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Atlanta to Lovejoy CR (http://www.dot.state.ga.us/travelingingeorgia/passengerrail/Pages/CommuterRail.aspx - broken link)
26-mile new route from Atlanta south to Lovejoy, via Airport and Jonesboro
Six future lines would extend from Atlanta in all directions, to Macon, Madison, Athens, Gainesville, Canton, Bremen, and Senoia – these have no funding and little planning
Extension of the existing Danbury Branch of the Metro-North New Haven Line from Danbury north to New Milford, via Brookfield
Project, not yet fully designed, may also incorporate partial electrification of the Danbury branch, which would allow Metro-North EMUs running on the main line of the New Haven Line to continue to Danbury
Currently undergoing study; two lines could benefit from numerous improvements and possible extensions
Waterbury Branch of the Metro-North New Haven Line extends from Stratford to Waterbury, via Derby, Ansonia, Seymour, and Beacon Falls; New Canaan Branch extends from Stamford to New Canaan, via Glenbrook and Springdale
62-mile upgrading of existing Amtrak line from New Haven (CT) to Springfield (MA), via Meriden, Hartford, and Hartford Airport, and Windsor; connection to Amtrak, Metro-North, and Shore Line East in New Haven; project would involve the building of a second track along much of the line and the development of new stations
1,600 to 3,400 projected daily riders
$300 million cost
Original plan would have begun construction in 2008 for service in 2011, but lack of dedicated state funding has delayed the project
From Downtown Norfolk to Chesapeake, ultimately into North Carolina – 2035
From Downtown Norfolk to Downtown Suffolk – 2035
From Downtown Newport News to Lightfoot – 2026
Harrisburg
Capital Red Rose Corridor/Corridor One CR (http://www.corridorone.info/Project.html - broken link)
40-mile line from Harrisburg east to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, via Middletown, Elizabethtown, and Mt. Joy
Line will use diesel-locomotive-pulled standard rail cars
Project has yet to receive state confirmation of $10 million yearly operating funds, and therefore has yet to submit formal application for federal funding
27-mile extension of existing NJT Raritan Valley CR, north-south from Bridgewater to West Trenton, via Hillsborough, Belle Mead, and Hopewell; would connect to Newark Penn Station via Raritan Line; connection to SEPTA R3 Line at West Trenton, with direct trains to Philadelphia
$219 million cost
Project still being studied; financing not yet assured
Project would route Metro-North New Haven Line trains along the Amtrak Hell Gate Corridor into Penn Station via Queens and Metro-North Hudson Line trains along the Amtrak Empire Corridor into Penn Station via Manhattan’s West Side; project may involve construction of new stations or not
Routing is made possible only once the LIRR East Side Access project to Grand Central Terminal is completed, freeing up capacity in Penn Station for Metro-North
No funding has yet been committed; project is still being studied
Project would allow for new transit on the replacement for the existing and degraded Tappan Zee bridge; BRT or CR would connect Westchester and Rockland Counties, mainly in the corridor between Rye and Suffern, via White Plains, Tarrytown, Nyack, and Spring Valley
Project would provide connection to Stewart Airport in Orange County, north of New York City but on the west side of the Hudson River
Connection could be made with existing Metro-North Port Jervis Line at Campbell Hall Station or Salisbury Mills-Cornwall Station and Metro-North Hudson Line at Beacon Station
No funding has yet been committed; project is still being studied
Pittsburgh
Allegheny Valley Railroad
Line would run along existing tracks from downtown Pittsburgh to Verona, Oakmont, New Kensington, and Arnold
Would use diesel multiple unit vehicles sharing track with freight trains, eventually terminating at currently unused platforms at the light rail station at Steel Plaza
Could be running as early as 2013, depending on financing, expected to come mostly from private sources
Line would run from downtown Pittsburgh to Latrobe, via Greensburg
Trains would run along existing Norfolk Southern freight railroad tracks, greatly complicating chances of the project succeeding because of opposition from the company to sharing line with passenger trains
Ridership could average around 1,500 a day
$85.3 million cost
Line currently has no funding source
Providence
MBTA Providence Line Extension to Westerly (South County Commuter Rail) (http://www.dot.state.ri.us/engineering/intermod/index.asp - broken link)
24-mile extension of commuter rail service from Wickford Junction to Westerly, via East Greenwich and Kingston
Extension of currently under construction line from downtown Providence to Wickford Junction
Service could eventually extend into Connecticut to New Haven
1.3-mile tunneled extension of existing Caltrain service from current terminus at 4th and King Streets; California’s High-Speed Rail system would follow a similar path; new terminal would serve as reception area for HSR, CR, and buses
$4.2 billion cost (including $1.2 billion for terminal)
Construction likely to begin in 2012 for Rail Extension
Pretty comprehensive list, although Philadelphia is conspicuously missing, and there are several commuter rail expansion projects here in various stages of planning.
I think all cities, even with those with well-established transit networks, are in dire need of expansion of commuter rail systems. Focusing only on highway capacity, which we really are still doing as a country, is incredibly shortsighted and will continue to cost us in terms of competitiveness. If only Congress could get their act together and stop pandering to oil/automobile interests, we would be able to fund ALL of these CR expansion projects and much more.
4. Re-establishing service to Newtown [Strong and persistent community support, but yet to have dedicated funding/study by planning officials]: SEPTA Newtown Commuter Rail Line
You'll notice that in the Philly area, there's so many "re-establishing" service projects, since much service was eliminated long ago with the rise of suburb-to-suburb commuting. People generally want more public transit access to the city once again, however, as this definitely has a positive effect on property values.
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