Metra Electric Rider
Engineer
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2016
- Messages
- 2,219
88 minutes is a huge time savings!
The highway drive time from Boston to Albany is about three hours now -- a full 2 hours faster than the Lake Shore's current schedule. So shaving off 88 minutes would go a long way toward making the train competitive. A travel time of about 3:30, while still somewhat slower than driving, is something a lot more people would be willing to use given the train's superior comfort and the benefits of not having to stare at the road ahead for all of that time. If the train's time is much more than four hours, I think it would be a tougher sell.88 minutes is a huge time savings!
That's the long term vision. The CRISI grant that's actually funded includes a much more modest (but still substantial) work on the track from Springfield to Worcester - probably most similar to alternative 2 in the study (As work on the portion west of Springfield hasn't been identified or requested for grant yet.). Essentially it involves getting the MAS up to 79 MPH from 60 between Springfield and Worcester, speeding up some of the slower curves, and adding some double track and sidings. When complete there will be one long continuous double track segment from Westfield MA to Palmer MA. There is also a siding included in this for the Grafton and Upton short line east of CSX's Worcester yard on the MBTA portion of the B&A to get their interchange off the main line tracks. It will shave a bit under 30 minutes off the Lake Shore's run time. It should be noted additional proposed projects on the MBTA portion of the B&A could result in additional travel time reductions.Here is copy of the study.. IMO reducing the curves for Chapter 4, Alternative 4/5 (figure 4-14 page 79 will have most bang for buck giving long sections of 110 MPH as well as reduce total mileage by 1.6 miles. $400M + would do those improvements and save !!88 minutes without doing Spenser.
https://www.mass.gov/lists/east-wes...#east-west-passenger-rail-study-final-report-
IMO start out with Alternative 1 -2 with agreement by CSX for implementing any improvements when service is already established.
I can remember watching New York Central passenger trains on the line when I was a kid. It was four tracks wide all the way from Boston to Framingham.. . . I can remember when this line had double track from Boston all the way to Post Road Junction, 187 miles to the west . .
Besides passenger there was considerable freight traffic in and out of Boston back in the day. Today there is essentially nothing east of Framingham.I can remember watching New York Central passenger trains on the line when I was a kid. It was four tracks wide all the way from Boston to Framingham.
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