Any idea how many train movements pass through the 2 tunnels on a weekday? Would this be the busiest piece of double track in the country? The World?
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the current traffic pattern during peak period is about 30 trains per hour, per tunnel.
there's been a lot of talk about the impact when a tunnel is taken out of service for repairs from Hurricane Sandy damage (the tunnels were flooded with salt water, not to mention they are over 100 years old). estimates are about a year for the repairs. you can imagine how disruptive it will be to operations.
Can you say car float? Certainly would be slower but might be a boon for tourism.
Well hoboken terminal offers Ferry Service to and from Manhattan. One can reroute trains via harris tower to Hoboken and have commuters take the ferry over OR make up shuttle trains from Secaucus Junction and have passengers transfer from Secaucus to Hoboken then take the ferry over [inconvenient and disruptive].
Wasn't there a fully realized plan to add new tunnels and tracks that was ready to be built about two years back but somebody in New Jersey scuttled it?
Yes there was, silverlake.
Governor Chris Christie of NJ scrapped the tunnel plans. He felt it was too expensive.
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2012....html?_r=0&referrer=
Sean
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2012....html?_r=0&referrer=
Sean
Originally Posted by Silver Lake:
Wasn't there a fully realized plan to add new tunnels and tracks that was ready to be built about two years back but somebody in New Jersey scuttled it?
What was "scuttled" was ARC, or Access to the Region's Core.
It amounted to a dead-end terminal ten stories below Macys (a block north of the current Penn Station), when what was needed was additional capacity to reach the existing station. It originally was planned to connect to both the existing station and new terminal, but someone decided the connection couldn't be done and the project morphed into a NJT-only deal.
---PCJ
after the ARC tunnel project was scrapped, a stupid, ill-fated plan, focus is now on Amtrak's Gateway tunnel project, which will bring two new tubes into NY Penn just south of the existing tunnels. giving exactly what the ARC project should have: greater capacity and flexibility.
there was some concern with the new west side construction project interfering with the new tunnel construction, but fortunately an agreement between the developer and the state of NY allowed the building of a 'tunnel box' under the proposed buildings that will allow access when the tubes are actually dug.
all that is needed now is actual funding from Congress (don't hold your breath)
