The multi-year project will culminate with the completion of a new Amtrak depot in Tacoma at the former Milwaukee Road Freighthouse and upgrades 14.5 miles of track and right-of-way on the nearly 20-mile route between Tacoma and Nisqually, Wash., where the bypass will rejoin the mainline to Portland, Ore. Part of the upgraded route still retains the original 100-plus year-old alignment on the former Northern Pacific south of the Tacoma Amtrak depot where the tracks climb a steep 2.85-percent grade to South Tacoma.
Although much more scenic, the alignment along Puget Sound was beset with freight congestion, tight curvature and a single-track tunnel under Point Defiance. The stretch of track along the Sound was also subject to yearly mudslides which resulted in delays and cancellations of Amtrak service.
Amtrak is adding an additional daily Amtrak Cascades round-trip in the morning and the evening between Seattle and Portland bringing their total trains to 14 including the Coast Starlight. The daily Sounder commuter train count north of Lakewood, Wash., is 16 daily trains which will result in 30 daily passenger trains on the new single track line. The new route is slated to reduce Amtrak passenger times by 10 minutes.
Washington state officials and local dignitaries are expected to gather Dec. 15 for the dedication of the new Tacoma depot as well as the bypass route.
Per local employee friends, Amtrak has been testing this grade for a year, and it’s not a problem even in the rain. The steep part of the grade starts a few blocks past the station, enabling a bit of a “run” at it.
Although I respect Mark Meyer as a former dispatcher and general fount of railroading operating knowledge, the statement “any additional single track operation can only be a detriment to on time performance” fails to account for the loss of all conflicting freight traffic. The modeling shows this will be a net benefit to on-time performance. In part that’s because the section is a very quick traverse (15 minutes), and the new schedule has NO meets of Amtrak trains within the Olympia-Tacoma segment. True, Cascades can run late, some of those delays occur in the congested Tacoma-Nisqually segment, making the argument a bit circular.
http://www.amtrakcascades.com/sites/default/files/Cascades%20Dec%2018%202017%20new%20schedule.pdf
Regarding the Seattle/Tacoma thing, I agree with Mark. Let’s replace “Milwaukee” with “Near Chicago” and see how that flies around Kalmbach… 🙂
To Michael Garbett, here in the northwest, anywhere within a hundred miles of Seattle is “in Seattle”. An awful lot of people seem to think that it is the only city in the northwest. Thank god, that’s not true. However, those folks who think that way can stay there cuz the rest of us Washingtonians don’t want em polluting the rest of our state.
Dale: Thanks for the post correcting Roy. With the reality of the new route being only about 25 percent two main tracks and that Amtrak Cascades trains operate only about 60 percent (or less) on time, any additional single track operation can only be a detriment to on time performance, especially considering the additional two round trips between Seattle and Portland starting in December.
BRADEN KAYGANICH claimed, “Grades aren’t problematic for passenger trains.”
Since when has gravity been suspended for passenger trains? I guess when the Southwest Limited/Chief, a passenger train, was handling all those express cars, Amtrak added that extra power for the 3+ percent grades at Glorieta and Raton for no reason…..
Grades aren’t problematic for passenger trains.
With regard to Mr. Klass’s comment: In addition, some of the new route is single track, so since a lot of the Cascades trains run late, this will be amplified by additional single track operation. And agreed, the start from the Tacoma station for the southward Coast Starlight (the heaviest train) could be a challenge reaching track speed, especially in the off chance it rains.
Besides just being typically incorrect as we have come to expect from TRAINS, I don’t think people in Tacoma (a world class port city whose origins and growth were not dependent on Seattle) appreciated being called “Seattle.”
December 15 is the date of the dedication ceremony at the new Tacoma Amtrak station in Freighthouse Square. The new schedule, and operation of Amtrak trains over the new line, begins December 18.
Can’t wait to see how well this works, as the new Tacoma station is on the grade. It will be interesting to see how well trains can start while on the grade and make it up the South Tacoma hill. There also is a decent grade northbound coming off the mainline at Nisqually to Dupont..
They spent a hell of a lot of money to save 5 or 6 minutes off the schedule and eliminate one of the most scenic parts of the Seattle/Portland route. In addition to the $181 million, Sound Transit spent $161 million between Tacoma and Lakewood. In any other state, they could have improved the clearances and double tracked the Point Defiance tunnel, but in Washington construction projects are terribly expensive.
Roy, most of the bypass is single main. There’s about a three mile section of 2MT between S 66th St and just south of the Lakewood depot and a few thousand feet at Tacoma Dome.
The Chargers are not yet in service.
Bridge 14 is rarely an issue. It’s the single track tunnel that’s the impetus.
How is this “opening in Seattle?”
What about the possibility of using connecting “shuttle trains” on the green line, as an extension/expansion of the passenger service offered – maybe using an RDC or 2, or something along those lines?
Nearly all of the bypass route is double track with the exception of the south end where it connects at Nisqually Jct. Sounder commuter trains have been operating as far as Lakewood for quite a long time now. The Cascades are very light weight trains that now are being powered with the new Siemens 4400 HP diesels. Only the Coast Starlight will fight the grade but the grade is not that long anyway. The line along Puget Sound also has a lift bridge which adds to delays to all trains