This should have been done years ago. The costs keep rising. Come on A&M and City of College Station pull your head out of your arse.

Having railroad tracks running through the campus and town looks like hell, causes traffic congestion and most importantly is extremely dangerous.

[This message has been edited by aggieangst (edited 8/30/2007 2:12p).]

The most reasonable solution according to the CEO of Union Pacific (He was in town to speak last year)is to elevate the tracks through town.

It's not gonna happen though because there is about to be an overpass built at George Bush and Wellborn.

That is what I am talking about.

Halt the building of the overpass and do something with the railraod tracks before another thing is done along Wellborn.

Does anyone at A&M or College Station have any vision? My God, this isn't Bryan.

this has been through the wringer many times and the result is the same: who pays (1/2 the taxpayers and 1/2 the RR? nah!) AND the city of CS and Bryan have to agree to do it together.

There's heartburn out there!

The tracks aren't going anywhere. You might as well get used to it.

Besides, I believe they were here first.

It has nothing to do with A&M or CS. The overpasses and such are TxDOT things and the railroad is run by the RR commission. Don't go accusing those who have nothing to do with the situation.

The overpass on George Bush has me a little nervous. Traffic gets pretty backed up by those who want to turn onto Marion Pugh. I can just see someone speeding over the overpass and smashing into traffic that has come to a halt.

A&M and the City of College Station should show some leadership and take this to the responsible State legislative committee. Demand a hearing and arrive at long term solutions. Camp on Ogdens and Browns doorstep.

Sitting by and wringing your hands because it is someone elses problem is not a solution. Doing nothing is not the answer. Make something happen. Adding an overpass at Bush & Wellborn is not a solution to the railroad track problem.

This issue has gone a lot higher than Ogden and Brown and was Phil Gramms pet project for a long time. A lot of money was thrown at it to find a solution and the end result was there isn't enough money avaliable to make if fezable to move the tracks.

Phil Gramm had his hands on millions of dollars to move the tracks and it didn't happen. There is no way the City of College Station or Texas A&M are going to do anything about it.

Simple geometry will bring the overpass beyond Marion Pugh.

If a train derails and spills deadly chemicals during an A&M semester, football or baseball game then what will be the response?

This will be another foreseeable and preventable disaster much like the Minnesota bridge collapse.

Again my question; where is the vision?

I thought George Bush was going under the railroad tracks?

Did someone change their mind or was I in a drunken stupor?

It's been explored and there isn't another option avaliable.

If you come up with a way to levitate the train over town then they might be interested but beyond that there just isn't another option.

Oh, and this project has been cussed and discussed for YEARS.

I think it had something to do with Mark Sykes not tipping at Sonic.

You know what this town needs? A monorail!

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If a train derails and spills deadly chemicals during an A&M semester, football or baseball game then what will be the response?

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This has GOT to be a troll...or a giant pu**y, not sure which yet. Ill get back to you guys.

why Jed?
Its a good point..unlikely it will happen.. but thats what they say about almost all disasters until they happen. Only takes one time.

CT'97, earlier a poster indicated a Union Pacific pofficial indicated the solution was to elevate the tracks. Let us start exploring this option before another Wellborn project is approved or started.

With all the wasteful pork barrel spending by the U. S. Congress it is about time A&M and College Station receives their share. After all this isn't building an Alaskan bridge to nowhere.

We have a former President living in this community part time and we cannot get something done.

This cannot be a new problem. I am sure other communities have dealt with and solved the problem. Someone do some homework and find the economically feasible solution.

quote:

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If a train derails and spills deadly chemicals during an A&M semester, football or baseball game then what will be the response?

This will be another foreseeable and preventable disaster much like the Minnesota bridge collapse.

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This is a rediculous comparison. It is like trying to ban air traffic over your house for fear of a 747 crushing you.

Even if the tracks were moved or raised, accomidations would be required for the businesses they supply...

it may be hard to believe, but those trains don't just go though town, they stop here too...they load and unload various cargo in the town that was here first.

If the tracks were moved one of two things would happen:

1) spurs would be constructed to supply the businesses that rely on the tracks. These spurs would cause the exact same "inconvience" that the main lines do, only, in more places since each spur would connect to the main line.

2) (which will happen regardless) the tracks will be moved and the town will grow. Before long, the tracks will be back in town and once again an "inconvience". One or two people will start to complain about the tracks and scream "bloody murder, the train will derail and kill us all" until the tracks are moved even farther just to cause the same problem.

The best place for the tracks is exactly where they are. Someday a main-line bypass will be improved and shortly after will become an alternate main-line route with spurs itself to feed another section of town.

2818 and wellborn will be done before GB and wellborn starts, the GB project is still a few years out. this years fish will be gone before the GB project starts.

it is almost impposible to deal with railroad people, they do not want to move and have enough power to not. the only real possibility is building a new track to the west of town to bypass some of the trains but that will just create other issues that need to be dealt with and it would have to be funded almost entirely with tax payers money.

TexasRebel please provide a list of functioning business spurs in the College Station city limits.

I am aware there are spurs in Bryan but am not familiar with any College Station spurs now that the lumber yard at Wellborn and 2818 is closed.

[This message has been edited by aggieangst (edited 8/30/2007 3:32p).]

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aggieangst, please provide a way to get rail traffic from the junction in Welborn to the loadstops in Bryan without going through College Station.

I will give you a hint. With material cost of 90# rail in mind and physical constraints of turning a few hundred thousand tons of steel and cargo. (An object in motion will continue along the path it is on unless an external force acts upon it. When an external force acts upon a train to take a curve in the rail it requires more energy (read: fuel) to get through the curve...twice) there isn't a good one.

I don't see why 10 miles of rail should be unearthed and moved because you were too lazy to use an over/underpass that was provided.

[This message has been edited by TexasRebel (edited 8/30/2007 3:38p).]

We went to hearings and meetings and interest sessions with DOT and UP and Brazos County and Bryan and College Station and residents from all over.
The bottom line is that Union Pacific owns the tracks, and all they are required to do is keep them serviceable and safe.
They are not required to make the pleasing to your sense of style or anything else.
Elevated rails could only make a derailment a much worse event.
Get used to them.
They aren't that bad.

perhaps aggieangst should run for public office and see what he can get done

Agree with Stoney, they aren't that bad. Have been here for 15 years and never had an issue with them.

TexasRebel, my intial inclination is to bury the tracks starting at F&B Road and exiting at the College Station City Limits.

I know, see if P David Romei can head "The move the tracks" funding campaign. It will need to be hush hush and of course we won't know where the funds come from and what they were really intended for in the beginning.

The P. David Romei LoTrack

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Does anyone at A&M or College Station have any vision? My God, this isn't Bryan.

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If it were up to Bryan, the tracks WOULD HAVE BEEN LOWERED IN 1990.

Guess which city didn't provide any funding for the LoTrack project?
Texas A&M wanted it, Bryan wanted it, TxDot was providing the majority of the money for it, yet one entity balked at spending a few million dollars,

your blessed utopia of College Station.

That's vision for you.

[This message has been edited by Scotch (edited 8/30/2007 4:37p).]

Assuming you get the railroad to agree to the move, and come up with the money, whose land are you going to requisition (using "imminent domain"?)

taxpreparer, as much of A&M's land as possible and existing rights of way where possible.

Follow the Highway 47 approach to obtaining right of way.

did the union pacific CEO actually say the solution was to elevate the tracks?

From a noise and aesthetics standpoint that's a horrible idea. wow

Scotch,

You are feeding the troll.

I don't think it was a troll, but even if it was, I haven't gone to battle for Bryan in a while. I needed to vent.

A train wreck in the middle of campus has always been a very real concern. There have been at least 2 train fires in that stretch, since I started about two years ago. I know the fire department would love to see it go.
The worst part is that firemen use us like canaries in a mine, when there is a chemical spill, if we are on the ground they turn around.

[This message has been edited by CS Five-O (edited 8/30/2007 5:34p).]