The Return Of The Grand Train Station

[Xusein]

Originally Posted by Cal_Escapee

Tell me again which other HSR project in the US already has over $12 billion of funding in hand (approx $3.6 billion from the Feds and over $9 billion from the state).

Yes, we are a litigious state and law suits bloom over anything we do. But this one is moving forward in fits and spurts. The CalTrain route (SF to San Jose) WILL be electrified and made suitable for HSR to use. The portion of the route in the Central Valley will soon get started. And if the hardest/costliest parts of the route--through the mountains--don't get built right away, it won't be that long before the need for them is undeniable.

The CA HSR project has the advantage of being in one state. The NE corridor is in 7 states + DC, with lots of differences in policy and ideology between the state governments. That is why the Northeast Corridor HSR plans never went as far. Plus, much more NIMBYs and it's likely to be a very expensive project due to higher development in the areas. It's very likely that the NE corridor sees much more usage than all of CA's passenger rail systems put together.

[Cal_Escapee]

Originally Posted by Xusein

It's very likely that the NE corridor sees much more usage than all of CA's passenger rail systems put together.

I won't argue that's not the case right now for the reasons I described above. CA passenger rail right now is totally inadequate--slow and with bus rides substituting for rail that isn't there due to mountains.

IF HSR were built, I think it remains to be seen whether the ridership would equal New York to DC service. Probably not because of the intermediate cities in the East--Baltimore, Wilmington, Philadelphia--also served. But I think the CA trains would be packed by the time it's built. Air service--already ugly--will be even worse.

By the way: The HSR route serving SF, Sacramento, LA and San Diego pretty much replaces all existing passenger rail except some commuter lines, possibly the direct SF-Sacramento link and the AMTRAK lines heading out of state (to Seattle, Chicago and New Orleans).

[Nexis]

Northeastern Network Busiest lines

Northeast Corridor - Regional Rail & Intercity
Daily Passengers in 2012 : 760,000+
Projected Daily Passengers by 2030 : 2.8 Million
Length : 467 Miles
Stations : 151
Stations by 2030 : 169
Train Services in 2012 : 42
Train Services by 2030 : 57

Long Island Railroad Main Line
Daily Passengers in 2012 : 257,000+
Projected Daily Passengers by 2030 : 450,000+
Length : 97 Miles
Stations : 29
Stations by 2030 : 34
Train Services in 2012 : 7
Trains Services by 2030 : 12

Morristown line
Daily Passengers in 2012 : 75,000
Projected Daily Passengers by 2030 : 145,000
Length : 79.3 Miles
Stations : 38
Stations by 2030 : 40
Train Services in 2012 : 3
Train Services by 2030 : 6

Hudson line
Daily Passengers in 2012 : 68,500
Projected Daily Passengers by 2030 : 95,200
Length : 141 miles
Stations : 32
Stations by 2030 : 34
Trains Services in 2012 : 6
Trains services by 2030 : 7


Keystone Corridor
Daily Passengers in 2012 : 62,000
Projected Daily Passengers by 2030 : 180,000
Length : 104 Miles
Stations : 27
Stations by 2030 : 32
Train Services in 2012 : 4
Trains Services by 2030 : 6

[Jennifat]

Originally Posted by desertpunk

St. Paul Union Depot

image hosted on flickr

Saint Paul by BeyondDC, on Flickr

A renovation of a historic train station for Amtrak and local transit.

image hosted on flickr

Saint Paul by BeyondDC, on Flickr

In addition to the renovation and reuse of the St. Paul Union Depot as a local and intercity rail transit hub, Minneapolis already has its own secondary transit hub at Target Field downtown where passengers can transfer from the Hiawatha Light Rail Line to North Star Commuter Rail. Plans to upgrade include an extended light rail station, a new public plaza, and more track to accommodate two additional light rail lines.

Currently billed "The Interchange", Phase One will open in 2014:











Phase 2 would build an enclosure around the Northstar Commuter Rail terminal. The renderings look extremely 70s and dated to me, so hopefully this isn't what we will end up with:

[weava]

Missouri Union Station's
Kansas City:




St. Louis:

image hosted on flickr

[goten2255]

i am really happy to see that Big Stations like Union Stations are making a huge comeback and its about time too.

even where i live currently Miami Florida we are going to have two mega Stations, one near the Airport which is Miami Central Station which will have Amtrak, Tri Rail, a Bicycle center, Intercity buses which includes Greyhound, and already houses Metrorail, and Metrobus.

there will be another in Downtown Miami where the Florida East Coast Railway will build a big Terminal as well for the FEC passenger service to Orlando, Jacksonville, Tampa and beyond, Tri Rail service using the FEC line, Amtrak along with the exisiting Metrorail and Metrobus services.

so yeah i am excited to see the return its about time it has come to this and i hope all of it will happen.

[desertpunk]

Ground Broken For Anaheim Train Station


http://www.architypereview.com/17-tr...ce/description

Many things about the California high-speed rail project remain a big question mark, including whether the line will ever reache Orange County. But the Los Angeles Times reports that work has started and finish in 2014 on Anaheim's 67,000 square foot Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center station, which would be the home of Anaheim's high-speed station should the bullet trains ever get there. Even if CaHSR falls through, the ARTIC station will house Metrolink and Amtrak trains, buses, taxis, and 1,082 parking spots on a huge plot of industrial land between the Honda Center and the Anaheim Stadium. The $184 million project, paid for by a voter-approved tax, will be undeniably eye-catching. With white steel ribbons and transparent material that lets the sun shine in, ARTIC has been likened to an "iceberg" by the LAT and to the "Crystal Cathedral of train stations" by a detractor.

In public spending-averse OC, some call ARTIC a showpiece not worth the money. But even without the bullet train, convention center and Disneyland-adjacent ARTIC expects to draw 10,000 daily boardings, four times what the current Anaheim station sees. While Fullerton and Irvine now have more train riders, Anaheim City Councilmember Lorri Galloway says ARTIC will give the OC a branding monument worthy of its price: "It is iconic, futuristic -- something that draws people, the mere beauty of it."

[desertpunk]

New Union Station Toronto


http://truefriction.com/tag/via-rail/


http://truefriction.com/2011/02/


http://truefriction.com/category/local/


http://www.rail.co/2013/01/23/futuri...ation-designs/

[desertpunk]

Grand opening at the newly refurbished Union Depot in St. Paul MN

image hosted on flickr

Union Depot Grand Opening by MSPdude, on Flickr

image hosted on flickr

Union Depot Concourse by MSPdude, on Flickr

[socrates#1fan]

Love the fact that this sort of infrastructure is being invested in.

Too bad most of them look like pieces of chewed up glass..

[CNB30]

Originally Posted by socrates#1fan

Love the fact that this sort of infrastructure is being invested in.

Too bad most of them look like pieces of chewed up glass..

That's deconstructionism in a nut shell, for you.

[mhays]

Good that they're investing but a big problem in my opinion: I really hate standing in the sun, and that goes double when I've walked a mile from the hotel with a suitcase.

[socrates#1fan]

Originally Posted by CNB30

That's deconstructionism in a nut shell, for you.

A style only ideal to the nihilist.

[Black Box]

The LA concept is so cool!