OREGON CITY, Ore. — Amtrak has pledged to contribute $750,000 to a passing siding project to improve passenger train reliability south of Portland, Ore., if the Oregon Department of Transportation is successful in securing a federal grant.
The state has requested $5 million in federal funds through a U.S. Department of Transportation “Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development” (BUILD) grant for the $7.83 million project. Oregon would provide about $1.6 million from the legislature’s “Connect Oregon” appropriation to rebuild and add signals, converting former industrial trackage into a passing track in the middle of what is now a 7-mile stretch of busy single track on Union Pacific’s Brooklyn Subdivision.
“The 5,000-foot siding would help reduce delays to both Coast Starlights and Amtrak Cascades,” Oregon Rail and Public Transit Division Rail Planner Bob Melbo tells Trains News Wire. “Given the current schedules, if a train is late, one must wait at existing passing tracks at Clackamas to the north or Coalca to the south.” Any UP freight already occupying one of those sidings could further exacerbate the delay.
Melbo says the industrial spur was never utilized as a passing track when former railroad owner Southern Pacific introduced Centralized Traffic Control to the Brooklyn Sub in the 1950s, but its legacy footprint makes installation of a modern siding more cost effective than building one elsewhere.
Oregon’s BUILD request reviewed by Trains News Wire pegs “signal implementation” at $1.5 million, so Amtrak’s $750,000 contribution represents the entire match for that. The remainder of the expense involves labor and grading costs, plus installation of power switches, switch heaters, rails, ties, and ballast.
A decision on grant recipients is expected to be made by the U.S. DOT later this year.
The article at Progressive Railroading states that the plan is to add a second main track to connect this siding to an existing siding 3(ish) miles south (Coalca?), forming seven or so miles of passing track.
https://www.progressiverailroading.com/amtrak/news/Amtrak-adds-funds-to-Oregon_DOT-Cascades-siding-project–58204
Yes, Gerald. Being a train dispatcher for 17 of my 40 years on the railroad, I understand sawbys. And it rarely works as you have described. Especially for a 5,000 foot siding and a standard (nowadays) 7,500-foot freight train which is stopped. By the time this tonnage freight train gets the signal, accelerates from a dead stop and the rear half of its train finally clears the entering switch, that passenger train will be totally stopped at that switch. In other words, not a good plan to prevent passenger train delays.
Anna, question for you. As Curtis pointed out, this Cascade issue is so much different than the Hiawatha issue.
My question. Could a class action suit on behalf of Hiawatha passengers be brought against the communities of Glenview & Lake Forest, IL who are opposing expansion of the line? I realize it’s a stretch with lots of time & effort.
Of course they would have to find their own damn attorney. 🙂
Interesting to contrast this with the “Hiawatha problem.”
Mark, it’s actually to allow saw-by movements…the passenger trains are no where near 5000 feet long, so the idea is they enter the passing siding while the freights continue on the mainline and by the time the passenger train reaches the other end the freight has cleared the switch and the passenger train can continue on it’s way…at least until they can come up with enough green to extend to a 15,000 foot siding.
Hmmm….Since most freight trains are more than 5,000 feet in length, apparently the siding is only to meet (the rare) passenger train movements?