Tivo_Kenevil wrote:I don't see why we need HSR/HL between two cities that close to each other. Upgrading TRE to light rail , increasing speeds and run times seems sensible
Huh?
You do realize that DART’s light rail trains have a maximum speed of 60-65 mph vs the TRE locomotives maximum speed of 79 mph. How are you planning to increase speeds with a slower train?
Additionally, Amtrak runs the Texas Eagle over the TRE tracks, which will not be allowed if they convert the line to light rail. Where would Amtrak run its trains between Fort Worth and Dallas?
Additional BNSF runs trains into Irving from Oklahoma, how would you run their freight trains into either Fort Worth or Dallas from Irving? Freight trains and light rail trains can not run over the same tracks, ever!
So why switch the TRE trains to light rail of freight and Amtrak trains must be allowed to use the tracks? There are valid reasons why the TRE is a commuter rail train.
Now, there are no reasons why the TRE line can not be improved for faster speeds, up to maximum speeds of 125 mph. But that would require double tracking the entire corridor, and triple tracking or quad tracking one or two passing sidings so faster trains can pass slower trains. Since there will still be freight trains running on the line, there will still be slower trains the faster trains will need to pass.
How fast could a faster
non-stop train travel the 34 miles between Central Station and Union Station?
At 125 mph = 34/125 = .272 hours or 17 miunutes
At 110 mph = 34/110 = .309 hours or 19 minutes
At 100 mph = 34/100 = .34 hours or 21 minutes
At 90 mph = 34/90 = .377 hours or 23 minutes
At 79 mph = 34/79 = .43 hours or 26 minutes
At 60 mph = 34/60 = .566 hours or 34 minutes
Note: I rounded all the times up to the next minute.
Of course, with the existing trains stopping at all 10 stations, the trains take around a whole hour to travel the 34 miles with average trains speeds in the low 30s mph.
But they have eliminated the TRE corridor from the study, so this argument is basically useless. The planners are stuck on the I-30 corridor because that route allows a station in Arlington. Remember, the NCTCOG staff home base is located in Arlington. The likelihood that Arlington will ever support public transit or join DART or Trinity Metro is very slim. So the only transit line possible for Arlington would be a federal or state financed HSR line.
But with a stop in Arlington, it certainly will never be a non-stop line.
How many intercity train stations are there in New York City for Amtrak? One.
How many intercity train stations are there in Chicago for Amtrak? One.
How many intercity train stations are there in Los Angeles for Amtrak? One.
Are you seeing a pattern yet?
What is needed is not a HSR line between Fort Worth and Dallas. What is needed for the future economic growth of the Metroplex is another public transit line along the I-30 corridor; light rail, commuter rail, or metro rail with 10 or more stations along the rail corridor servicing commercial, business, and residential properties.