railroad@ucbvax.ARPA (08/02/85)
From: Nicholas.Spies@CMU-CS-H.arpa A few years ago I recall that some money was put aside for a study on a high-speed railroad line between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. I was wondering if the results of this feasability study have been made public and what the conclusions were. As it now stands, this scenic route is only serviced by two trains a day; the Broadway limited, the through train from NY to Chicago, and the Pennsylvanian, funded at least in part by the State of PA. It would seem that the terrain would limit the speed, at least along the present right-of-way. Were new tunnels contemplated? (I understand that some of the tunnels on the PA turnpike [now all upgraded] were originally built for RR use many years ago.) If you can spare the time, and board at odd times, there is no better way of travelling between the centers of these two great PA cities. In Philly, the connection between 30th Street Station and the Reading Terminal (12th Street) has been completed, allowing local train connections from Doylestown to Coatesville. The first portion of the Pittsburgh subway system was recently completed, and when a spur line is completed there will be a subway station at PA station (also near intercity bus connections). This gives direct access to public transport East and South of the city along unobstructed routes. Considering that a cab costs ~$30 from downtown Pittsburgh to airport, with