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For secondary mainlines Class 3 Track which allows for 40-mph speed for freight trains fulfills the needs of the freight railroads, limiting passenger speeds to 60-mph. Other limits on speed include the fact that Amtrak travels over the tracks of freight “host” railroads which have little need for high speed trains. The speed increases to 90-mph as the tracks pass the CSX West Albany Yard, cross Central Avenue, then curving to parallel the I-90 till crossing Fuller Road and passing under the I-87 where the speed jumps to 110-mph over the straight and flat track past the pine barrens to Schenectady, were the speed drops as the mainline curves and descends into downtown Schenectady. Running west of Rensselaer there is several tight 25-mph curves, 15-mph across the Livingston Ave rotating swing bridge, and then a 40-mph climb up the serpentine tracks of the 1.75 percent grade of the West Albany Hill, the mainline crossing the little Patroon Creek several times in the forested glen of the Tivoli Nature Preserve. South of Rensselaer speeds of 90-mph are due to curvature of the serpentine tracks as they run along the east bank of the Hudson River. The sections of 100 and 110-mph track are places were the mainline is straight enough to permit such speeds. Historically signaling and train control also play a role, for speeds higher than 79-mph more advance forms are required, although the widespread installation of Positive Train Control (PTC) makes this a moot point on most mainlines.Ī good example of all these factors at play in determining top track speeds is Amtrak’s Hudson Line from Poughkeepsie to Hoffmans, as the limiting factor is NOT track class, given that if possible Amtrak would prefer to run at 110-mph as much as possible to reduce travel times.
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Potential speed because there are other factors that determined the top speed for any mile of track – including curvature, grades, and permanent speed restrictions like some interlockings (crossover switches), bridges, tunnels, and stations. The higher the quality of construction in conjunction with the frequency of regular maintenance and inspections the higher the Class of Track and the legally authorized top potential speed. Overall speed is determined by several factors, the first being the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) system of classification for track quality. South of Cold Spring through to New York City the top speed on Metro-North’s Hudson Line is 80 to 70-mph, with 60-mph on Amtrak’s Empire Connection from the Spuyten Duyvil Bridge south along the westside of Manhattan to Penn Station. South of Stuyvesant through Poughkeepsie to Cold Spring the top speed is 90-mph, with a short 8-mile segment of 95-mph between Poughkeepsie and Rhinecliff.
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West of Amsterdam the top speed on CSX mainline is 79-mph, but in Buffalo it falls to 60-mph for the 28 miles of the CSX Niagara Branch from the Larkin District just east of Buffalo-Exchange Street to the Niagara Falls Rail Station. Also, just west of Schenectady to Hoffmans, where Amtrak's Hudson Line merges with the former West Shore Line (CSX Selkirk Subdivision) to form the mainline (Mohawk and subdivisions) to Buffalo, there is 9 miles of 100-mph track. There is another 8 miles of 110-mph track between Albany and Schenectady, after the West Albany Hill and CSX Freight Yard. This includes 17 miles of track from the Albany-Rensselaer Rail Station south to MP 124 at Stuyvesant, 10 miles north of Hudson, NY. LONG ANSEWER: The top speed for Amtrak trains along the Empire Corridor is 110-mph on two sections of mainline through the Capital District. How Fast do the Trains Go? SHORT ANSEWER: 110 MPH on segments of track through the Capital District FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS LISTED IN ORDER How Fast do the Trains Go? Host Railroads: Who owns the Tracks? What Exactly is Amtrak? PRIIA Section 209: Who Pays for the Empire Corridor? What is High Speed Rail? What is Higher Speed / High Performance Rail? What Makes up Railroad Track? How does Signaling and Interlocking Work? What is Postive Train Control? Has There Been Direct Air Service Albany-Buffalo? How is Passenger Rail Organizated and Funded Overseas? Is it Railroad or Railway?