r/Eugene • u/AnotherQueer • May 02 '24
Amtrak's march ridership between Eugene and Portland just hit it's highest ever - the people want more trains! Moving
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u/Moarbrains May 02 '24
Think how much ridership if it could be high speed.
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u/HankScorpio82 May 02 '24
It doesn’t need to be high speed. Just need a second set of tracks.
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u/FullmetalHippie May 02 '24
I dunno. A 30 minute commute would change the game.
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u/HankScorpio82 May 02 '24
Unless you worked in a small area around Union Station, you are going to end up with a long commute anyways.
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u/mulderc May 02 '24
You know there is a max stop at union station right? I was commuting to PSU weekly for a project and it took very little time to get off the train and get to campus.
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u/HankScorpio82 May 03 '24
You do realize that the high speed train would terminate most likely east of the river due to ease of obtaining the right of way?
The new one being built from Las Vegas to LA will terminate outside of LA proper. I mean, so unless the high speed projects started 45 years ago. None of them we stop near a downtown center.
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u/mulderc May 03 '24
The proposals I have seen would put the high speed rail line out near PDX meaning connecting to light rail should be easy. Taking the max from there to downtown isn’t that bad and they could add an express max to downtown if there was demand.Â
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u/HankScorpio82 May 03 '24
So, your entire argument about it being quick to get from union station to PSU was just some bullshit you wanted to say to seem like you were better. Knowing full well that it would take a major upgrade to Max as well for any commute to be worthwhile on high speed rail.
It seems that a double track and 80mph is more than enough, unless you consider yourself the main player.
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u/mulderc May 03 '24
You probably didn’t see my other comments. I think high speed rail is a long term goal but improvements to the current cascade line are what we should be doing now.
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u/HankScorpio82 May 03 '24
Nothing like changing your statement to make yourself feel better. Any reason you didn’t mention that when the high speed rail was going to union station on this thread? Or just because you need to feel correct?
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u/FullmetalHippie May 02 '24
Max runs all over. Even if it takes you an extra hour past the point you arrive at union station, which would get you clear out to Gresham or Hillsboro, you're still gaining over an hour of your day back on a round trip.
Plus time spent in traffic is lost attention to driving, but time on the train or public transport is time you can be doing personal stuff.
Plus the reduction of impact on our environment by not having all those people driving personal vehicles is high.
Just lots of good reasons to do high speed and no good reasons not to IMHO.
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u/HankScorpio82 May 02 '24
Billions of dollars, so we can go sit on the murder/rape Max. All while the ability to interconnect on the internet continues to expand.
Our population density is not capable of supporting high speed rail.0
u/FullmetalHippie May 02 '24
Crime goes down as ridership goes up, and you are much more likely to be killed in a car accident than on the Max.
Either way Portland->Vancouver high speed is gonna get funded before Eugene does.
Still sad to see people like yourself that can't fathom creating a better transportation system for ourselves being a thing of great value. I can only imagine that more access to appropriate transport will be more and more vital as we adjust to our uncertain future and likely take on a ton of the US's climate refugees in 50 years. Investing in infrastructure now is sure to pay dividends for years to come.
I suspect people like yourself will come around when Eugene's population doubles again.
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u/HankScorpio82 May 02 '24
Yes, it is so sad that I can see a second set of tracks and train sets to accommodate the increased ridership is more than enough for an interurban passenger railway. So sad.
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u/HankScorpio82 May 03 '24
You know, it’s funny you mention I am more likely to be killed in a car accident.
Absolutely true.
You know what else is true. I am not very fucking likely to be randomly stabbed or sexually molested in my car either.
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u/mulderc May 02 '24
Doesn’t even need that. Just have rail line operators follow the law and give passenger trains priority and we would see a good improvement in the quality of service.Â
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u/HankScorpio82 May 02 '24
That practice is generally followed. The problem being how much traffic is on the rails.
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u/Moarbrains May 02 '24
That would be an intermediate option, but I still really want a mag-lev monorail
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u/HankScorpio82 May 02 '24
A colossal waste of money, considering the distance.
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u/Moarbrains May 02 '24
Just a dream, like a second set of tracks, but mine is better.
Whole west coast, then one to ny from LA.
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u/HankScorpio82 May 02 '24
Well, other than the second set of tracks already has the right of way established. So there is no costly land purchases needed.
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u/HankScorpio82 May 02 '24
Also, the lack of population density to support such a project.
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u/Moarbrains May 02 '24
That only applies to local transit, not city to city.
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u/HankScorpio82 May 03 '24
Portland to Eugene is local transit.
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u/Moarbrains May 03 '24
Just incidental on the way north or south. Same reason we get decent bands, but are not really a destination.
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u/HankScorpio82 May 03 '24
Decent venues get interurban trains. Not high speed. Check back when the Eug/Spr metro area is 1 million.
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u/Moarbrains May 02 '24
I wish I lived in the days that we would build infrastructure just to show off for the world.
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u/mulderc May 02 '24
High speed rail should be the ultimate goal but there are already cascade line improvement plans that would dramatically improve the service and could be implemented much more quickly cost significantly less. Hell just running more trains and forcing rail line operators to follow the law and give passanger trains priority would be a good improvement.
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u/Commercial-Insect589 May 06 '24
The state should buy out the ownership of the tracks to get a proper right of way for high speed.
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u/tokoyo-nyc-corvallis May 07 '24
Check out IronLev out of Ireland. It is a few years away from scale but the tech is developing rapidly. And, it works on iron tracks!
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u/McNuggieAMR May 02 '24
I ride Amtrak between Eugene and Portland at least 4 times a month and it’s always a pleasant experience.
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u/FrannieP23 May 02 '24
Is there rail-only service southbound from Portland to Eugene now? In March I took a train north but part of the return trip was on a bus. ???
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u/AgentInAKilt May 02 '24
When you book your ticket on Amtrak, you have to make sure you choose the train only selection. Because they do have options that are part bus.
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u/FrannieP23 May 02 '24
There was only one option available at the time I needed, which was late afternoon. But good to know.
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u/OpenritesJoe May 03 '24
Wow I guess I have just been unlucky? Amtrak has been significantly delayed or canceled about 50% of the time. Yes there have been snowstorms but come on man.
I have lived in countries where a train being delayed more than 30 seconds is a rarity. Why can’t we have that here?
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u/McNuggieAMR May 03 '24
Yeah I don’t know what to say. When I take Amtrak cascade between Eugene and Portland it’s essentially always on time. Only time I’ve ever had it cancelled was during the ice storm earlier this year, which makes sense. I’ve done this route hundreds of times at this point, and would always recommend it to friends over bus / car.
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u/HankScorpio82 May 03 '24
Population density.
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u/RedditUser934 May 03 '24
I don't understand why density would have to do with trains coming on time. Would you suggest our density is too high or too low?
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u/HankScorpio82 May 03 '24
Cost, just how many millions of dollars are you willing to subsidize per rider? We don’t even have a decent interurban rail system.
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u/RedditUser934 May 03 '24
Amtrak is our interurban rail system. I think we should subsidize rail travel at least as much as we subsidize our highways, given that interurban rail has far less negative externalities than highways
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u/Pertutri May 02 '24
i5 sucks
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u/IPAtoday May 02 '24
Oregon drivers ruin I5. The ones camping in the passing lane going at/under the speed limit.
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u/AnotherQueer May 02 '24
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u/AlcorandLoakan May 02 '24
I want to add to the good news. Here is the PDX arrival times for northbound Cascades #504 for the last 30 days.
The average delay was 2 minutes. The median delay was 1 min early. The largest delay on 4/2/2024 was 1hr-38min
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u/booitsE May 02 '24
I swear Oregon is the Connecticut of the West Coast. Did I say that right?
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u/AnotherQueer May 02 '24
Is this a Miles in Transit reference? Else I’m very lost
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u/booitsE May 02 '24
No, I just think Oregon and Connecticut are very similar when it comes to trains and people using them
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u/AgentInAKilt May 02 '24
Guilty. Took train for the first time this year. It was so much more relaxing than driving or god forbid flying, that I did it again and will travel that way anytime I can make it work. Hope this helps encourage more infrastructure for rail travel.
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u/Nervous_Garden_7609 May 02 '24
Now show is how many times they were running late. I wish they were more dependable.
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u/AlcorandLoakan May 02 '24
Here is the PDX arrival times for northbound Cascades #504 for the last 30 days.
The average delay was 2 minutes. The median delay was 1 min early. The largest delay on 4/2/2024 was 1hr-38min
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u/kiwijuno May 02 '24
Yeah the Cascade is mostly on time in my experience. It’s the Coast Starlight that runs really late, esp northbound, in my experience.
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u/AlcorandLoakan May 02 '24
Last 30 days data.
PDX arrival times for #14 Coast start light northbound. Average delay. 59 minutes. Median delay. 31 minutes.
Not perfect, but not bad for a route that starts in Los Angeles, while serving 28 cities along 1300 miles.
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May 02 '24
[deleted]
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u/AnotherQueer May 02 '24
Having Amtrak going down to Roseburg, Medford and Ashland would be awesome. Plus a line from Eugene to Coos Bay, Portland to Astoria, and K-Falls to Portland via Bend and The Dalles.
At the very least the above should have robust ODOT funded bus schedules like POINT
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u/Anon_Arsonist May 03 '24
ODOT studied the alignment in 2010 and 2020, but determined the expense of improving the line to a basic level of service was cost prohibitive for the relatively low ridership potential on the corridor. Mostly had to do with the mountainous terrain combined with the poor state of the tracks. It was estimated to cost something like $3Bn for 5 hours twice-daily service along a corridor from Eugene to Ashland.
That could still be worth it for the potential of stimulating economic growth in depressed areas, in my opinion, but nobody asked me.
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u/MathAndBassoon May 02 '24
This is great! I wonder how much of the increase was folks traveling on to or from Seattle, since two additional daily round-trips on the Portland-Seattle leg of the Cascades were added to the schedule at the end of 2023. (Though even before that, Eugene-Portland ridership seems to have been at an all-time high.)
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u/pirawalla22 May 02 '24
I would love this route if I didn't almost always get stuck on buses, rather than trains, which can take nearly 3 hours to go from Eugene to Portland. I am 100% in favor of anything that will improve the transit situation in the Willamette Valley. I take Amtrak on occasion but often default, much as I'd prefer not to, to driving.
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u/OreganoTimeSage May 02 '24
I wish the train was affordable. I'd totally ride if it was like 35 round trip. The problem isn't just the ticket it's transportation after you get there. If I'm gonna have to Uber then the trip cost gets really high.
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u/tspangle7 May 02 '24
Last time I thought about riding Amtrak to Seattle it cost more than a plane ticket
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u/Paper-street-garage May 02 '24
I have to think the gas prices were a factor in this, but it’s definitely good news.
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u/sloop_john_c May 02 '24
I worked for a transit agency that managed a commuter rail line between San Jose and San Francisco. Roughly half the mileage between Portland and Eugene. The problem there was, that line ran through some very crowded suburbs, which is not a problem in Oregon. Amtrak was the operator same as here. Daily ridership on the SF/SJ commuter line is roughly 18,000 trips per day. I don't know if 14,000 a month makes the cut for expanding service. But then again, the population of the Bay Area county I lived in was roughly the same as all of Oregon's. I wonder if ODOT has done any studies. Fare revenue for that heavily used commuter rail line only accounts for an estimated 15% - 17% so they'd have to find all the other operating costs in taxes, grants, etc.
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u/AnotherQueer May 02 '24 edited May 02 '24
My understand of ODOT's long term plan is to invest in more double track and have 6 round trip Cascades + the one Coast Starlight between Eugene and Portland (and North). See Chapter 6 of this beast of a document:
https://www.oregon.gov/odot/RPTD/RPTD%20Document%20Library/Final_Oregon_Passenger_Rail_Service_Development_Plan.pdfEdit: Plus the POINT buses supplimenting rail
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u/gdkrox May 04 '24
I want a quiet zone and time enforced around the station and it’s crossings so I can sleep without being woken up every 2-3 hours
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u/AnotherQueer May 04 '24
Good news, construction on that project will most likely start next year https://www.eugene-or.gov/2920/Railroad-Quiet-Zone
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u/BrewUO_Wife May 06 '24
I enjoyed the train from Eugene to Salem but didn’t continue long after an hour delay, having to pay to park downtown Eugene, then having to figure out how to get to my office in Salem. It’s been over 10 years (and I changed jobs to a different city) so maybe it’s improved. I am a big supporter, just still too difficult and costly for regular commute travel.
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u/HannsGoober May 02 '24
I would like a high-speed loop that went from Portland to Bend, Bend to Eugene, and Eugene to Portland.
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u/HankScorpio82 May 03 '24
Wow, talk about a giant waste. Could you imagine all the tunnels needed?
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u/HannsGoober May 07 '24
Yes, I can also think of all the cars not on the road going in between these 3 places.
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u/Ausiwandilaz May 02 '24 edited May 02 '24
Cho chooo CHOOO!...motherfuckers!
Thanks for sharing 😊