33 replies to this topic

[CNJRoss]

The Republican, Springfield, MA via MASSLive.com, 9/24/23

 

Wheels finally turning on passenger rail dreams in Massachusetts (Editorial)

 

The figure is $108 million. That’s million, with an “m,” as in momentum.

 

Last week’s grant award to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and two rail giants is the clearest evidence yet that a dream of reawakening passenger rail travel will become reality.

 

To be sure, more money is needed to build out the kind of robust east-west rail service between Pittsfield and Boston able to transform the nature of travel within Massachusetts. The bill on that could hit $2 billion, planners say. 

 

 

Continue here.

[KevinKorell]

Before Acela rolled out around late 2000, Amtrak electrified its Shore Line from New Haven up to Boston, and that continued as the primary routing for trains serving Boston.  The practice of running Inland Route trains to Boston ended, despite the obvious miss of population ridership generators in the Hartford, Springfield, and Worcester areas.   When I rode these trains, they were scheduled to take about one hour longer than Shore Line trains to Boston.   However now, with the improvements made a few years ago in institute the Hartford Line (combined Amtrak and CTRail service), this segment should be faster.  With the improvements noted here, the same should hold true for infrastructure east of Springfield, save for the curvy nature between Springfield and Worcester.  But it's a lot fewer curves than the Shore Line experiences as it literally follows Long Island Sound through Connecticut.  Thus the Inland Route once improved could get a bigger role in hosting frequent daily trains.

[KevinKorell]

Streetsblog Massachusetts, 10/18/23:

 

 

   MassDOT Outlines ‘Compass Rail’ Vision for New Passenger Services in Western Mass.   

 

 

 

MassDOT is expanding its intercity passenger rail plans for western Massachusetts to incorporate more north-south service through the Connecticut River Valley and a possible new route between Boston and Albany, New York.

 

 

Here is the latest.

[KevinKorell]

Clark University Scarlet, 10/19/23:
 

  Loss and Gain in Worcester Train Service      

 
 
 
Taking the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) commuter rail from Worcester to its final destination in Boston takes an hour and thirty-five minutes when stopping at every station along the line. Since 2016, a heart-to-hub service has run an express morning and afternoon train for commuters which only stops in Worcester, Framingham, and three Boston stations, for a trip that is around an hour and five minutes long. On Oct. 2, the commuter rails fall schedule went into effect, replacing the express train with one that makes five additional stops bringing the travel time to just under an hour and a half. 

 
Full story
 
Cross posted in Amtrak and MBTA forums.