Consultants have been hired this week to develop plans for two lines — Chicago-Fort Wayne-Pittsburgh and the former North Coast Hiawatha route — that are candidates for future passenger service under the Federal Railroad Administration’s Corridor Identification and Development Program.
The City of Fort Wayne, Ind., working with the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission and the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, has hired Kansas City-based HNTB Corp. to help develop the Service Development Plan required under the Corridor ID process. That plan covers the scope, schedule, and budget for full planning for a Chicago-Fort Wayne-Columbus, Ohio-Pittsburgh route.
“We are thrilled to have HNTB on board as our consultant for this project,” Fort Wayne city councilman Geoff Paddock said in a city press release on Thursday, Aug. 1.“The momentum of this initiative is inspiring, and while we recognize that there is a long road ahead, and we are confident that with the support of our dedicated stakeholders, we can navigate this journey successfully.”
On July 30, the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority announced it had hired a team led by David Evans and Associates and including Quandel Consultants, KLJ Engineering, and the Steer Group for work in developing the Service Development Plan for the North Coast Corridor, which last saw Amtrak service in 1979. That route could stretch from Chicago to Seattle and/or Portland, Ore., and would restore service to most of Montana’s largest cities, such as Missoula, Butte, Bozeman, and Billings. It was the only long-distance route included in the Corridor ID list.
“The ambitious goal of the Authority is to have a 21st Century passenger rail service designed over the coming years to enable the passenger service to operate by 2032 if Congress so chooses,” Dave Strohmaier, the authority chair, said in a press release. BSPRA Chair. He said goals for the service include twice daily service in each direction and the development of connecting transportation to outlying communites along the route.
The FRA selected a total of 69 routes — some for new service, some for expanded operations, and some for future high-speed systems — for the Corridor ID program late last year [see “Full list of passenger routes …,” Trains News Wire, Dec. 8, 2023]. Sponsors of the applications — Fort Wayne and the Big Sky Authority in these cases — receive $500,000 grants from the FRA to help offset the costs of creating the Service Development Plan. That is the first phase of a process that could take seven to 10 years to launch the service on new routes.
Looks like there’s good money to be made planning and consulting and drawing maps and issuing press releases and never actually accomplishing anything. The Service Development Plans look less like the start of something big than they look like a huge goldbricking project.
Consultants are nothing but a huge rip off of tax dollars. They serve absolutely no purpose in my opinion.
Common sense isn’t so common and this story proves it. Eight years to study a route that has never seen regular service is a colossal waste of time and money. Amtrak botched it when it chose an all B&O routing of the BROADWAY LTD back in 1990 when it could have kept service to Fort Wayne by running Chi-Fostoria over NS. Fort Wayne, Lima and Canton provided good patronage over the years which the all B&O route wasn’t able to match which led to its demise in 1995.
But that was then and this is now so what needs to be done?
1. The Capitol LTD needs to convert to a single level consist and become a NY-CHI train with a Harrisburg-DC section. I would favor a FW-TOL-CLE routing. It would be a second NY-PITT schedule to compliment the PENNSYLVANIAN.
2. Scrub plans to share consists with the SILVER STAR.
3. Run superliners on a daily CARDINAL and adjust the schedule to daytime DC-CIN and overnite CIN-CHI.
4. With this restructuring there would be two daily NY-CHI & DC-CHI trains.
The North Coast would compete with the Empire Builder for end point traffic, though it would serve different intermediate markets, Still, I think Amtrak could get more ridership with less subsidy by starting routes that connect with, rather than compete with, existing services. If it could be combined with the EB east of Fargo and/or west of Sandpoint, or if it could serve different markets by running on a schedule more like the Mainstreeter, maybe.
The Pioneer and Desert Wind did compete with the EB and SWC, but also fed ridership onto the CZ. These would be better additions, especially the Desert Wind since it would return service to Las Vegas.
The Broadway would compete against the Lake Shore. However, if the Capital Limited is made into a single level train, which would happen if combined with the Silver Star, it could carry through cars to/from NYC on the Pennsylvanian. That doesn’t return service to Ft Wayne, but it would have a significantly higher population base and significantly lower operating cost.
In general, additional service needs to be added from a network point of view.
I rode the eastbound Broadway Limited under Amtrak in the early 1980’s. I believe we used the old Pennsy which had just been rehabbed. I remember moving quickly across northern Indiana in the late afternoon/evening and sitting in the dining car well after dinner sharing some pie and coffee with an the conductor (a senior PRR man) as we talked trains. Great memories and I learned a few more things about railroads that night.
I also remember that we got a serious delay from a freight wreck and we detoured (I think by way of Alliance). The Washington section arrived about six hours late. But Amtrak took care of us with a complimentary dinner so we wouldn’t arrive hungry so late in the evening. It was a good hot dinner meal served with smiles and courtesy. More good memories. I wish the Fort Wayne group success, but as others more familiar with eastern trackage have noted, there are some challenges.
Give me a hi rail truck,a handful of track warrants and I’ll give a report by Christmas.
8 years?
Are they walking the routes or just spending lots of our money?
R Negaholic ? I’d say it’s more of dealing with reality. Ohio has spent millions on consultants and studies. Results ? Millions spent. No service. Chicago – Ft. Wayne – Pittsburgh via Columbus would require hundreds of millions of dollars in infrastructure construction and upgrades. If not at least over a billion. Better off looking at Chicago – Ft. Wayne – Pittsburgh – NYP via Akron/ Youngstown or Toledo/Cleveland. CFE and NS to Ft. Wayne. Then route either NS to Fostoria and CSX from there to Pittsburgh. Or CFE and NS to Ft. Wayne. From there to Butler heading on to the Chicago Line to Cleveland.
If there is a sweeter consulting gig than talking about passenger rail between cities, I’d like to see it. Give me a nice travel and expenses package and I’ll do it for 1/2 of what HNTB is charging and in 1/2 the time. I’d bet everyone commenting on this article could do the same.
Every time there is an article about expanding service somewhere all the Negaholics, the Eeyore’s, the R party, light up the comments & shoot down even the remotest probability of it. Try taking a bus on your next vacation see how cheap & convenient it is! What’s the old saying ” If you can’t say anything good don’t say anything at all”.
Okay, fine, Galen. Galen, get these two services up and running, either or both. Then you can call me a Republican Negaholic.
The Borealis which passes thru my home area has been a success, as those of us who preach multiple frequencies have all along stated. Doesn’t take a consultant doesn’t take eight years. It took professionals at Amtrak, CPCK, WisDOT, and MinnDOT. Got it done.
The Borealis was a second frequency on an existing, viable route. A whole new route through Fort Wayne is another story.
When travelling between Portland, ME and Boston, MA I always take the bus. It is at least 30 minutes faster and almost always on time, and lots more comfortable but I only weigh 142 pounds. It might not be so comfortable for a larger person. It runs nonstop and the drivers are courteous and friendly. On a longer route travelling from Boston to New York the nonstop bus is even better. Two and one seating, complimentary snacks and drinks and considerably faster than the train due to no layover in Boston and a more direct route. I do admit that when I feel flush with money Acela Express First Class is my number one choice, but the bus will come in number two for these trips. Beyond the NEC I never even think about Amtrak. I require reliability that I’m going to get there on time or even that I’m going to get there at all. Not until Amtrak starts paying me to ride their trains will I venture aboard another LD train.
Amtrak doesn’t have the talent to figure out what new routes would be profitable and workable with the freights? Oh, silly me I forgot; they’re not railroaders, they’re fly-boys.
I would like to see their route from Ft. Wayne to Columbus then to Pittsburgh. The only part that I know that is any condition to run a passenger train on it is Pittsburgh to Rochester then down the Ohio River to Mingo Jct. The old Panhandle main out of Pittsburgh to Mingo Jct. is now a rail trail. Going from Columbus to Crestline on the old NYC is also available but the long way around. I know someone is going to make a nice piece of change on this one.
What happened to the DFW MWI route that has much more availability by CPKC. Only the UP non Amtrak served Shreveport – Marshall section would be new. Much less cost and time to start that route. As well a lot more potential riders.
corrections: DFW MEI agreed to by CPKC.
I forgot to mention that I was talking about the Chicago-Fort Wayne-Columbus-Pittsburgh proposal.
I checked out existing bus service between all of the mentioned cities. There are decent schedules between all with reasonable ticket prices. If the demand for this service was greater, I assume they would add more buses.
This indicates to me that any rail service offered would probably have to offer something significant to succeed. Since high speed rail is probably not in the picture for these routes, I don’t see this proposal happening unless something changes in the future.
Have you ridden a long distance bus in the last 30 years? Another question have you ever ridden a passenger train? If you had you’d know how different the two modes of transportation are. You can ride the bus, I’ll take the train thank you very much!
Homestake pass still has most of the rail intact. When you wish upon a star….
If it takes hiring a consultant and eight years to deliver, it means that …. it means that something is lacking in the infrastructure and/or the economic reality.
Haven’t had service for the last 45 years and won’t for the next eight years, doesn’t that tell you something?
Tells me that I wish I’d been a consultant.
The eight year timeframe qnd circuitous route tell me the primary purpose is to spend all the Federal money on the consultant(s) and to never turn a wheel or carry a passenger.