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Fest update 10/28/08


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#1 KevinKorell

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Posted 28 October 2008 - 01:26 PM

Folks,

I realize we're beyond the "two week warning" already for the Boston "T" Party RailFest 2008 event. I wanted to make sure that there was actually something to tell you.

The MBTA had their general timetable changes this past weekend. Yes, there are some minor changes to the itinerary. While it won't affect the order in which we do things, our calling times have changed anywhere from one to ten minutes. Most significant is the Worcester trip. The added service on this line has been highly touted. However what they don't tell you is that trip times have been lengthened. To that end, our Friday morning departure will be at 8:50 AM rather than the previous 9:00. We should therefore meet at South Station between 8:30 and 8:40 AM, and then walk to the train when it is called. If you are staying south or west of the city, or along the Orange Line, and find it more convenient to join us at Back Bay Station, our P509 train stops there at 8:56 AM.

The inbound P518 Worcester train also now takes longer. The new arrival time at Back Bay Station will be 11:59 AM. Assuming we all have pre-bought passes, we should not take too long in getting to the Orange Line and resuming the schedule as it was previously planned.

I also found some very slight changes of one or two minutes on the Fitchburg and Rockport Lines, but none that would affect our North Station departure times. Our inbound arrival at Porter Square is a little later too, but we already had ample time to go downstairs to catch the Red Line. In addition, the Red Line will be running at rush hour frequencies at that time.

I believe that the concensus for fare media has been to purchase the $15 7-day Link Pass, despite the fact many of us will be in town no more than all or part of 4 days. It sounds like a lot, but it will get us through the fare process quickly. Remember this pass is also good on the short Malden commuter rail trip on Saturday since it is within Zone 1A. Those of you attending the Fest just one day might do better with the one-day Link Pass for $9.

For the other commuter rail fares, I recommend purchasing sparsely or "as-needed" since there is a good chance some of our tickets won't be collected. All of our trips (except Malden) are Zone 8, so a ticket not collected on say, the Worcester round trip could be used in either direction for Fitchburg, or either of the northern termini on the Newburyport/Rockport Line.

Certainly more updates will follow between now and the Fest, including information on where exactly we will meet each morning.


Kevin Korell


OTOL Board Leader


Lakewood, NJ





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