Keep in mind: if you think an all-day RTP-DTR rail service is too expensive or it’ll take too long to build, the survey notes this:
This means the Triangle will get some sort of enhanced transit throughout the core axis of our region. There’s a very strong argument to show that trains are the best way to make that happen. If you don’t like this project because it’s too expensive or it’s expected to take too long, all you’re doing is making it take even longer for us to have nice things, as the same amount of money will be expected to get spent, in other ways.
If anyone cares, here’s the full report:
…and a VERY long list of appendices with more data and analyses, including answers to (and sometimes-concerning updates for) some things we’ve talked about in this community, in the past:
Unfortunately, I’m feeling under the weather and haven’t had the chance to really examine everything. But there were some things about awkward track/platform layouts in RUS, Durham, and Cary (e.g. one potential idea for how trains could stop in Raleigh is to use platforms for SEHSR), as well as the types of trains and platforms that could be used (e.g. even if we use modern trains like we talked about, we wouldn’t achieve level boarding without blowing up our budget even further). Nearly all of them were due to a combination of reasonable constraints from NCDOT and stubborn, unjustified design standards from Norfolk Southern.