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Re: punta colonet/Pacific Rim RR?
Author: BOB2
Date: 09-01-2008 - 10:54
Containers can go through the Carrizo Gorge, if you are willing to spend the money to upgrade that line. I was involved in an extensive study, and that's where the cost figures to do it that I cited came from.
The concept of keeping this line in Mexico all the way to Yuma (Nogales? Ciudad Juarez?...pure fantasy) is just one of the bizarre stipulations the Mexicans have for the project. Maybe this stipulation is why UP dropped out, and now has no interest? This would add enormously (my opinion) to the cost of any such project.
It would be possible to use the old Inter-Cal to connect at Yuma, and this would be a sensible alternative, if a POI for a connection at Tecate was established for such a line. It would shorten the distance and avoid going over the grade on the Sunset route.
There is very little liklihood of a cost effective diagonal direct line from PC to Mexacali or Yuma due to the extreme geography.
There is just a little bit of the cynical side of me that says much of this is about Mexican politics and a little bit of side dealing on planning contracts or land deals. Given some of the history of this project, I'd be shocked.
But, despite some of the nonsense I've heard, the Coast to Ensenada, Ensenada to Tecate, and rebuild the Carrizo line to class 3 would probably be the only cost effective solution to access PC with rail. If someone has a secret plan for a 10 billion dollar tunnel under the mountains, then let us know about it.
The concept of keeping this line in Mexico all the way to Yuma (Nogales? Ciudad Juarez?...pure fantasy) is just one of the bizarre stipulations the Mexicans have for the project. Maybe this stipulation is why UP dropped out, and now has no interest? This would add enormously (my opinion) to the cost of any such project.
It would be possible to use the old Inter-Cal to connect at Yuma, and this would be a sensible alternative, if a POI for a connection at Tecate was established for such a line. It would shorten the distance and avoid going over the grade on the Sunset route.
There is very little liklihood of a cost effective diagonal direct line from PC to Mexacali or Yuma due to the extreme geography.
There is just a little bit of the cynical side of me that says much of this is about Mexican politics and a little bit of side dealing on planning contracts or land deals. Given some of the history of this project, I'd be shocked.
But, despite some of the nonsense I've heard, the Coast to Ensenada, Ensenada to Tecate, and rebuild the Carrizo line to class 3 would probably be the only cost effective solution to access PC with rail. If someone has a secret plan for a 10 billion dollar tunnel under the mountains, then let us know about it.
