Rail Bridge to Bypass I-70 West of Denver

Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by Hammer166, Mar 16, 2025.

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  1. D.Tibbitt

    D.Tibbitt Road Train Member

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    Hell the truck stops can't even be bothered to clean the showers most the time.. let alone an entire bedroom .. I'd rather not bring bed bugs back to my rig
     
    D.Tibbitt, Mar 21, 2025
    #11
    MACK E-6, hope not dumb twucker and JC1971 Thank this.
  2. Long FLD

    Long FLD Road Train Member

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    1. Per the article, the rail line is only at about 30% capacity currently and the plan would remove roughly 60% of trucks from I-70.

    2. If you get your break in on the train then this would actually save you time versus driving 5 and having to take your 10 hour break at a later time.

    3. I’ve had sleeper rooms on Amtrak before and I took a nap in a room on the Badger across Lake Michigan and didn’t die. But I’m not a germaphobe and reckon I have a pretty decent immune system after all my years of using truckstop towels and never wearing shower shoes.

    If this becomes a reality in my lifetime I would 100% do it. The line over the Rockies through the Moffat Tunnel is one of the most scenic things I’ve seen.
     
    Long FLD, Mar 21, 2025
    #12
    hope not dumb twucker, D.Tibbitt and Hammer166 Thank this.
  3. buzzarddriver

    buzzarddriver Road Train Member

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    Would work great until the sky got cloudy and Amtrax cancelled the train because of the expected 1" of snow.
     
    buzzarddriver, Mar 21, 2025
    #13
    D.Tibbitt and hope not dumb twucker Thank this.
  4. kemosabi49

    kemosabi49 Trucker Forum STAFF Staff Member

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    Would be just another finger in the pie. Does anyone think that shippers would be willing to pay extra for their loads to be put on trains? Margins are already too thin to let the railroad get any of the linehaul. And to load a whole train with enough trucks to make it pay for the railroad would probably take as much time or more just getting the train loaded and unloaded than the actual trip. Drivers would not be able to get much rest while waiting to load and unload. And the current railcars that are used to haul trailers hold two trailers per car. No way that two tractor-trailer combos would fit on those cars.
     
    kemosabi49, Mar 21, 2025
    #14
    Hammer166 and D.Tibbitt Thank this.
  5. TheLoadOut

    TheLoadOut Road Train Member

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    TheLoadOut, Mar 21, 2025
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  6. buzzarddriver

    buzzarddriver Road Train Member

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    If i remember correctly, intermodal/rail is only profitable for distances over 500 miles, or something like that. Denver-Grand Junction is only 250 miles. Even to Green River, where the tracks turn north to Provo is only 350 miles. So, i wouldn't invest my money on that scheme, for sure. It would be more cost effective to just ban truck traffic west of Denver from October to May.:eek::(:rolleyes:
     
    buzzarddriver, Mar 22, 2025
    #16
  7. Hammer166

    Hammer166 Crusty Information Officer

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    If they could get away with it, they would! Of course, they'd really be scratching their heads trying to figure out why traffic was still fubar'd every storm!
     
    Hammer166, Mar 23, 2025
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