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I think if Columbia could become the terminus for the existing "piedmont" NCDOT train.. that would be huge. That being said, is there any demand for service between Columbia and Charlotte? I guess that is what the Study will determine. If the route include a stop at CLT.. that would be HUGE much to the chagrin of CAE...Several years ago a similiar effort was launched and dignitaries actually rode a train between Columbia and Charlotte. The issue then was that there were many grade crossings and the tracks curved in numerous locations thus the average speed was like 45 to 50 mph.. which is great for freight.. Commuter rail.. not so much. This study will likely recommend that a new Right of Way be created so that the trains can actually get up into the 80 mph range and not have to deal with freight traffic or archaic track work.
I do think that they should incorporate the use of the median of I-77 into the new route. There is PLENTY of Room in it to create a double track and minimal ROW acquisition.. The tracks would be plenty straight and trains could easily do 110mph if needed... The downside is that stations would have to be placed in the median with access off of whatever overpass that is going over/under the I-77 similiar to what you see on the EL train network along Chicago Freeways or several of the stations along the Marta Line in Atlanta. The towns of Chester, Lancaster, and Winnsboro would not have "downtown" stations but suburban station with parking lots being built near the interchange and people having to walk from the lots on to the overpass/underpass then down/up into the median to access the stationplatform... thus they would be more like commuter stations than the traditional intracity rail stations (Amtrak). The intracity stations would be in Columbia, Rock Hill and Charlotte where the tracks could interchange with the existing rail network to access the existing Amtrak stations. These small cities may balk at this.. however; they could begin to annex and plan for transit oriented development near these interchanges where the stations are located so as development occurs next to these station/interchanges they will be within their corporate limits and thus benefit from the tax dollars
Photo is to just show how the station sits in the highway with connections to surface parking outside of the Highway ROW and off of the overpass.. not to say that this type or scale of development would pop up next to it in the fields of Fairfield County
Last edited by Woodlands; 03-01-2011 at 07:42 AM..
Interesting. At 38,000 yearly riders, that breaks down to only around 104 passengers a day. Can a high speed rail connection between Charlotte and Columbia be implemented and make money based on such low ridership numbers?
Last edited by gsupstate; 03-01-2011 at 02:59 PM..
Interesting. At 38,000 daily riders, that breaks down to only around 104 passengers a day. Can a high speed rail connection between Charlotte and Columbia be implemented and make money based on such low ridership numbers?
What are you asking? With 38k daily riders, how are you getting 104 passengers per day?
What are you asking? With 38k daily riders, how are you getting 104 passengers per day?
Defensive much?
I'm guessing that 38k passengers couldn't fit on the number of passenger trains that stop in Columbia for several months. How could that be a daily total, GSP101?
I think if Columbia could become the terminus for the existing "piedmont" NCDOT train.. that would be huge. That being said, is there any demand for service between Columbia and Charlotte? I guess that is what the Study will determine. If the route include a stop at CLT.. that would be HUGE much to the chagrin of CAE...Several years ago a similiar effort was launched and dignitaries actually rode a train between Columbia and Charlotte. The issue then was that there were many grade crossings and the tracks curved in numerous locations thus the average speed was like 45 to 50 mph.. which is great for freight.. Commuter rail.. not so much. This study will likely recommend that a new Right of Way be created so that the trains can actually get up into the 80 mph range and not have to deal with freight traffic or archaic track work.
I do think that they should incorporate the use of the median of I-77 into the new route. There is PLENTY of Room in it to create a double track and minimal ROW acquisition.. The tracks would be plenty straight and trains could easily do 110mph if needed... The downside is that stations would have to be placed in the median with access off of whatever overpass that is going over/under the I-77 similiar to what you see on the EL train network along Chicago Freeways or several of the stations along the Marta Line in Atlanta. The towns of Chester, Lancaster, and Winnsboro would not have "downtown" stations but suburban station with parking lots being built near the interchange and people having to walk from the lots on to the overpass/underpass then down/up into the median to access the stationplatform... thus they would be more like commuter stations than the traditional intracity rail stations (Amtrak). The intracity stations would be in Columbia, Rock Hill and Charlotte where the tracks could interchange with the existing rail network to access the existing Amtrak stations. These small cities may balk at this.. however; they could begin to annex and plan for transit oriented development near these interchanges where the stations are located so as development occurs next to these station/interchanges they will be within their corporate limits and thus benefit from the tax dollars
Photo is to just show how the station sits in the highway with connections to surface parking outside of the Highway ROW and off of the overpass.. not to say that this type or scale of development would pop up next to it in the fields of Fairfield County
Is that Charlotte? All the high-rises seem to be situated so that you have to drive up to each of them and let a passenger out or drive into their accompanying parking garages.
Is that Charlotte? All the high-rises seem to be situated so that you have to drive up to each of them and let a passenger out or drive into their accompanying parking garages.
I wonder if Columbia leaders are thinking of high-speed rail between Columbia and Charlotte as a plus for people who routinely fly out of CLT instead of CAE?
I think it's more for through rail travel to other areas. I wouldn't travel to Charlotte much, but with high speed connections to DC and New York it would be most appealing.
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