For 3C trains, life will begin at 50 (mph)
HIGHER SPEEDS FOR 3C
PASSENGER TRAINS ARE THE
FRUIT OF MORE ENGINEERING WORK
All Aboard Ohio welcomes green-light of 100% federally funded
work to advance greater cost-effectiveness of 3C rail project
PASSENGER TRAINS ARE THE
FRUIT OF MORE ENGINEERING WORK
All Aboard Ohio welcomes green-light of 100% federally funded
work to advance greater cost-effectiveness of 3C rail project
CONTACT:
Ken Prendergast, All Aboard Ohio Executive Director
kenprendergast@allaboardohio.org (216) 288-4883
SEPTEMBER 24, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
COLUMBUS – Today ODOT-ORDC released findings from more detailed rail traffic simulation modeling which shows the initial speeds for Cleveland – Columbus – Dayton – Cincinnati (3C) trains will be much higher than an baseline of speed data issued previously by Amtrak. The more detailed operational modeling, which is the result of the next step in a rail project's development process, came as Ohio got approval from the Federal Railroad Administration to proceed with final engineering work on the 3C project.
The operational analysis was conducted by Woodside Consulting, comprised primarily of former freight railroad executives who use methodologies embraced by the freight rail industry. The analysis found that if capital improvements were focused at adding tracks and signals at rail traffic choke points, they would improve the flow of freight traffic and thereby speed-up passenger trains.
The net result is that 3C train service will offer an end-to-end average speed of 50 mph – 90 minutes faster than earlier, preliminary estimates. Even more impressive is that in intermediate segments where there is more travel, higher average speeds of about 60 mph are likely. For example, between the Southwest Cleveland suburban stop and Downtown Columbus, a travel time of 2 hours, 5 minutes for 129 miles is proposed. That's an average speed of 61 mph. For details, see: http://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/Rail/Programs/passenger/3CisME/Pages/default.aspx
Some talking points:
++ A 50-mph end-to-end average speed would make 3C the third-fastest new-start train service since 1980. SOURCE: Amtrak National Timetables, 1980-2010 (See: http://freepdfhosting.com/4808eafeb0.pdf).
++ All Aboard Ohio supports additional refinement of these estimates with additional engineering and negotiations by ODOT-ORDC with the track-owning freight railroads which have supported this 3C project development process. SOURCE: See letters from CSX http://freepdfhosting.com/7632f70686.pdf and NS http://freepdfhosting.com/94d20429b0.pdf
++ Low fares and productive travel, not average speed, remain the top priorities for Ohio travelers. 3C passengers will be able to work, surf the Web, text, talk, meet, prepare, recover, eat, drink or relax in spacious surroundings. Taking the train will be one-tenth the cost of flying, one-fifth the direct cost of driving and up to one-half the cost of taking the bus. This doesn't include massive highway and aviation subsidies (See: http://freepdfhosting.com/f0044349e5.pdf).
++ 3C is the Midwest's busiest travel market between metro areas (3.75 million trips per year), with Chicago-Detroit a distant second at 1.6 million. SOURCE: USDOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 2000 (See: http://freepdfhosting.com/f23fb49f46.pdf).
++ Ohio is 0-4 (1977, 1982, 1985, 1992) in its attempts at going from 0 mph to high-speed rail. Now Ohio is following the evolutionary lead of others that have successful passenger rail development programs. No high-speed rail service was ever built without a conventional-speed precedent.
++ Ohio is losing its young people to regions with quality rail and transit, vibrant urban centers and other essentials. Nationally, despite Generation Y being a larger segment of the population than the Baby Boom generation, motorists aged 21 to 30 now account for just 14% of miles driven, down from 21% in 1995. SOURCE: http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/autos_content_landing_pages/1523/generation-y-giving-cars-a-pass/
++ Economic benefits from 3C Corridor, required by state law to be Ohio's first route, will greatly exceed its costs. SOURCE: http://www.ohiopirg.org/newsroom/more-news/more-news/-new-report-high-speed-rail-part-of-the-solution
All Aboard Ohio President Bill Hutchison concluded by asking 3C's opponents:
"Since no state or nation has ever developed high-speed rail without first building a foundation of conventional rail services, what will YOU do to keep Ohio, this nation's ninth-most densely populated state, from being left behind by the $200 billion per year renaissance in global railway development?"
END
