Electrify Amtrak Detroit to Chicago

[~Z~]

Video on the thoughts about electrifying a few Amtrak routes, including Amtrak from Detroit to Michigan City, then hopping on South Shore to Chicago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yHqXMIvQXw

[Saturnalia]

FWIW Amtrak would probably want an AC catenary system, which would mean they'd either need to pay for the SSL and MED to convert, or they'd need dual-mode power.

[DaveO]

There just aren't enough trains to warrant electrification.

Switzerland is big on electrified lines. But they have to import petrol and have many hydro plants.
They also run frequent passenger services.
Even the freight gets an electric engine. But they typically have diesel tractors to move cars at the stations with non-electrified trackage.

[PatAzo]

Amtrak’s best train routes are undoubtedly the ones that run under electrification.
• Yes but not because of electrification. They are in the northeast where density is high (a prerequisite for electrification)
• It’s an area where the public is willing to put money into passenger rail.
• Driving in the northeast any distance sucks worse than I-94.

Electrification is the answer to a lot of our railroading problems.
• Lack of funding? No, spending $800M to electrify Detroit to Michigan City will not get you even more funding.
• More passengers. No, the passenger won’t know won’t care. If their car is more convenient they will take their car.
• Make it profitable? Well no passenger rail service is truly profitable so give up that notion.

There are no local pollutants
• Yes, you pollute the air somewhere else and talk about your clean vehicle.

The grid can be powered by any source.
• Well sort of. Consumers “Green Energy Plan” requires a 15% reduction in use when the Campbell plant goes off line so maybe Indiana Power will hook them up.

Can be switched to green energy power later.
• In theory and yes the technology may well be available in the future to generate power on the scale coal and gas were able to. Just not in the near future. But then it will take some time to dig up $800M plus whatever it really costs.

Electrification comes with better service.
• No better service comes with the public demanding and using the service. Electrification on the NEC came with PRR needing to increase capacity 90 years ago.

Electrification comes at a lower cost so you can make more profit in the long run.
• If you use Amtrak accounting where you ignore capital costs and depreciation.

Higher speeds can easily be achieved.
• Electric locomotives do have higher short time rating than diesel so they can accelerate faster. But after that energy is energy regardless where it comes from.
• That is until they paste a vehicle big enough to derail a train at 100+ then it’s a bad day regardless. The NEC also has very few grade crossings… wonder why.

Electric trains are generally quieter.
• Ah maybe. Neither the P42’s or the Chargers are particularly noisy.

[J T]

Great post, Pat.

[PatAzo]

Great post, Pat.

Thanks, it's mostly a guy churning his YouTube channel.

But then there is the electric highway tests in Europe.

https://www.electronicdesign.com/market ... and-the-uk

[justalurker66]

Video on the thoughts about electrifying a few Amtrak routes, including Amtrak from Detroit to Michigan City, then hopping on South Shore to Chicago.

Even though NICTD (South Shore Line) is "passenger friendly" they have their own plans for their line from Michigan City to Chicago ... faster more frequent service built around a maximum speed of 79 MPH with trains stopping briefly at passenger stations (unloading and loading sped up by the use of high level platforms). They plan on using their capacity to serve THEIR passengers in the four counties in Northern Indiana, including trains on the West Lake Line which should be running in 2024 (about the same time as Double Track NWI completes).

In my opinion, windows for Amtrak to run 40+ miles to Chicago does not fit into that service plan. Diesel or electric.

Metra is irrelevant unless Amtrak decides to run trains to Millennium Station instead of Chicago Union Station. One would also need to electrify CN-IC from Kensington north and around the curve to Union Station (and install the new $146 million NE quadrant ramp Amtrak wants to cut 10-15 minutes off the City of New Orleans and Illinois Service trains running that route).

The electrification element seems like an unnecessary cost. The first show stopper for using NICTD rails is getting permission from NICTD. So far all I have heard is speculation noting that NICTD is "passenger friendly" (duh, they are a passenger railroad). Has anyone with the dream of putting Amtrak on NICTD rails even asked NICTD or are they just assuming the answer would be yes?