How difficult is it to convert regular freight train tracks to commuter train tracks, like light rail?

Question

I'm curious about why there seems to be so little use of commuter trains on normal freight railroad tracks. Is this an issue of compatibility or who owns the railroad tracks?

Answer 1

I don't know what the situation in the USA is, but here in the UK there is always a problem with reinstating passenger services over freight lines as the latter are maintained to a much lower standard. The cost of upgrading is always used as an excuse against re openings. I once worked in an area to the north of Newcastle-upon-Tyne in north east England where there are a number of railways serving quite large conurbations which were closed to passengers over 40 years ago but retained for heavy flows of coal. There has been talk of commuter services on these lines into to the city for 20 odd years, but nothing happens as no-one will pay for the upgrade costs. Light rail here has a specialised meaning, railways which are less regulated as the services run more slowly etc., and these days it  usually means tram (streetcar) services. Our current government won't allow money to be spent on those, although there are many plans in the pipeline, preferring in some cases to spend vast sums on converting line to guided bus ways.

Answer 2

They both run on the same gauge tracks. It all has to do with getting enough passengers to ride where the tracks lead and scheduling the freight trains and Am Trak trains. The tracks in my home town mostly carry freight but once in a while an Am Trak train will go by on the way to New Orleans.(sight seers)

Answer 3

DTT is absolutely correct.

The problem lies not with plant or structure, but rather with the carriers themselves.  It comes down to the money, which means move freight = make money.

Passenger rail is a major pain for common carriers.  In the case of AMTRAK operations, railroads are paid "on time incentive" each time an AMTRAK train covers a given distance "on time".  In this instance, "on time" means that even if a passenger train is late when entering the territory it will be no later when leaving the territory.  

The theory is that these payments will off set the loss incurred in delaying freight traffic so that passenger traffic can have a shot at staying on time.

It doesn't.  This is why carriers don't want to afford trackage rights to passenger travel.

Answer 4

Well...ummm...standard gauge is standard gauge. There is no compatability issue at all. All trains use the same tracks - there is no "freight" or "passenger" track in the sense that it only "can" be used for one or the other - although some railroads keep them seperate for wear issues.

Now light rail is something different..these things aren't meant for mainline traffic - I think they have they're own FRA crash standards and wouldn't be allowed on mainline tracks.. Plus most draw power from an overhead lower-voltage wire..

Back in the good old days, there were passenger and freight trains on the same rails all the time.

Answer 5

It's probably a matter of where the tracks actually go, and that contractors would rather build an infrastructure rather than build around an existing one.

Answer 6

no tracks are the same. Its just that commuter trains need to mesh with the local public transportation grid (as they do in Europe)