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I don't know much about this, but perhaps some forum members do? Is Union Station completely disconnected from the rail network? If so, are there fairly easy ways to reconnect it (i.e. are there some unused for passenger rail tracks or existing rail right-of-ways that can be worked on)? If so, what are some potential routes that could conceivably make sense?
I think, though correct me if I'm wrong, there are more or less continuous rail or rail right-of-ways on the west bank of the Hudson. If so, then can service to NYC using the rail capacity the new Tappan Zee Bridge can handle be connected?
If not Union Station, is there another place where rail lines can run and is in downtown Albany where a new station can be reasonably built?
Just to reiterate why there's no need for another since there's an Amtrak Station so close by in Rensselaer, there's been talk - and it's just talk as far as I know of possibly building a tram across the Hudson to connect the Amtrak Station with Albany. Normally wouldn't put much stock in a story like this but with the new Convention Center and all of the renovations to the Times Union Center, a tram actually makes sense. So if anything they may try to create better and easier access to the existing rail service as opposed to trying to create an alternative. The Rensselaer Amtrak is the second busiest in NY after Penn Station.
Just to reiterate why there's no need for another since there's an Amtrak Station so close by in Rensselaer, there's been talk - and it's just talk as far as I know of possibly building a tram across the Hudson to connect the Amtrak Station with Albany. Normally wouldn't put much stock in a story like this but with the new Convention Center and all of the renovations to the Times Union Center, a tram actually makes sense. So if anything they may try to create better and easier access to the existing rail service as opposed to trying to create an alternative. The Rensselaer Amtrak is the second busiest in NY after Penn Station.
Those are the only two in NY to speak of. West of Rensselaer, train travel might as well not exist. Rensselaer is also one of the 10 biggest in the country.
A tram would help a lot. It's pretty twisty getting from Albany to Rensselaer in the AM.
I don't know much about this, but perhaps some forum members do? Is Union Station completely disconnected from the rail network? If so, are there fairly easy ways to reconnect it (i.e. are there some unused for passenger rail tracks or existing rail right-of-ways that can be worked on)? If so, what are some potential routes that could conceivably make sense?
I think, though correct me if I'm wrong, there are more or less continuous rail or rail right-of-ways on the west bank of the Hudson. If so, then can service to NYC using the rail capacity the new Tappan Zee Bridge can handle be connected?
If not Union Station, is there another place where rail lines can run and is in downtown Albany where a new station can be reasonably built?
Long story short rise of auto centric society in USA post WWII saw much railroad ROW/infrastructure either demolished entirely, or things moved about/ sliced through or whatever in order to give highways/motor vehicles priority.
Putting those pieces back together now is an expensive and often complicated process.
The new TZ bridge was build without a rail link capability, I guess the money needed for that feature was rerouted to the renaming project that the Governor pushed through.
The new TZ bridge was build without a rail link capability, I guess the money needed for that feature was rerouted to the renaming project that the Governor pushed through.
Anything I've read on it seems to indicate that while it was not built with a rail link, it was built with the capacity for rail link.
What's wrong with the one in Rensselaer? There can't be 2 that close together, Albany and Rensselaer, so why not use the one already there?
There's nothing wrong with it. I don't think taking away service from Rensselaer is a good idea at all. However, I think there can be more service since the west side of the Hudson River has a large population and crossing the river back and forth would be ridiculous and meanwhile there seems to be people to serve on the west side of the Hudson if the new Tappan Zee bridge puts in the rail tracks that it was designed to accommodate. Those track on the west side of the Hudson being put back into use for Metro-North as commuter rail to New York City is sensible, but I think if that happens, then it may make sense to actually serve Albany directly.
8. What about public transportation?
Commuter rail across the Hudson River has been on New Yorkers' wishlist for a long time.
Unfortunately, they're going to have to wait. The new bridge can support railroad tracks, which would run between the two spans. But that's not part of the plan for the 2018 opening.
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