Future Operations, Proposals & Improvements
Plans have been proposed to add sidings and supersidings along portions of the River Subdivision, as rail traffic along this route has increased due to escalating fuel prices, deteriorating and / or congested arterial highways.
The original River line as constructed by the West Shore Railroad was double track main, that is one track assigned to southbound trains and one assigned for northbound trains. With the advent of Centralized Traffic Control a/k/a "CTC", the River line was reduced to single track main with passing sidings at strategic locations.
Several recent proposals (ca. 2008) put forth plans to either install supersidings (multi-segment extended length sidings) permitting trains to pass one another at speed without stopping; or reverting back to complete double tracking from North Bergen to Selkirk.
As of 2008, the original signalled siding (ssdg) between CP-QR 76 (Highland) and CP-QR 78 (West Park) which was 12,500 feet in length, was extended to 24,000 feet with the extension of the original siding with another siding from CP-QR 78 (West Park) to CP-QR 80 (Esopus) with crossovers at CP-QR 78. This extension, known as "West Park Siding" makes the entire length from CP-QR 76 to CP-QR 80 a supersiding.
As learned from Ulster County Integrated Advance Train Detection and Arrival Prediction Implementation Plan, page 9 of this document shows one new siding and one supersiding are now proposed to further alleviate rail traffic congestion:
- a new siding from QR 93 (Lake Katrine/Glenerie) to QR 96 (Mount Marion), and:
- a new supersiding, which would extend the current existing siding from CP-QR 103 (West Camp) to CP-QR 106 (Alsen), with the extension reaching to CP-QR 110 (Catskill).
Should CSX decide to double track the entire line, this could be accomplished with minimal difficulty as the River Subdivision was originally double track operation (when constructed by the New York, West Shore & Buffalo / New York Central Railroad). As the width of the right of way is already graded for double track, with bridges and trestles already in place that had been constructed as double track, only the re-installation of the second main tracks, turnouts and signals need to be installed.
One area of engineering slightly hinders this double tracking, yet it is not insurmountable as it has been done on other railroads and routes. Upon the installation of CTC, one of the two main line tracks was removed, and the remaining main line track was realigned down the center of the some of the tunnels (e.g.: Kingston Tunnel). When use of double stack container trains became prevalent, only the center portion of the tunnel roof or 'ceiling' directly over the track was raised to permit tall double stack intermodal / container trains to use that tunnel. The part of the ceiling where the roof meets the sidewall was not raised.
If double tracking is reinstated, the existing track down the center would need to be realigned to one side of the tunnel (to its original double track alignment) to permit the other track to be re-installed. This would now require either the entire width of the tunnel roof to be raised, or the full width of the roadbed lowered to permit double stack intermodal / container trains to use these tunnels.
Read more about this topic: River Subdivision (CSX Transportation)
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