An actual end to MARTA single-tracking in-sight? (Atlanta: maintenance, costs)

[MattCW]

Looking at MARTA's single-tracking information page, there are two weekends with NO single-tracking for the Blue/Green Lines. Might we be seeing a winding down of this program that's gone on far too long already?
MARTA - Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority

[flyonpa]

I would not count on it, As soon as they get done, they will go back to the start point and start all over again doing some other activity that will require single track service, forever...

There may be some holiday where they don't or need to re-position equipment / prep work that will exclude some weekend, but most system once they start to age, it goes on forever as part of on-going maintenance.

[netdragon]

MARTA needs an express track past some stations, so this is the opposite of what's needed.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by netdragon

MARTA needs an express track past some stations, so this is the opposite of what's needed.

Impossible to do so, it would costs billions and there is little demand at the current time.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by MattCW

Looking at MARTA's single-tracking information page, there are two weekends with NO single-tracking for the Blue/Green Lines. Might we be seeing a winding down of this program that's gone on far too long already?
MARTA - Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority

Let's hope so, but weekend single tracking is when track maintenance and other repairs take place. Also, if the ATC and signaling gets replaced, that is another round of weekend, single tracking.

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Impossible to do so, it would costs billions and there is little demand at the current time.

It would also require massive redesigns of stations, tunnels, signaling, and on and on and on, so yes, billions is a proper estimate considering it would almost require the entire system to be redesigned and rebuilt.

[bryantm3]

all future MARTA lines should have a third line down the center so a) single tracking will never be necessary, and b) express lines can run on the third track during rush hour.

[Gulch]

Originally Posted by bryantm3

all future MARTA lines should have a third line down the center so a) single tracking will never be necessary, and b) express lines can run on the third track during rush hour.

Why this will never happen:

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

It would also require massive redesigns of stations, tunnels, signaling, and on and on and on, so yes, billions is a proper estimate considering it would almost require the entire system to be redesigned and rebuilt.

[bryantm3]

^

Originally Posted by bryantm3

all future MARTA lines should have a third line down the center so a) single tracking will never be necessary, and b) express lines can run on the third track during rush hour.

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by bryantm3

^

It would still require a decent bit of engineering to make it work with the core system. That's not even taking into account that most expansions will be in the suburbs, where the long distances between stations negate time advantages of express trains.

It would also cause issues with train frequency within the core stations, having odd trains between trains.