Construction has tied up about half of the passenger platform at Albany Station since September. The project continues, and completing it looks to be a while off.
Just before 3 on Wednesday afternoon, a southbound train of Amtrak’s Cascades service was parked at Albany Station. I wondered if there was something wrong.
Back to trains for a moment, if you don’t mind. More specifically passenger rail. Once again, in advance of next year’s legislative session, there’s a question whether the Amtrak Cascades train service between Eugene and Portland will continue beyond June 2017.
The Cascades passenger trains that stop in Albany four times a day have been rescued for now with a funding package that cleared the legislature on Thursday. But only an increase in the number of paying passengers can save them for good.
Whether letters to legislators get results probably depends on whether legislators are inclined to do in the first place what the letters request. So Albany’s plea to fully fund Amtrak’s Cascade passenger trains may do no good, but it can’t hurt.
Things are happening on the passenger rail front in the Willamette Valley, one right away and the other in the indefinite future. Oregon’s two new Talgo train sets start revenue service on Monday (Jan. 6), when the number of southbound trains stopping in Albany on weekdays increases from three a day to four.
At Albany Station, one fewer train
It had been some time since I stopped at Albany Station on a bike ride. I did that Saturday and noticed that the second half of the new passenger platform had been completed, probably months ago. I was taking pictures of the platform with my phone when suddenly: When I posted this video clip on […]
Tags: Albany Station, Amtrak Cascades, passenger platform, passenger rail, trains