Ha, that's wild. I graduated HS in 1997 and that sort of thing definitely seemed like something from before my time.

Official or unofficial but tolerated?

I only mention the 30 because it seems like it's oddly overlooked when looking at improvements and such despite being the busiest toute

I wonder if MCTS or the county generally needs to have a specific plan, a specific ask, not just "more transit funding from the state" generally?

Seems like Route 30 should be included too, no?

Yep, should go for relatively small increases each year rather than holding steady as long as possible then jumping higher like this

Hmm, that'd be awfully hard to run with the existing equipment. One way runtime of 5:40. Would need very early first departure and very late last arrival.

Chicago-based Amtrak trains are running out of seats | High Speed Rail Alliance America is defined by its regions. From the mountains and lush forests of Cascadia, to the plains and Great Lakes of the Midwest, to the bluegrass and sweet wetlands of the Southeast—every region is…

New coaches are needed for Chicago-based Amtrak trains.

These trains coming out of the Chicago hub are popular, and they're running out of seats.
www.hsrail.org/blog/chicago...

The free speech activist who built a list of professors he worked to get fired for their speech must be celebrated for his support of free speech, and anyone who quotes his speech accurately in context will be fired and/or face state punishment by the champions of free speech, do I have that right?

The fact that right-wingers commit the vast bulk of domestic terrorism in the US is well-established by numerous expert investigations & reports.

But the right *accuses* the left more often, makes more *noise* about it, so they've bullied reporters into framing this as a "both sides" problem.

Is that just NEC?

Definitely the case with KC as well. The state effectively controls KCPD, not the city, and requires the city spend a certain portion of its budget on PD. So KC isn't blameless but the problem lies more with Jefferson City instead.

Yep! We really need Midwest states, individually or as a group, to order more equipment. To expand capacity on existing trains and to be able to run more trains.

Even if all flights to ORD were replaced by buses wouldn't those airports remain for flights to ATL, DFW, DTW, MSP, etc? (Not Kankakee but certainly Madison, probably others)

I can only guess that it's at least perceived to be easier to clear security (also maybe cheaper parking?) at the outlying airport.

Isn't the appeal here that you clear security at Trenton airport and arrive Philadelphia airport inside security?

Amfleet II (long distance) cars only have 2 doors. Amfleet I cars, which have sometimes been used on Midwest trains, have 4 doors.

I've heard it suggested because that order was such a fiasco with the failed N-S bilevels and then so delayed that all sorts of corners were cut to stay within the original federal grant amount so maybe they can't automatically open doors and deploy steps on all cars? Or it's Amtrak being stupid?

So frustrating. I'd love to know more about Venture car doors and what is or is not possible.

Good to hear. I had forgotten about it until recently when I was on the Missouri River Runner and saw the extensions blocked off and wondered if it was still unresolved.

Hmm, aren't those sorts of table extensions unusable for some reason on the Midwest Ventures?

Looks like it took just one year to build the Sturtevant station about 20 years ago...

I may be misremembering but I recall when the Sturtevant station was rebuilt that initially an underpass was planned. But some combination of cost and railroad objection led to an overpass instead. Maybe same consideration here?

And I looked up the answer to my own question. Yes, initially when construction started in mid 2023 it was supposed to be finished in mid 2025. Somewhere along the way that was changed to completion in 2026.

There have been two tracks but only a platform on the east track. This adds a platform on the west track. The railroad that owns the tracks, CPKC, has made the second platform a requirement to add additional passenger trains.

Is construction running behind schedule? For some reason I thought it was supposed to be finished this summer?

maybe a hot take but you can simultaneously acknowledge

1) that republicans are awful and their bill will destroy Medicaid so they can cut taxes for the super rich

2) that, in order to be as effective an opposition party as possible, Dems really need to stop running elderly candidates

Democratic deaths allowed 3 Republicans (including 1 in an actually competitive district) to be able to avoid having to wear this vote around their necks.

And of course the overhead displays don't appear to be working either.