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Blue Bus Fan

By Blue Bus Fan
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ghYHZ

ghYHZ

Posted
Posted

If Via ever decided to increase service between Toronto & Niagara Falls, many of the intermediate stops could be removed from the Maple Leaf.

Forget about VIA and extend GO Trains to Niagara year 'round….... and run a couple of them across the border!

There’s a new station currently under construction at Niagara Falls NY. Have the customs facility there jointly used by border officials of both the US and Canada just like Vancouver’s Pacific Central Station.

Amtrak's Empire Service trains and the Maple Leaf would terminates on the US side; the passengers then clear Canada's CBSA in the US and board a GO Train to continue onto Toronto. In reverse, GO would run across the border to NF, NY. Passengers would clear US CBP then catch the next Empire Service train to New York. With some tweaking of schedule.....there could be at least two services a day each way.

(I believe the new Amtrak Station has high level platforms so something would have to be done to accommodate GO Bi-levels)

I know there was the issue of delays that might occur at the Welland Canal holding up the potential of year 'round GO Trains to Niagara.......but I believe there is now a plan to work around that with schedule windows at the canal bridge. Also, the new station in Hamilton adds some potential passengers.

Something similar could be done in Detroit also. No through trains....just bring Amtrak and VIA together in the same station and a pre-clearance facility there staffed by both nations. And again.... with some tweaking of schedules you might be able to have two services a day each way between Toronto and Chicago with a change of trains in Detroit.

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dowlingm

dowlingm

Posted
Posted

I imagine the hassle of dealing with US FRA and CBP/Homeland Security outweighs the advantages of running GO across the border. I'd rather we facilitate Empire Service trains to terminate in Niagara Falls ON, with sealed (from a customs POV) platforms and hotel power. Might have been a good idea to offer that before some of that terminal stuff was plumbed into the new Niagara Falls NY station of course.

The Welland Canal issue is supposedly being solved by guaranteed lift slots, at least for GO trains. We'll see. Thing is, if GO is held up for immigration reasons then it misses those slots. GO should instead look for guaranteeing on time departure with enough frequency or alternatives like buses that people held up by CBSA will be able to continue their journey.

As for preclearance at Oakville or other intermediate stations, I can't imagine that even if the facilities and procedures issues were satisfied, that the cost of the CBP and CBSA agents would justify it.

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MaT

MaT

Posted
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A shame that Amtrak have to sub in Superliners while Talgos (the Wisconsin cast offs, which also lack a Business car) lie idle in Beech Grove awaiting a call to temporary Michigan service which is seeming more and more unlikely to come.

Umm i dont know where you get your info from but Mitrain has ex Metra superliners on lease until the service starts, not talgos!

http://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2015/01/31/mdot-costly-idle-rail-passenger-cars/22655363/

https://thetsreportblog.wordpress.com/2013/09/16/railfanning-news-semcog-unveils-passenger-cars-for-detroit-commuter-rail-line/

Just to clear that up thats all lol.

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dowlingm

dowlingm

Posted
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Umm i dont know where you get your info from but Mitrain has ex Metra superliners on lease until the service starts, not talgos!

http://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2015/01/31/mdot-costly-idle-rail-passenger-cars/22655363/

https://thetsreportblog.wordpress.com/2013/09/16/railfanning-news-semcog-unveils-passenger-cars-for-detroit-commuter-rail-line/

Just to clear that up thats all lol.

Not Mitrain, which is a commuter service, but Amtrak Michigan-Illinois regional service with Michigan intending to use the Talgos to supplement/replace the Amtrak stock until the arrival of the Nippon Sharyo Midwest Bilevel cars. "LOL"

The Mi-Train cars aren't Superliners either, but 1950s Hi-Level cars.

Mind you, it doesn't matter either way as the Talgos are still clogging up Beech Grove and the Hi-Levels are mouldering in Owosso, at last report.

Sorry to disrupt your discussion

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/amtrak-derailment-in-kansas-5-cars-on-their-side/

Apparently a Chicago/LA train derailed in Kansas, I don't recall the corridor... Empire Builder? That might be Seattle.

Anyways, apparently 36 are critically injured.

My thoughts are with them.

Southwest Chief. http://blog.amtrak.com/2016/03/update-on-southwest-chief-train-4/

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smallspy

smallspy

Posted
Posted
5 minutes ago, mattb816789 said:

Are those the new "2010's Phase III" Viewliner II baggage cars? Looks like they've finally been placed in service.

They've slowly been entering service for the better part of a year now. Its only been in the past couple of months that they've made it to the western long distance services out of Chicago, however.

 

Dan

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Dane

Dane

Posted
Posted

For a company desperate to scrape together enough cash to maintain basic services Amtrak sure lacks discipline when it comes to corporate branding and image. Why in the world would Phase III come back? I'm aware of the literal answer of long distance branding but when a ridiculous way to dilute the branding of Amtrak that had finally stabilized after a decade of renaming and relogoing everything. A shame. 

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smallspy

smallspy

Posted
Posted
On 2016-05-29 at 11:22 PM, Dane said:

For a company desperate to scrape together enough cash to maintain basic services Amtrak sure lacks discipline when it comes to corporate branding and image. Why in the world would Phase III come back? I'm aware of the literal answer of long distance branding but when a ridiculous way to dilute the branding of Amtrak that had finally stabilized after a decade of renaming and relogoing everything. A shame. 

They announced quite some time ago that they would be going back to Phase III paint for the long-distance services.

 

Now, what do you think will be more likely to raise the ire of the fiscal conservatives - a bit of miss-matched branding like you see now with cars being painted as they go in for major servicing, or a rush job to paint everything all at once?

 

Dan

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Dane

Dane

Posted
Posted

I'm not speaking really to the ire of conservatives. It's just a clear demonstration of poor management on a few levels - branding, financial being the two highlights. Everything need not be a lofty political issue with Amtrak (although I appreciate that even microwave food was even Congress worthy for Amtrak, recently). There's something to be said for stability in companies across a spectrum of issues and Amtrak just cannot hold it together. 

 

Personally I also hate Phase III. But since it's Amtrak I'm sure some new paint scheme is about sixty days out. 

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smallspy

smallspy

Posted
Posted

Okay, I really don't understand your complaints other than your personal dislike of the Phase 3 scheme.

 

How is the fact that they've decided to change their paint scheme a "clear demonstration of poor management"? If your were making the comment 10 years ago when they tried to bring in the Phase 5 scheme and backed off of that after a quarter of the equipment had been repainted, I would be inclined to agree with you. But here, they obviously feel that their current paint scheme isn't good enough, and that an older one fits the bill for whatever reason. There is a clear decision here, not wishy-washy-ness.

 

It's not like they're changing their paint scheme every 6 months here.

 

Dan

 

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Transitfan39

Transitfan39

Posted
Posted

I was curious about the Adirondack train, When the train arrives in Montreal where do they park the train for the night? The train I was on was travelling next to the train as it was being backed up and I was curious where the train goes after the service is done for the night

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ghYHZ

ghYHZ

Posted
Posted
7 hours ago, Transitfan39 said:

I was curious about the Adirondack train, When the train arrives in Montreal where do they park the train for the night? The train I was on was travelling next to the train as it was being backed up and I was curious where the train goes after the service is done for the night

VIA's MMC (Montreal Maintenance Centre)

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