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| Re: Pittsburgh re-opens Mt. Washington tunnel (1611071) | |||
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Re: Pittsburgh re-opens Mt. Washington tunnel |
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Posted by BusMgr on Fri Nov 18 18:14:48 2022, in response to Pittsburgh re-opens Mt. Washington tunnel, posted by TransitChuckG on Wed Nov 16 09:35:37 2022. The article includes an interesting assertion about the Mount Washington tunnel: “It is the only tunnel in the United States shared by bus and rail service.” Alas, the assertion is not strictly true.The Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, which passes under Maynard Mountain between Whittier and Portage, Alaska, is also a tunnel shared by bus and rail service. The tunnel was initially placed in service in 1943 for trains, and then converted for use by trains, buses, and other motor vehicles in 2000. At 2-1/2 miles in length, it is nearly four times as long as the Mount Washington tunnel. The tunnel has only a single lane, with both track and roadway service but no mixing of rail and motor vehicles at the same time. Traffic is regulated by timetable, with the tunnel available for motor vehicles once per hour, for a 15-minut period (the tunnel requires 10 minutes to traverse), and subject to disruption when trains are using the tunnel. In the summer, there are at least two Alaska Railroad passenger trains scheduled daily in each direction through the tunnel. The Glacier Discovery operates between Anchorage and Grandview, with consists that include the railroad's unique double deck DMU. On days when cruise vessels are in port there are six passenger trains scheduled in each direction through the tunnel (of which two trains in each direction are operating light to or from Whittier, without passengers). The additional trains include both a Panorama Dome charter train consist that the Alaska Railroad had acquired second-hand from the former Florida Fun-Train, operating without passengers between Seward and Whittier, then in service between Whittier and either Talkeetna, as the McKinley Express, or Anchorage, as the Holland America Cruise Train; and an Ultra Dome charter train consist owned by HAP Alaska, operating without passengers between Anchorage and Whittier, then in service between Whittier and Denali as the Denali Express. Both charter train consists are operated by Alaska Railroad by contract with Holland America Line and Princess Cruises for their passengers. Also on days when cruise vessels are in port there are numerous bus services using the tunnel, including A Alaska Cruise Transfer and Tours LLC (dba Alaska Cruise Transportation), Premier Alaska Tours, Inc. (dba Park Connection), and Royal Hyway Tours Inc. (dba HAP Alaska), all providing scheduled service between Whittier and Anchorage. Clearly, a different environment from that in Pittsburgh, yet also one that is essentially the same in having once been a rail-only tunnel converted to joint use. |
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