Tag: Construction in Los Angeles

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Life at a Different Pace

Returning the Railroad to Los Angeles

Life in the passenger car of a train is a life apart, a life on the inside looking out, with all the creature comforts you could imagine. The railway provides travelers with a means of getting from one place to another in style, free from worry about outside influences. Trains by their very nature are able to fly under the radar, metaphorically speaking, and away from many of the treacherous weather patterns that air travelers endure.

During the holiday season, families and individuals alike will take to the roads and the skies. Some are traveling to get away, others to reunite, while still others are simply seeking a change of scenery. The beauty of a train ride lies in the journey. On a grander scale than airplane travel, train travel is exciting in and of itself. The passing cities, landscapes, and views from the carriage are second to none. In a world that is constantly looking for the next best thing, sometimes it is the old favorites, the classics, that work best. Train travel is comfortable, relaxing, and in some parts of the East coast – comparable to air travel. There are even some journeys that cost the same or less as flying, and can get you there faster overall.

The Future of Transportation in Los Angeles

The immediate future for transportation in Los Angeles is bleak. The 405 alone is one of the most congested and heavily traveled highways in the United States, a fact that any commuter sitting in Friday traffic can attest to. Plans by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority will take many years and tax dollars to complete, leaving commuters to find ways to get from point A to point B. The time may come, sooner than most would assume, when a railroad in Los Angeles is necessary for the flow of traffic to be sustained. Train travel allows companies to transport goods – out of the way of daily commuters. In addition, commuters can utilize the trains for a more leisurely form of travel. While car companies continue to create vehicles that are safer, more fuel efficient, and last longer, the solution to worsening traffic conditions could lie on the tracks.

For all of your rail service needs, whether they be new design plans or much-needed repairs, look no further than the railroad contractor experts at Sharp and Fellows.

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The Railroad: Reminiscent of a Different Era

Los Angeles Railroad Construction

When the first railroad was chartered in the United States during the Industrial Revolution, the industry brought profound social, economic, and political change to the country. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad began construction on July 4, 1828, with the first spadeful of earth being turned over by the last surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence, 91-year-old Charles Carroll. Nearly 2 centuries later, railroads still provide a great service to commuters and businesses alike, crisscrossing all over the nation. Railroads peaked in the 1920s, enjoying their greatest dominance and profitability. There were over 254,000 miles of track in 1916, and railroads held virtually 100% of all interstate traffic.

Revitalizing Railroad Track Construction

Trains provide a respite from the gridlocked highways and streets that many major cities in the United States suffer from. In Los Angeles, it seems that traffic worsens every year, with more and more drivers taking to the road, combined with older drivers remaining behind the wheel later and later due to advances in modern medicine. The beauty of a train is that you can relax, free yourself from the worry of driving a car and avoiding other cars. Train passengers are able to get up and move around in the cars, and interact with one another, something planes and cars do not provide much of, if at all. According to the California State Railroad Museum Foundation, the grand Los Angeles Union Station is busier than it ever was except wartime. In addition, California’s oldest commuter rail passenger service continues to make big strides in carrying an ever-increasing number of riders between San Jose and San Francisco.

The freight train system in America is so well structured that other countries have been looking on with envy for many years, doing their best to emulate the intricate network we have established over time.

Railroads provide riders a chance to reflect as the world passes them by. Perhaps that is why passengers feel inclined to speak and interact with one another, to share in their reflective thoughts. On longer distances, meals are served and passengers sleep aboard the rail. In many ways, trains are a writer’s dream, allowing for long writing sessions with generally uninterrupted silence, a flurry of images flying by through the windowpane.

We here at Sharp & Fellows, Inc. boast 130 years of experience, and are eager to put it to work here in southern California. Whether you need new designs implemented or handy maintenance, Sharp & Fellows can get the job done right.