Planning Railway Construction

Abstract

The problems encountered in the major reconstruction of an active passenger railway are examined. The requirements of the transportation department are for highly controlled construction operations; however, construction is most economical when the contractor is provided with maximum scheduling flexibility. These seemingly incompatible demands can only be accommodated by an integrated, i.e., construction and transportation, planning effort, similar to that initiated by Amtrak in the Northeast Corridor Improvement Project. Amtrak's experience may prove useful where railway construction must be accomplished under critical train service constraints, particularly in the upgrading of rail lines into high‐speed commuter or regional rail system.