Friday, January 27, 2012
End of the Line the Beginning of the Line
The Station -
The Question: How does a new
national rail network become more efficient?
All good infrastructure systems
begin with good planning. Good planning will have to address train station
locations. Because railways are
capital-intensive and alterations cost high, well thought out permanent station
locations are the only answer. In a 2000 report: Railway Stations: Planning, design and management it was found new
stations must consider current and future use capacity, improvement and
maintenance costs, passenger usage and expansion possibilities.[1]
The United States has many train stations that are underutilized and should be consolidated or eliminated to provide for a more streamlined system. These underutilized stations could be serviced by a light-rail system that connects to a larger train station. There are other uses for underutilized train stations. Several closed stations have been converted to hotels, bars, hostels, community centers and heritage stations.[2]
The future success of America’s
railroad will be passenger usage which will hinge on accessibility to train
stations and terminals. So it will be critical that new stations be built on
transportation nodes to allow passengers to exit a major highway, park their
vehicle, purchase their ticket and hop on a train to the city center. This same
location must also be accessible to mobility-impaired persons and persons
walking from their home to the train station and light-rail service.
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