Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum: Replying To detroit to ann-arbor commuter rail - Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum

July 2010 SEMCOG Updates on the service:
http://www.semcog.or...2010Update.aspx

And the proposed interior design (the NEED a better graphic designer)
http://www.semcog.or...ges/MiTrain.jpg

August 2010 Updates (no crappy pictures):
http://www.semcog.or...August2010.aspx

peter

DET63, on 02 September 2010 - 01:29 AM, said:

Not unusual for a link that is more than a year and a half old.

Yea, I don't see why a commuter station has to be more than a few bus shelters, a platform, and some ticket machines with maybe a small brick enclosure for a manned ticket window at particularly busy or tourist-busy stations.
The way I see it, the state/feds/whoever should pay for the platform, shelters and ticket machines, and if the municipalities want anything fancier, they pony up the money.

Joel N. Weber II, on 22 January 2009 - 09:35 PM, said:

I don't think that in FRA terminology, what is call heavy rail generally falls under FRA jurisdiction. Things like NYC Subway, BART, Boston Subway (Red, Orange, Blue) are heavy rail and they are all FTA and not FRA jurisdiction, and they may only have a notional connection to a regular railway line, but typically don't anymore. There are some heavy rail lines like PATH which for historical reasons are under FRA jurisdiction but operate mostly under waivers, and even PATH does not really have a real connection to regular railways anymore.

OTOH, FRA jurisdiction lines sometimes have light rail service, e.g. RiverLINE in NJ. At present this is done using a technique called temporal separation. However the trend seems to be in a direction wherein eventually intermingling of light rail and commuter/freight rail will be allowed (as is general practice in Europe and Japan) provided the signaling and control system provides a feature called positive train separation. In this context the term light rail does not include what is traditionally called tram in Europe. It involves only the heavier variety of light rail exemplified by equipment like the Stadler cars used on the RiverLine.

BTW, FTA until now does not have any uniform safety regulation that they enforce. They are in the process of crafting such, much to the consternation of some. The last round of WMATA accidents which were traced to what can charitably called gross negligence is what gave the impetus for this.

amtrakwolverine, on 05 January 2009 - 12:12 AM, said:

Broken link.

Would the cities on the proposed line settle for Amshacks, at least for a while? Usually commuter rail stations don't have to be fancy: a (partially) sheltered platform, ticket vending machines, and arrival schedules are usually enough. Nobody is likely to be taking a lot of baggage, so a staffed station with personnel to check luggage is completely unnecessary.

amtrakwolverine, on 30 August 2010 - 02:07 AM, said:

I like the comments on the site about the article.

Hell I'd love to see it come to play, sure use the gas tax!

peter

Detroit-to-Ann Arbor commuter rail on hold; SEMCOG suggests raising gas tax to fund it

Quote

http://www.mlive.com...S+-+Michigan%29

Nice comments they posted from twitter lol.

amtrakwolverine, on Mon, Jun 14, 2010, 09:37 PM, said:

Wheels r called "wheels", and 4 wheels, or a "wheel-set" r mounted 2 the truck assembly

A truck is the complete assembly of wheels, axles, side frames, crossmembers, springs, bearings, brake shoes and rigging attached to the, and onything else I have not thought of that is below the point at which the thing is attached to the car body.

trucks are what the rail car wheels are called.