125 MPH Certification Testing (Passenger Equipment)

[jis]

LD trains tend to have higher dwell times at platforms anyway due to baggage loading/unloading work and also because the riders are generally less adept and slow at getting on and off. They are not designed for quick loading/unloading with just one door per car. They are a very different breed from the swift corridor trains with adept passengers that load and unload quickly through multiple doors.

If the 10 min difference is evenly distributed among the 5 stops, we are talking like 2 minutes. And of course in congested corridor there is no guarantee that just because the speed limit is 125 they will always be running at 125 either. What the additional speed gives is the ability to be more reliably stay on time in face of all sorts of distractions that are common on the NEC. One of the biggest issues is that the LD trains have rather low priority on the totem pole. They spend a lot of time waiting for Acelas and Regionals to hurry by to stay on their tighter schedules with more stops.

 

[PRR 60]

Two prior topics on this subject merged.

 

[Ngotwalt]

I suspect at least from an operations standpoint, Amtrak would like to see the LDs at 125mph. I have on several occasions seen the LDs (especially the Meteor) stuck ahead of faster moving regional and AE trains behind with no way to pass because of local track and opposing traffic on other tracks, eventually, the Meteor seemed to end up on one of the outer mains, where it rides behind an NJt/SEPTA local, while other trains finally buzz by. I have seen this happen on my trips at least four or five times.

Cheers,

Nick

 

[jis]

A train being capable of running at 125mph and it being scheduled as tightly as possible based on 125mph are two different things. The first is indeed desirable and addresses the issue raised in the previous post. The second unnecessarily makes the job of the dispatcher harder, specially when a whole host of Regionals and Acelas are expected to meet more stringent OTP requirements than LD trains.

Looser schedules for the LD trains and indeed lower priority for them and for commuter trains makes sense, and not just on the NEC. Such priority stratification is common on many busy routes in the world.

 

[west point]

What is the connection between LD trains at 125 MPH on the NEC behind ACS-64s and Siemens chargers being tested to 125 ? The only connection in the future would be operating the Pennsylvanian PHL <> Harrisburg at the proposed 125 in the future on that route segment. Beyond HAR back to 79 MPH at the present time.

 

[Triley]

What is the connection between LD trains at 125 MPH on the NEC behind ACS-64s and Siemens chargers being tested to 125 ? The only connection in the future would be operating the Pennsylvanian PHL <> Harrisburg at the proposed 125 in the future on that route segment. Beyond HAR back to 79 MPH at the present time.

The Chargers are not planned to be used on the long hauls at this time, so there's no connection there. They are for state supported trains. And they were tested in the corridor for MARC service.

 

[Ryan]

At 125 MPH is my understanding...

 

[jis]

Yup. Chargers will be used at 125mph on the NEC by MARC.

 

[jis]

What is the connection between LD trains at 125 MPH on the NEC behind ACS-64s and Siemens chargers being tested to 125 ? The only connection in the future would be operating the Pennsylvanian PHL <> Harrisburg at the proposed 125 in the future on that route segment. Beyond HAR back to 79 MPH at the present time.

Why is any connection needed? This thread is a merger of two threads one covering 125mph testing of electrics and rolling stock on the NEC and another about Chargers. So any 125mph testing is fair game.

 

[Thirdrail7]

What is the connection between LD trains at 125 MPH on the NEC behind ACS-64s and Siemens chargers being tested to 125 ? The only connection in the future would be operating the Pennsylvanian PHL <> Harrisburg at the proposed 125 in the future on that route segment. Beyond HAR back to 79 MPH at the present time.

Why is any connection needed? This thread is a merger of two threads one covering 125mph testing of electrics and rolling stock on the NEC and another about Chargers. So any 125mph testing is fair game.

I disagree. This was a merger of the "125 MPH Certification Testing (Passenger Equipment)" and the offshoot "ALP-45DP high speed test" threads. The Charger did not have anything to do with the tests in these threads. I asked the mods to merge the two threads because round three is gearing up and it would help if everything is on place.

Hopefully, the third time will be the charm.

 

[Thirdrail7]

If weather permits, round three begins!

 

[west point]

Chargers testing to 125 probably will reduce future certification on other routes. Brightline on Orlando segment as an example.