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LIGHT RAIL, RAPID TRANSIT, AND COMMUTER RAIL NEWS


Amtrak’s Classic Phase III Returns


Amtrak’s P32AC-DMs travel across one of the most popular routes from New York Penn Station to Albany-Rensselaer, N.Y., and even to points east and west such as Rutland, Vt., Buffalo, and Niagara Falls, N.Y. Amtrak has 18 of these specially equipped dual-mode locomotives that run on standard diesel-electric power or draw third rail 600v power (the electric ability is required as the tunnels leading to New York Penn Station lack sufficient ventilation for diesel exhaust). Starting in 2016 the 20-year-old units will get a makeover.


The first repainted unit put into regular service was No. 704. It features an entirely new paint scheme known as “Phase IIIb – Amtrak America.” This scheme originally debuted in October 2013 with production of new Viewliner II cars and was also applied to new Viewliner baggage cars released from the CAF USA plant in Elmira, N.Y., in December 2014.


Phase IIIb is an updated version of perhaps what is seen as Amtrak’s most iconic and recognizable scheme, the simple red, white, and blue stripes which was known as Phase III. Phase IIIb differs from the original Phase III in the fact that the red and blue stripes are now brighter and more vibrant and the entire design is slightly narrower than before. Also different is the addition of the modern


Amtrak logo. The orginal Phase III design did not contain a logo, just the word “Amtrak” in black lettering. Phase IIIb now features Amtrak’s 2000-era “Travelscape” logo, though some initial deliveries of new cars did receive the older “Chevron” style logo for reasons not made public by Amtrak. No. 704 also has a unique “Empire Service” logo featured on both sides of the locomotive. Amtrak will also be repainting the entire fleet of P32AC-DMs into this special Phase IIIb scheme, bringing some color back to northeastern routes. —KEANE MAHER


SunRail Expansions


Construction planning on SunRail’s $186.9 million southern


extension into Osceola


County has begun. The extension will include 17.2 miles of commuter rail service between the Sand Lake Road station and the Poinciana station on the existing Central Florida Rail Corridor right-of-way (originally Atlantic Coast Line). It also will include four new stations and a new vehicle storage and light maintenance facility in Poinciana. The new extension is scheduled to be up and running by December 2017. The project has received $93 million in federal dollars.


Further expansion is in the works. SunRail also received the blessing of the Federal Transit Administration to extend service to the Orlando International Airport. The project would cost about $225 million, and


the FTA could make as much as $75 million available in grant money, with the remainder coming


from state and local


sources.


SunRail’s connection to the airport could happen closer to 2020. However, a planned 12-mile extension of the north side of the line between DeBary and DeLand has yet to receive complete funding.


Tunnel Vision


The Northeast Corridor carries 750,000 rail passengers per day and is the busiest rail corridor in the country. Two much-needed tunnel projects aim to address primary chokepoints along the NEC. Stalled since 2010, the construction


of


the first new passenger rail tunnels in 100 years


under the Hudson River between


New Jersey and New York appears to have new life. The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey has agreed to partner with the federal government in the development of the Gateway Trans-Hudson Tunnel Project by creating a development corporation to oversee the project’s construction; the state of New York has also recently pledged $5 billion for the tunnels.


The existing Hudson River tunnels flooded in 2012 during Superstorm Sandy and, according to Amtrak, each of the existing Hudson River tunnel tubes will need to be closed for a year or more at a time within the next 15 to 20 years for extensive repairs.


18 MARCH 2016 • RAILFAN.COM


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