Yep. 2hrs faster, virtually no freight interference (large portions of the line are currently unused), up to 125mph between Norlina and Petersburg, and more frequent service as well.
NCDOT should be throwing everything they have at this effort.
22 Likes
And drop some of the STIP to make it happen!
1 Like
NCDOT already working on 5 (I think) grade separation projects on this line in Wake County. That’s a good first step at least.
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The report specifically calls out funding for a grade separation project in Wake County - but I wonder which one?
Four are already on the docket to begin construction in 2023-2024, it’s possible that this funding will go into the bucket for these projects:
-New Hope Church Rd
-Millbrook Rd
-Durant Rd
-Rogers Rd (Wake Forest)
The other possibility is that this will fund one of the remaining S-line crossings on the R2R corridor not already scheduled for construction. In Raleigh:
-North Raleigh: Gresham Lake Rd
-Midtown: Whitaker Mill Rd, Tarheel Dr
-Downtown: Harrington, West, Jones, and Hargett
(Or, one of the approximately seven crossings in Wake Forest)
8 Likes
Wake Forest is going to be interesting. There’s a lot of work that will need to be done next to historic structures with minimal ROW. I have a feeling they won’t be able to double-track it.
I once attempted to review all the at-grade crossing on the Seaboard line. I got up to Warrenton. It’s extensive.
At-Grade Crossings between Raleigh and Warrenton, NC
- Hargett St, Raleigh NC
- W Jones St, Raleigh NC
- N West St, Raleigh NC
- N Harrington St. Raleigh NC
- E Whitaker Rd, Raleigh NC
- Wolfpack Ln, Raleigh NC
- New Hope Church Rd, Raleigh NC
- E Millbrook Rd Raleigh NC
- Gresham Lake Rd Raleigh NC
- Durant Rd Raleigh NC
- Ligon Mill Rd Raleigh NC
- Seawell Dr Wake Forest NC
- Rogers Rd Wake Forest NC
- Friendship Chapel Rd Wake Forest NC
- E Holding Ave Wake Forest NC
- Elm Ave Wake Forest NC
- Brick St Wake Forest NC
- K-Flex Way Youngsville NC
- Pine St Youngsville NC
- Main Street Youngsville NC
- Winston Street Youngsville NC
- Bert Winston Youngsville NC
- Hicks Rd Franklinton NC
- Hawkins Rd Franklinton NC
- E College St Franklinton NC
- Mason Street Franklinton NC
- Joyner St Franklinton NC
- Pearce St Franklinton NC
- Eric Medlin Rd Franklinton NC
- Old Ridge Church Rd Kittrell NC
- Beechtree Trail Kittrell NC
- W Main Street Kittrell NC
- N Chavis Rd Kittrell NC
- Farmer’s private crossing near Cole LN and Raleigh Rd (36.250011, -78.422982)
- Farmer’s private crossing near Raleigh Rd (36.252486, -78.419680)
- Peter Gill Rd Kittrell NC
- Eastern Minerals Rd Kittrell NC
- Bear Pond Rd Henderson NC
- Warehouse Rd Henderson NC
- J P Taylor Rr Henderson NC
- Welcome Ave South Henderson NC
- Miriam St Henderson NC
- Chavasse Ave Henderson NC
- E Spring St Henderson NC
- E Orange St Henderson NC
- E Winder St Henderson NC
- E Montgomery St Henderson NC
- Andrews Ave Henderson NC
- Rock Spring St Henderson NC
- Cutthrew (36.334493, -78.394807) Henderson NC
- Main Street Henderson NC
- Harris St Henderson NC
- Railroad Rd Henderson NC
- Warrenton Rd Henderson NC
- N Oliver Rd Henderson NC
- Greystone Rd Henderson NC
- Buchan Best Ln Henderson NC
- Brookston Rd Henderson NC
- Private road Henderson NC (36.381459, -78.346052)
- Private road Henderson NC (36.385294, -78.343995)
- Poythress Rd Henderson NC
- Tucker Lumber Rd Middleburg NC
- S Carol St Middleburg NC
- S Hawkins Ave Middleburg NC
- Private road Middleburg NC (36.402719, -78.315491)
- Private road Middleburg NC (36.406643, -78.307417)
- Private road Henderson NC (36.409026, -78.302481)
- Mason-Axtell Rd Norlina NC
- Hicks Rd Norlina NC
- Soul City Norlina NC
- Collins Rd Norlina NC
- Joe Jones Rd Norlina NC
- Holtzman Rd Norlina NC
- Ridgeway-Warrenton Rd Norlina NC
- Warran Plains Rd Norlina NC
- Sugar Hill Norlina NC
- Weldon Rd Warrenton NC
- Kings Garden Norlina NC
- Circular Rd Norlina NC
- Private road (36.482738, -78.170253) Norlina NC
- Private road (36.485778, -78.169961) Norlina NC
- Falkner Quarter Rd Warrenton NC
- Wise-Five Forks Warrenton NC
- Railroad Ln (36.501241, -78.168816) Warrenton NC
7 Likes
Let’s split’em up.
@orulz uou get 1-5
@dtraleigh you get 6-10
@GucciLittlePig you get 11-20 cause @GucciLittlePenguin is gonna help you
@John you probably won’t be in town so you’re off the hook
@Jake YOU GET 21-25
@Yimbyforlife you get 26 only, but make sure there’s a 
next door
@Francisco you put your restaurant concept (as many as you please) at every other stop
@Loup20 you’re sponsoring all the NC stops with MLB Raleigh
@colbyjd3 I was gonna give you Wake Forest but 27-31 is next
And I’m out of fun comments.
9 Likes
Let me go get the shovel out of my kids’ sandbox…
The work should be done by, say, next Tuesday?
(I expect payment in advance. Gold bars only. No currency - fiat, crypto, or otherwise)
5 Likes
I’ll have the construction drawings ready in 25 minutes
11 Likes
Why mine in ALL-CAPS? 
The Discourse analytics engine rated your comments as the most likely to have CAPS used. The passion in your comments is not assumed, it’s CLEAR!
Looks like we got a little more info on what the funding is for, assuming Spectrum’s reporting is solid:
The money will go to several key parts of the rail project. It will pay for preliminary engineering work for a missing section on the line and preliminary design for the 162-mile route, according to Tillis.
The funding will also pay for construction to help with safety concerns on part of the line in Wake County, Tillis’ office said.
7 Likes
Hey @atl_transplant, I feel like you’d be the best person here to answer this question: what constitutes “preliminary engineering work” and “preliminary design”? In other words, where are we at in the process? I know the EIS is done. I’m just not clear on the steps for these types of infrastructure projects.
2 Likes
For a project like this it’d likely be field work, additional survey, actual CAD design, and Railroad coordination. All that would maybe be 5 million for a project this huge.
The rest should help fund construction of grade separations. The article didn’t really specify though. But I can’t see the PE costs being more than 5 million of the grant.
3 Likes
Gotcha. I really need to just start studying the actual design and engineering processes so I can understand what I’m looking at when I’m on project pages and such. I’ll see things like “30% design” or “preliminary engineering” and get the idea of what that is in the context of its own phase, but not understand what that means in terms of the timeline as a whole.
1 Like
30% design is basically a finished concept but without actual engineering measurements and such.
30% basically gives the idea of what the project will be and look like but there will likely be subtle detail and measurement changes after that.
Preliminary Engineering is basically the whole design process from start to finish. So when you see a PE coat that covers survey, concept design, full design etc.
A decent rule of thumb for most projects is for PE to be roughly 10% of the total project cost.
5 Likes
Nice, so a couple less terms to learn then. Thank you!
1 Like
Not the S-Line or SEHSR, but couldn’t find a more fitting topic. NCDOT is revisiting its 2005 Southeastern NC Passenger Rail Study to analyze feasibility of Amtrak service between Raleigh and Wilmington. The study is expected to be complete by the end of the year. Perhaps NCDOT is trying to position this corridor to take advantage of federal money for rail in the near future?
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Looks like the study in the article from 2005 studied going from Raleigh to Wilmington via Goldsboro or Fayetteville. I wonder if the new study will look at the same places again or see if there’s a better option.
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I could see the Raleigh/Fayetteville line getting some push due to link of Bragg with Sunny Point. Also would be easy to extend to Charlotte and Asheville in distance future. What I would REALLY like to see is true high speed (like 200+mph) trains running up and down east coast. 
5 Likes