Image of a Brown Line Train on the "fly-over" bridge between Downtown Pittsburgh and the South Side. The fly-over bridge connects the Brown Line to the Main Light Rail Line on the Panhandle Bridge (a former Pennsylvania Railroad bridge, shown in the foreground), which crosses the Monongahela River. The last heavy-rail, passenger train to use the Panhandle Bridge was Amtrak's version of the National Limited between New York City / Washington DC and Kansas City, from 1971 to 1979. (Image Source: snipview.com)
By Glenn A. Walsh
Reporting for TransportWatchtower
On Sunday Afternoon, August 5, seven
freight cars from a Norfolk Southern train bound for Chicago derailed
near the Station Square section of Pittsburgh's South Side. Seven of
these Norfolk Southern rail cars, including 42 storage containers,
toppled from the Pittsburgh South Side rail “shelf”; a few fell
onto the Port Authority of Allegheny County's (PAT) Light Rail
Transit right-of-way, including the eastern portion of the Light Rail
station at Station Square.
For several weeks, as the rail station,
tracks, and over-head electrical wires at Station Square were
unusable, Red and Blue Line trains were diverted to Brown Line tracks
traveling over Mount Washington through the Allentown – Hilltop
neighborhood. Regular rail service on the Brown Line had been
suspended after the last trip on 2011 March 27, due to a 15 percent
PAT general service reduction.
The temporary diversion of Red and Blue
Line trains over the Brown Line resulted in about a ten-minute delay
in rail service. To avoid further delay, train operators were
instructed not to make any stops along Arlington or Warrington
Avenues. Consequently, residents and business owners, remembering the
greater rail service the neighborhood enjoyed prior to 2011, started
demonstrating for return of regular Brown Line rail service.
On September 28, long-time public
transit advocate Glenn A. Walsh spoke before the regular monthly
meeting of the Board of Directors of the Port Authority of Allegheny
County, seeking the reinstatement of Brown Line rail service in 2019.
The following is the September 28 public statement of Mr. Walsh:
Statement before Glenn A. Walsh
Board of Directors, P.O. Box 1041
Port Authority of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15230-1041 U.S.A.
Allegheny
County: Telephone: 412-561-7876
Rail Service
! Internet Web Site:
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Friday, 2018 September 28
Good morning. I am Glenn
Walsh, 633 Royce Avenue, Mt. Lebanon, a regular Light Rail and bus rider who
has chosen not to drive a motor vehicle since 1985, to help
save energy, protect the environment, and reduce city traffic congestion. I
have been an active transit advocate for 40 years, including 3 terms on the
Allegheny County Transit Council as a Charter Member. My comments today are my
own and do not reflect those of any organization.
Last month, the railroad
accident at Station Square resulted in Light Rail use of Brown Line tracks,
without any stops along Warrington or Arlington Avenues. Residents and business
owners in the Allentown-Hilltop neighborhood are now, logically, calling for
restoration of Brown Line Rail Service.
Recent newspaper reports
indicate, according to PAT sources, that restoration of Brown Line Rail Service
would cost $1.3 million. I wonder if there is proper accounting here.
Does this $1.3 million
figure include maintaining the tracks and over-head wires, and if so, why? We
all know PAT will maintain these tracks and over-head wires regardless! The
cost of maintaining these tracks and over-head wires should NOT be charged
against restoration of Brown Line Rail Service.
Brown Line headways
should be evaluated as if adding headways to the Red or Blue Lines---but, due
to a much shorter distance, the cost would be much lower!
And, since the Brown
Line would now serve the North Side, in addition to Downtown, it would likely
attract even more riders!
Brown Line Rail Service
should be restored in 2019.
Thank you.
gawInternet Links to Additional Information ---
Brown Line Rail Service:
Link >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_Line_(Pittsburgh)
News Articles Regarding Diversion of Red & Blue Rail Lines to Brown Line Tracks, due to Station Square Rail Accident:
Link >>> http://andrewcarnegie2.tripod.com/transit/pat/#brownline2018
Source: Glenn A. Walsh, 40- year public transit advocate and a Charter Member of the Port
Authority of Allegheny County's citizens advisory committee (member of Allegheny
County Transit Council: 1984 to 1989).
Thursday, 2018 October 4.
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gaw
Glenn A. Walsh, TransportWatchtower Editor / Author: < http://buhlplanetarium2.tripod.com/weblog/spacewatchtower/gaw/ >
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Author of History Web Sites on the Internet --
* Buhl Planetarium, Pittsburgh:
< http://www.planetarium.
* Adler Planetarium, Chicago:
< http://adlerplanetarium.
* Astronomer, Educator, Optician John A. Brashear:
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* Andrew Carnegie & Carnegie Libraries:
< http://www.andrewcarnegie.
* Civil War Museum of Andrew Carnegie Free Library:
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* Duquesne Incline cable-car railway, Pittsburgh:
< http://inclinedplane.tripod.
* Public Transit:
< http://andrewcarnegie2.tripod.
Glenn,
ReplyDeleteCompletely agree with you on this. I have tried several times to comment at your Blog site, but the site doesn’t seem to be posting the comments.
Thought you would want to know.
Best,
Chip