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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[1] Reed Education and Professional Publishing Ltd. Editor: Ross, Julian. 2000 (Ross, p. 3)

[2] (Ross, p. 17)