I was not really mistaken.
Tacoma Rail has trackage rights over Sound Transit Line between Dupont and South Tacoma, (walks like a duck, etc.). Technically we’re both right, does it matter to FR?
I did not say that weight was the cause of the crash. My point was that heavy trains should have been used to establish the correct track speed. In fact the maximum track speed was well established.
Agreed, this bypass has questionable benefit for passenger transport. However, there is a significant benefit to the Port of Tacoma and Ft. Lewis, but they hardly need 80 mph trains.
I am very familiar with the track route, and particularly in Tillicum they have to keep the track speeds down, big safety issue.
They ran the same train over the same tracks in a “test run” loaded with muckity ups on Friday. Their time was slower than the mainline which caused great concern. They didn’t want the public noticing that the lies they told to make the case for the track improvements. This was all empire building for Sound Transit.
My cousin worked for Tacoma Rail up until very recently. They couldn’t have cared less about the “improvements” Sound Transit has been making. The ongoing work that has been done has screwed up their operations big time and will continue to do so. Their has been no benefit to Ft Lewis or Tacoma Rail.
The money should have been spent on improving the mainline, specifically the tunnel under Point Defiance which has become a bottle neck and will continue to be a bottle neck until common sense one day prevails. Which I guess means it will always be a problem.