MARTA Launches Studies to Bring Rail to Clayton County (Atlanta: transfer to, neighborhood)

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by NY2ATL2NY

Whts with all of this "High Capacity" talk???? Does Georgia Not no the diffrence between a Subway and a commutter train? The rail service into clayton is just an EXTENSION of the South SUBWAY line to Jonesboro...Simple. Albeit will run BESIDE regular train tracks but in its own right of way...Commuter rail is what travels far distances outside city limits...Subways travel to just beyond city limits or so. It just seems misleading to the public to keep mentioning the two modes together. MARTA could never run to say griffin or hampton as proposed with the commuter rail..Subways (MARTA) uses 3rd Rail for power as to comutter trains which would use actual locomotives...Just wanted to point this out

Very little of what you just said is accurate.

First of all, a subway is simply a high-capacity transit mode, typically Heavy Rail Transit, which runs under ground. A subway can be any form, though, including buses and light rail, like in Seattle.

Second, MARTA is explicitly favoring commuter rail over heavy rail for the Clayton Line. MARTA is not currently planning on, despite still studying the feasibility of, extending heavy rail from the current system south to Lovejoy. MARTA is explicitly planning on making this route, which travels quite a way south of the Atlanta city limits, a commuter rail line.

Third, MARTA is not misleading people, since it has not officially picked an option. Though the agency favors commuter rail in the corridor, it is still investigating heavy rail, light rail, and bus rapid transit as options.

[primaltech]

Light rail definitely won't happen. If it's going to be rail, they want something that's eventually someday going to take passengers to a hub station in Downtown Atlanta, without needing to always transfer at East Point.

It will probably be some form of commuter rail. Built mostly on the surface, very (relatively) cheaply.

[cqholt]

Clayton County to hold open houses about transit

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Clayton County to hold open houses about transit

From the Stakeholder Advisory Meeting (January 19th, 2017), it looks like MARTA's begining to narrow down its choices for routing from both this and the Technical Advisory Meeting, it looks as if the Norfolk Southern and SR 54 routings are the most popular with those surveyed. Not too much surprise there.

[primaltech]

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

From the Stakeholder Advisory Meeting (January 19th, 2017), it looks like MARTA's begining to narrow down its choices for routing from both this and the Technical Advisory Meeting, it looks as if the Norfolk Southern and SR 54 routings are the most popular with those surveyed. Not too much surprise there.

The final tailored product will probably end up being a DMU, probably single car (probably 250 capacity), CRT meets LRT type service. Much like that Sprinter train shown in the picture. Small scale, 'light' commuter rail.

Running along the NS ROW corridor, in a combo of new track and shared freight track.

That should be the most cost-effective and the most ideal solution all around. And also a perfect model/example for how MARTA could serve South Fulton, and Cobb and Gwinnett counties.

[AK141]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siemens_Desiro

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by primaltech

The final tailored product will probably end up being a DMU, probably single car (probably 250 capacity), CRT meets LRT type service. Much like that Sprinter train shown in the picture. Small scale, 'light' commuter rail.

Running along the NS ROW corridor, in a combo of new track and shared freight track.

That should be the most cost-effective and the most ideal solution all around. And also a perfect model/example for how MARTA could serve South Fulton, and Cobb and Gwinnett counties.

Nothing wrong with using this technology. This technology allows flexible implementation and looks sexy for the suburban voters.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombardier_Talent

If the ridership gets high enough, and the ROW can support double-decker DMU then that's always a future option.
Tri-Rail, DMU, Bi-level coaches:

SFRTA DMU TRCX 704

[0nyxStation]

Originally Posted by MattCW

Just to clarify before a lot of bad information gets thrown around (I fear I'll have to do this again in 3 pages) this WILL NOT be heavy rail in the sense of what MARTA runs now! This is commuter rail, like METRA, SEPTA, Tri-Rail, Trinity Railway Express, Los Angeles Metrolink, etc. that runs on existing freight tracks.

Im not support of that concept. Heavy Rail at current grade is what I would prefer. All of the stations and rail types should be the same. I all of this is a long way off anyway though.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by 0nyxStation

Im not support of that concept. Heavy Rail at current grade is what I would prefer. All of the stations and rail types should be the same. I all of this is a long way off anyway though.

The thing about HRT is that it is completely grade separated, which is why the price tag is high.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by cqholt

The thing about HRT is that it is completely grade separated, which is why the price tag is high.

Obviously it would cost a lot more. But commuter rail with a transfer at East Point will have limited ridership. I would like to see HRT extended so that commuters coming north on 75 are more likely to use it. With the end at the airport, MARTA rail really has very limited usefulness for the south metro.

But you would have to evaluate how much more you are paying for it.

Now I think MARTA has already pretty much made the decision to make it commuter rail. Maybe that is the most cost efficient, but extending HRT has some real benefits for the metro.