I guess going to Charlotte to ride the Piedmont also allows NC DOT to show off 'their train'.
You're probably right, David, about this being in the 'further study' category. But at least the new Columbia mayor is showing some real interest, which is a first. While that is a long way from funding anything, at least it's a first baby step.
Since the state can't even pay all its teachers, the only way this will happen is if it can somehow get funded as a segment of the Southeast HSR project. And what is Sec. Transportation going to do with those rejected FL HSR dollars?
notelvis Member # 3071
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I like that idea....... using someone's rejected high-speed dollars.
Personally - and I've said this here many times - the one passenger train on my fantasy list would operate from Asheville, NC to Salisbury and then turn south to Charlotte and on to Columbia where it would connect with the Silver Star to Florida.
Just reschedule the Star slightly so that it passes through Columbia around 11:00pm southbound and 6:30am or 7:00am northbound.
Run a through sleeper to cater to the Florida to Smokies crowd..... THIS is a train I would use.
Yes..... the out-of-service Saluda Mountain line offers the more direct route from Asheville to Columbia BUT operation via Salisbury opens up the option of a connecting train to Raleigh and also would have the benefit of appealing to potential Charlotte - Florida passengers.....
But it's probably as much fantasy as domestic bullet trains in Florida right now.
amtrak92 Member # 14343
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I am so glad that they are discussing it. I rode the test train back in 2000. Good run. I am so glad that the new mayor is working on it. I hope it happens. I agree with the post above me a Asheville sleeper would be nice, but even nice would be rescheduling the star.
notelvis Member # 3071
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I can remember using the Silver Star several times in the late 1980's to get to Florida.
There was a Trailways Bus out of Asheville at about 6:30pm which arrived in Columbia around 9:30pm. That left plenty of time for a quick cab ride over to the Amtrak station where the Silver Star was carded out around 11:30pm.
Even having the Star southbound at Columbia around 11:30pm and northbound around 6:45am or 7:00am would be a huge improvement for the Palmetto State.
palmland Member # 4344
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The Mayor's trip was mentioned on the local Columbia TV station tonight. They gave a positive 60 second report. They did say trains could be added between Charlotte and Columbia without having the expense of getting new equipment. I take that to mean that NC DOT offered to have the Piedmont trains extended here.
In 'the old days' the Skyland Special made the trip in about 3 hours with 3 stops. Today you can drive it in about 2. Presumably the NS mainline is in better shape today but still a stretch to be highway competitive.
George Harris Member # 2077
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The NS mainline is no better now than it was during the time of the Skyline Special and August Special. Track condition is not part of the equation for higher speed here. Even with very good track condition, and it probably is good, the line is quite curvey. Look at the SPV railroad atlas, USGS maps, etc.
An extension of one or more of the North Carolina trains does sound like a workable concept.
Notelvis: If somebody has a few or a bunch of million dollars lying around, a rebuild of Saluda on a new alignment to around a 2.0% grade would be feasible from an engineering perspective. Essentially all new line from Landrum SC to Flat Rock NC, that is, few miles short of Hendersonville NC. Don't know about the economics. One consideration would be that the Blue Ridge crossing on the Saluda Line is about 300 feet lower than it is on the Asheville - Salisbury line.
notelvis Member # 3071
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Very Familiar with Flat Rock, NC George as I worked in a school near there from 1998-2004. I even heard the last revenue NS freight descend the now railbanked Saluda grade in December 2002 from my office.....
I was not aware that it had been the last train until seeing such on the 6pm news that night.
Following that, I heard a couple of more trains move by for whatever reason..... shortly after the last one in early 2004 they actually isolated the middle 30 miles of the route with earthen mounds on the right of way.... one of them very near where I was working in Zirconia, NC.
amtrak92 Member # 14343
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I really would like to get this service. It would be great for work, visiting friends. Not to mention it would be amazing
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