Naviguessor Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Quite sure they require special dedicated tracks, for stretches where they travel at high speed.but, at standard gauge so they can transfer to standard tracks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
august948 Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Quite sure they require special dedicated tracks, for stretches where they travel at high speed.but, at standard gauge so they can transfer to standard tracks. i guess that's what i was asking...do they/will they use American Standard Gauge specifications so they can share tracks. I'm wondering if the eventual setup would be to used existing trackage to get into and out of the city at normal speeds and then branch off to a high-speed route for most of the trip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naviguessor Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I guess on Texas Central can answer that, at this point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slick Vik Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 i guess that's what i was asking...do they/will they use American Standard Gauge specifications so they can share tracks. I'm wondering if the eventual setup would be to used existing trackage to get into and out of the city at normal speeds and then branch off to a high-speed route for most of the trip. The california high speed rail faced this issue, once it reaches near san francisco it will slow down and share tracks with Caltrain, if it ever gets built that is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
august948 Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 The california high speed rail faced this issue, once it reaches near san francisco it will slow down and share tracks with Caltrain, if it ever gets built that is. Is the Cali high speed train being backed by JR also? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloud713 Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 (edited) Is the Cali high speed train being backed by JR also?No, it's backed by the Feds, hence the 100 billion dollar price tag and decades needed to "study" and complete it.. Edited January 17, 2014 by cloud713 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloud713 Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I dunno about realistic right of way, but the ROW along Hempstead Rd runs to Hempstead, then through college station along Hwy 6 then veers off toward Mexia before you get to Waco, rejoining 45 in Richland and then along 45 through the southern suburbs at which point it comes to Dallas and can come in various locations around Dallas south and east of downtown or perhaps on the west side of downtown along the stemmons freeway.I dunno about realistic right of way, but the ROW along Hempstead Rd runs to Hempstead, then through college station along Hwy 6 then veers off toward Mexia before you get to Waco, rejoining 45 in Richland and then along 45 through the southern suburbs at which point it comes to Dallas and can come in various locations around Dallas south and east of downtown or perhaps on the west side of downtown along the stemmons freeway.That route seems horrible.. I just scoped it out on my phone. Sharp curves around Hempstead, navasota and college station that the trains would have to slow way down for.. Not to mention that route goes directly through the middle of at least a dozen small towns, with houses and properties backed up to the rail line, and all of those towns have numerous at grade railroad crossings.. Both of those make for very slow operating speeds...I'm not sure how much better the 45 route is in terms of curvy ness but it surely has less small towns along the route than highway6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purpledevil Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I'm with cloud on this, with the exception of the Woodlands stop. I don't like the idea of a high speed commuter train having to stop that close to Houston. Once you get started back up and regain speed it'd be time to stop it again in the few minutes it would take to cover the distance from the Woodlands stop to Houston's. One stop in Houston, one stop in Galveston. That would seem the best use of the system connecting us with the Metroplex.Someone mentioned a line going southwest towards Corpus Christi. That would be an awesome idea, and the added bonus here is that Kansas City Southern recently rebuilt the old SP Macaroni line, which reopens a continuous ROW to the border of Mexico if it was ever necessary or desired to extend it that far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purpledevil Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Btw, that Hempstead route would be something else. Grab your popcorn. It's going to be quite a show when they hit tower 13 at 100+. Lol. That is not a straight away at all and wouldn't be a good line for high speed. The Hardy line is basically a straight line towards Dallas and would really only have the Lloyd Yard just north of the beltway to contend with holding it up. This line has always made the most sense to me and is why I agree with cloud that Hardy Yards would be the preferred choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronTiger Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Btw, that Hempstead route would be something else. Grab your popcorn. It's going to be quite a show when they hit tower 13 at 100+. Lol. That is not a straight away at all and wouldn't be a good line for high speed.Even if it follows most of the way, it doesn't necessarily have to travel at the same route as the railroad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
august948 Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 No, it's backed by the Feds, hence the 100 billion dollar price tag and decades needed to "study" and complete it.. Hahaha...yes, I guess that's true, but I gather the Central Japan Railway is a player in this and is going to provide the equipment. I'm curious if they're behind the California high speed rail proposal also, from an equipment standpoint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronTiger Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 College Town line? Tyler to Nacogdoches to Huntsville to College Station to Georgetown That is a terrible idea. Though if you change "Huntsville" to Houston, cut out Tyler and Nacogdoches and replace Georgetown with Austin, then we've got it. A loop would be great: Houston-College Station-Austin-Fort Hood-Dallas-Houston. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloud713 Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 I'm with cloud on this, with the exception of the Woodlands stop. I don't like the idea of a high speed commuter train having to stop that close to Houston. Once you get started back up and regain speed it'd be time to stop it again in the few minutes it would take to cover the distance from the Woodlands stop to Houston's. One stop in Houston, one stop in Galveston. That would seem the best use of the system connecting us with the Metroplex.Someone mentioned a line going southwest towards Corpus Christi. That would be an awesome idea, and the added bonus here is that Kansas City Southern recently rebuilt the old SP Macaroni line, which reopens a continuous ROW to the border of Mexico if it was ever necessary or desired to extend it that far.yeah i agree the Woodlands stop is questionable, i just figured since it was practically becoming its own corporate hub that it may be good for businesses like Exxon who have employees in both Dallas and Houston/The Woodlands.. maybe have a Woodlands stop for every other train or a couple times a day or something? or yeah just 2 stops each. one in Houston, one in Galveston.. and one in Dallas, one in Ft Worth. (though unfortunately a Galveston extension will likely never happen and the Ft Worth stop probably wont be considered either).. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purpledevil Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 If there was a way to get the Galveston Railroad Museum involved, there might be a chance to extend the line to the Island. Not sure about track right of way down Highway 3 though. It's UP controlled these days, I believe, but also serves BNSF and I think KCS to give them access to the Island.Fort Worth would likely be pushed, as it has a pretty large amount of rail that can be used and is headquarters to Burlington Northern Santa Fe. I'm sure with their pull, they'd be supportive of getting a commuter rail tied in with them.I can see your point for a stop in the township. From just what I know of high speed commuter rail, it seems rather inconvenient and time consuming, both of which work against a high speed rail service and its success. I like the idea of a local service for The Woodlands from Houston. Something like Austin has with the Texas Central Railroad. Not so much an excursion line like it is, but a steady passenger service running back and forth between the two, or even down to Galveston. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purpledevil Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 To answer a previous question posted, the track gauge would be standard for high speed rail, which is 4 feet, 8 1/2 inches, the same used by Amtrak. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoustonIsHome Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 That is a terrible idea. Though if you change "Huntsville" to Houston, cut out Tyler and Nacogdoches and replace Georgetown with Austin, then we've got it. A loop would be great: Houston-College Station-Austin-Fort Hood-Dallas-Houston. Duh my line would be in addition too the lines to the major cities. What you stated is just the same thing being discussed from the start Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bachanon Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 http://impactnews.com/houston-metro/the-woodlands/woodlands-playing-a-role-in-high-speed-rail/ this is an article from last march. i'm sure the woodlands is campaigning heavily for stop in the area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfastx Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 A stop in the Woodlands wouldn't be so bad. As long as it doesn't originate from there. To compare, Boston has three HSR stops in the area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slick Vik Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 Is the college station stop necessary? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloud713 Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 I hope not.. That route sucks and if they are stopping in college station they better have a stop in Waco.. By which time with the distance going out of the way, and all the stops and slowing down/speeding up it will take probably 2 hours instead of 90 minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
august948 Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 I hope not.. That route sucks and if they are stopping in college station they better have a stop in Waco.. By which time with the distance going out of the way, and all the stops and slowing down/speeding up it will take probably 2 hours instead of 90 minutes. I vote we cut DFW out of it completely and run it Houston, CS, Waco. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purpledevil Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 I could handle The Woodlands stop. My only argument would be the time issue. That, and where is the rail that would be used? Track would have to be laid, at least a healthy length of siding, because the UP ROW is on the east side of 45. This is the same problem that the downtown post office site faces. What do you do about getting passengers from the commuter train's terminus off of the main line, to the heart of The Woodlands(i.e. mall, energy corridor, waterway)? Shuttle service? Skywalk? Tunnel system? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloud713 Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 Yeah either a large skybridge over 45 or the woodlands could use a streetcar system Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montrose1100 Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 (edited) The line should fork from DFW to Downtown Fort Worth & Downtown Dallas, making IAH the first stop in Houston, with a stop Downtown, and in Galveston. Edited January 20, 2014 by Montrose1100 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 The line should fork from DFW to Downtown Fort Worth & Downtown Dallas, making IAH the first stop in Houston, with a stop Downtown, and in Galveston. Should it stop at IAH? Especially since presumably a high-speed rail line would replace existing air flights between Houston and DFW. I would much rather see light rail extended to IAH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollusk Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 All this discussion of stops in College Station, Waco, etc. reminds me of the time a Southwest agent (obviously, many moons ago) offered me a "one stop" between Love and Hobby - the one stop being in Austin, not Centerville. I would imagine that once people get back in the habit of using trains in this part of the world, there will likely be sufficient demand to support express service among the major cities interspersed with less frequent service making multiple stops - as trains used to do, and as airlines do now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purpledevil Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 The problem with a stop at IAH is where the stop would have to be, as well as IAH's airlines not being receptive to the competition to their DFW to Houston business. The rail line is located a couple miles west of the airport, and I don't know of any place along the Hardy Toll that would be safe to unload passengers from a commuter train, until you get down to Hardy Yards. Secondly, are we really talking about giving our visitors another option of letting Greenspoint be the first thing they see on their visit to Houston? Doesn't Bush already do enough of that for us?Subdude makes an excellent observation. With the LRT extending up to IAH, I'd prefer the LRT handling service to the airport. Metro can run the line right up JFK to the airport's front door, basically, if they wanted to. That's something that heavy rail passenger service can not do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoustonIsHome Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 There is nothing wrong with Greenspoint visually. It it's well kept, tree lined and looks better than half the neighbourhoods in Houston.But anyway. The airport is 4 miles away from Greenspoint 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purpledevil Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 The airport is 4 miles away, sure, but not the rail that would be used for passenger service. That runs directly adjacent to Greenspoint. That gave me a good laugh, HoustonIsHome. I don't mean to disrespect you if GP is your home neighborhood, but where do you want me to start on what's wrong with Greenspoint visually? The hourly rate hotels that line the Beltway, the parade of hookers that make their way up and down the Belt from Rick's, er...Jaguar's to frequent those very hotels, the mostly shuttered mall, or the crackheads and hooligans that roam the streets, day and night, looking for an opportunity to take whatever isn't absolutely bolted down? I've worked up here in GP for many years. It is certainly not the rosy red picture some try to paint it as, and needs a lot more work done to it besides some new street signs, trees, stop lights, and fancy brickwork lining the streets.If Greenspoint was what some in the area make it out to be, the "Renaissance at Greenspoint" project wouldn't be dragging out over the course of a decade now. That big, new, beautiful 20 screen theater that was supposed to breath new life to the mall, hasn't. Where are all the new restaurants and businesses lining Greenspoint Drive and Greens Road at, that were supposed to be open and bustling with activity by now? The Chamber of Commerce wouldn't ever admit to it, but the likelihood of GP ever being resurrected and actually restored to its past glory, is slim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montrose1100 Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Should it stop at IAH? Especially since presumably a high-speed rail line would replace existing air flights between Houston and DFW. I would much rather see light rail extended to IAH.Light Rail could take an hour or longer. Besides, the high-speed rail will have existing space for luggage. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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