NYC to Albany 110MPH Alternative + Metro North M10 Prototype A

Published on 04/09/2015 - 7:45AM EDT.

By Kevin Wang. 

Photo Description: Amtrak TurboLiners

Photo Source: Hebners.net. 

Photo Description: Oregon DOT Talgos.

Photo Source: Oregon DOT. 

Photo Description: MTA Metro-North M7A's Interior.

Photo Source: WikiPedia. 

Photo Description: I-84 Connecter.

Map By Bing/Edit By Kevin Wang.

Recently, there is a discussion about the grand plan of expanding LaGuardia Airport to be a dual borough Airport. [ Reference: ReThink NYC ]. I may have offered a previous plan of a LIRR LaGuardia Line and Governor Cuomo has probably saw it (or Joe Biden gave him the idea of that because he came from the Philadelphia area and both of us got inspriations from SEPTA's Airport Line). However, I think that's the conservative way to innovate LGA. Obviously, I think ReThink NYC has a great plan and I agree with it. It would be even better than my (and Joe's) plans of LIRR to LGA and Cuomo, MTA, PANYNJ's plan of AirTrain to LGA! It's a regional innovation to the 21st Century needs for this Global City. 

Now comes the argument of how to work the lines in accordance to this grand plan. I've seen several discussions related to an Albany - NYC Line and how to make it work. Some say, combine Keystone Service Trains with Empire Service Trains. Others say, extend Metro-North to Albany. There also have been ideas of a dual mode train, keeping it Diesel, or fully electrify it. I myself like to look at the logic of each operation style and will it make sense in the form of the Albany - NYC Line. 

I have concluded the best operation type is electric with Metro-North extensions into Albany, NY. Metro-North will have an under-running third rail style of operation with speeds of up to 110MPH between New York Penn Station or Grand Central Station and Albany-Rensselaer Station. This operation will see a new equipment doing the honors and the equipment's exterior style would resemble the Oregon Talgos or the Amtrak TurboLiners (which in fact ran on the same corridor we're talking about today!). The new equipment would have an interior with 2x2 seating that is more pleasant to ride to serve the Hudson River Corridor but resembles MTA M7A's and M9A's and with some interchangable parts with them. These equipment will be qualified to run 125MPH Maximum with normal operations of 110MPH. These new equipment will be mentioned as the M10 Prototype (10 Being an Important number). The new equipment will allow for full flexibility of service, so an M7A/M9A could also replace the M10's if in fact there is need for emergency equipment. In fact one of the options are to make the trains have 2 cars within the 5-car consist be double decker coaches (same height as Amtrak Viewliners) In addition to the plan, there would be an I-84 Connecter Service adding addition service to Lake Carmel, Hopewell Junction and Fishkill-Brinckerhoff as well as a direct White Plains - Albany Service via the Harlem Line. 

The new service would make stops at - Yonkers, Tarrytown, Croton-Harmon, Cold Spring / Hudson; Scarsdale, White Plains, Mount Kisco, Southeast, Lake Carmel, Hopewell Jct., Fishkill-Brinckerhoff/Harlem --->  Poughkeepsie, Kingston-Rhinecliff, Hudson and Albany. With both corridors exploring the possibility of 110MPH sections. Amtrak will still operate service between Buffalo and Albany/NYC, Vermont and Albany/NYC, Canada and Albany/NYC and beyond. It'll run every 20 minutes during Peak Hour and Peak Direction (2 trains will use the Hudson Line, 1 train will use the Harlem Line) and hourly headways during Off-Peak Hours (Alternating Lines between Hudson and Harlem Lines). These operations can also improve access from Connecticut to Albany and North and West so it cuts down on the NYC detours and you can Ride the Train to the Plane at LaGuardia Int'l Airport and travel abroad without having to transfer more than once in NYC!  This plan further strengthens the Hudson Valley corridor and even parts of Fairfield County, CT, best of all it cuts down on automobile use between Albany and NYC and surrounding areas with additional long term parking at each station along the entire line, not just the ones the new Albany/NYC Semi-Express Serves but beyond it because you can transfer to the new service on the same platform in the stations mentioned. I believe this is the most effective way forward for this corridor if we want to make it better than the current Empire Corridor plan.