Albany Springfield Boston Train Service
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This article outlines some of the developments that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is working on, including Boston to Albany
https://mass.streetsblog.org/2023/1...new-passenger-services-to-western-mass-albany
"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."
https://mass.streetsblog.org/2023/1...new-passenger-services-to-western-mass-albany
"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."
Reading that, I had hoped for a train using the former B&M across the northern part of the state
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Amtrak ran a Fall Foliage Special to East Deerfield from Albany on that Northern Route in its pre-Anderson more customer friendly days under Boardman.Reading that, I had hoped for a train using the former B&M across the northern part of the state
The problem with that route is that it misses major population centers (Worcester, Palmer, Springfield, Pittsfield) instead you get Gardner, Athol, Deerfield, North Adams and not much else. It would be cool to go through the Hoosac tunnel though.Reading that, I had hoped for a train using the former B&M across the northern part of the state
Fitchburg still not in the same league as Worcester and Springfield. Troy is part of the Albany Metro area so is served by the current ALB station.
Seem like someone was listening.Reading that, I had hoped for a train using the former B&M across the northern part of the state
https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/boston/news/northern-tier-rail-service-massachusetts-study/
https://www.mass.gov/doc/draft-northern-tier-passenger-rail-study-report/download
A route from Boston North station extending the Firchburg line all the way to atleast North Adams. Potentially Albany with one option being electric. This would establish a second east west route though mass in parallel to the Lakeshore limited’s Albany Springfield Boston. With options on electrification.
Well I guess if the Commonwealth is that flush with cash that they can spend $$$ to create a second passenger route going through a relatively sparsely populated (by Massachusetts standards) area, all power to them. As long as the focus remains on Boston - Springfield - Albany as the first priority.
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I agree, The priority should be the Southern passenger tier based on the old Boston Albany/Lake Shore limited route via Springfield. However This isn’t a bad idea.
Based off reporting it seems like the aim is to try and combat the population decline along the northern route.
Living along the southern passenger tier the population is going through high property values and rents though it’s still a super commuter range for Hartford and Boston.
With Mass living up to that abbreviation by being the third state in population density, the aim seems to be to try and make ease of transit to those northern Passenger tier communities so as to make them more accessible to potential residents in hopes that by being able to get to the Boston metro area as well as NY state directly and with transfers south to NYC.
They could encourage people to move back into those rust belt communities and better distribute the population.
From the Urbanism perspective many of these are the classic town models “cute downtown” that they encourage but separated by the degeneration of the passenger rail system of the U.S.. Undeveloped land relative to the rest of the state offering potential for development of housing and Re industrialization.
Farther economics comes in as towns like North Adam’s are Tourist spots. Classic Norman Rockwell Massachusetts with great foliage in the fall. Two Ski resorts in the Winter along the proposed route and some nice spring/summer festivals.
It’s just a question of the infrastructure just as in the southern tier you have a set of established existing passenger railroad from North station to Fitchburg. Then it’s freight railroad. Much of it crosses through these communities. A lot of the old stations and platforms were demolished since they closed a few are preserved as taverns, restaurants and Museums. North Adam’s doesn’t even have station the original one was in Adam’s and is disconnected from the route and is a bar. Plus the Question of infill stations and stops. Like Orange or Shelburn falls, Montague. Reestablish Gardner? I haven’t even mentioned electrification. Well I am a fan of it. Generally I am of the opinion that we can retrofit that later get it started sooner with conventional locomotives. Besides I feel if we are going to be investing in a major electrification project I would rather see it modernize the existing NEC system first to cure the problems of tension and overheating then expand from there. But I digress.
I agree, The priority should be the Southern passenger tier based on the old Boston Albany/Lake Shore limited route via Springfield. However This isn’t a bad idea.
Based off reporting it seems like the aim is to try and combat the population decline along the northern route.
Living along the southern passenger tier the population is going through high property values and rents though it’s still a super commuter range for Hartford and Boston.
With Mass living up to that abbreviation by being the third state in population density, the aim seems to be to try and make ease of transit to those northern Passenger tier communities so as to make them more accessible to potential residents in hopes that by being able to get to the Boston metro area as well as NY state directly and with transfers south to NYC.
They could encourage people to move back into those rust belt communities and better distribute the population.
From the Urbanism perspective many of these are the classic town models “cute downtown” that they encourage but separated by the degeneration of the passenger rail system of the U.S.. Undeveloped land relative to the rest of the state offering potential for development of housing and Re industrialization.
Farther economics comes in as towns like North Adam’s are Tourist spots. Classic Norman Rockwell Massachusetts with great foliage in the fall. Two Ski resorts in the Winter along the proposed route and some nice spring/summer festivals.
It’s just a question of the infrastructure just as in the southern tier you have a set of established existing passenger railroad from North station to Fitchburg. Then it’s freight railroad. Much of it crosses through these communities. A lot of the old stations and platforms were demolished since they closed a few are preserved as taverns, restaurants and Museums. North Adam’s doesn’t even have station the original one was in Adam’s and is disconnected from the route and is a bar. Plus the Question of infill stations and stops. Like Orange or Shelburn falls, Montague. Reestablish Gardner? I haven’t even mentioned electrification. Well I am a fan of it. Generally I am of the opinion that we can retrofit that later get it started sooner with conventional locomotives. Besides I feel if we are going to be investing in a major electrification project I would rather see it modernize the existing NEC system first to cure the problems of tension and overheating then expand from there. But I digress.
I'm not sure how practical it is to try to make these towns along the northern tier bedroom communities given the commutes that would be involved. Having lived near Gardner and commuted for a while to a job along the Route 128 belt, it was an hour commute by road (when traffic was cooperating). Fortunately I was able to WFH most days.
There was a short period before my time there when the MBTA commuter rail ran to Gardner (the platform and circle-T sign still existed when I lived there) but it never caught on, possibly due to the roundabout route the railroad takes, meaning a bus along route 2 did much better time wise. So if it takes over an hour just to get from Gardner to downtown, I can't imagine what the commute time is from Orange or Athol.
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I would think not just the "commute" but also having regional rail as well as suburb to small town commutes would be served, plus tourism. Plus with WFH more of the norm in tech and high-paid professions, a slow once a week commute (more or less) is much more doable or tolerable.
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The northern route on the B^M route i8s important. However, the route will not meet even 1/2 its potential without some serious straightening. How to go about it? IMO start at BON and work the way west 1 year at a time. MBTA could probably run to completed portions but remain off the sections not upgraded so the upgrades could be completed faster. That does bring up the problem of layover facilities off the main line.
MBTA service terminates in Worcester County.
The Eastern and Western halves of the State are known to have governance disputes. I mean MBTA will run to Rhode Island but there coverage map is very limited to the Eastern side. And even in Worcester county it terminates on the eastern side.
The East West Southern Corridor there has been a push to establish a Western mass regional Rail authority specifically to address equality of governance.
Existing Transit authorities PVTA (Hamden and Hampshire counties) FRTA (Franklin and Hampshire) and BRTA (Berkshire) are bus services. Ironically they were all created as successors of light rail.
Current passenger rail in the Springfield Metro area is run by Amtrak and CT Rail. With Amtrak being prime suspect to operate the Southern route it would make sense for the Northern route as well.
In particular Greenfield’s John W. Oliver Transit Center already has Amtrak service along the Vermonter and Valley Flyer routes with the Flyer’s northern terminus being there heading south to NYC and the Vermonter transiting it for St Alberns to NYC farther if the service extends all the way to Albany the logistics would be easier. This creates an opportunity for passengers in transit east of North Adam’s (assuming a terminus in Albany) and west of Gardner connect via the Flyer or Vermonter into south bound service for Springfield, Hartford and NYC and beyond As well as north bound into Vermont, NH potentially Montreal Canada if it’s ever extended back. This would make Greenfield a secondary hub for regional transit in western mass along side Springfield.
The Eastern and Western halves of the State are known to have governance disputes. I mean MBTA will run to Rhode Island but there coverage map is very limited to the Eastern side. And even in Worcester county it terminates on the eastern side.
The East West Southern Corridor there has been a push to establish a Western mass regional Rail authority specifically to address equality of governance.
Existing Transit authorities PVTA (Hamden and Hampshire counties) FRTA (Franklin and Hampshire) and BRTA (Berkshire) are bus services. Ironically they were all created as successors of light rail.
Current passenger rail in the Springfield Metro area is run by Amtrak and CT Rail. With Amtrak being prime suspect to operate the Southern route it would make sense for the Northern route as well.
In particular Greenfield’s John W. Oliver Transit Center already has Amtrak service along the Vermonter and Valley Flyer routes with the Flyer’s northern terminus being there heading south to NYC and the Vermonter transiting it for St Alberns to NYC farther if the service extends all the way to Albany the logistics would be easier. This creates an opportunity for passengers in transit east of North Adam’s (assuming a terminus in Albany) and west of Gardner connect via the Flyer or Vermonter into south bound service for Springfield, Hartford and NYC and beyond As well as north bound into Vermont, NH potentially Montreal Canada if it’s ever extended back. This would make Greenfield a secondary hub for regional transit in western mass along side Springfield.
https://www.masslive.com/westernmas...mPnuEhL7WiRC1GrzVQ_aem_PaaWhuAkz7OjDj0N5qehUA
Sounds like they are starting the paperwork for the Northern tier route.
Sounds like they are starting the paperwork for the Northern tier route.
I spent a week in Fitchburg one afternoon.
Still, would love to see more Boston/Albany service. What sort of equipment would they use? Hopefully more comfortable than MBTA Purple...
Still, would love to see more Boston/Albany service. What sort of equipment would they use? Hopefully more comfortable than MBTA Purple...
Based on reporting if the Northern tier opens it’s supposed to be an Amtrak line. So that could mean P40s and Metroliners or given the time period possibly Airos off the NEC.
MBTA is long long overdue for a rolling stock upgrade and there is reportedly work on that but with the amount of projects taking place there is a question as to the amount of Budget and Bandwidth in Boston.
MBTA is long long overdue for a rolling stock upgrade and there is reportedly work on that but with the amount of projects taking place there is a question as to the amount of Budget and Bandwidth in Boston.
I personally think that this northern tier is something of a pipe dream and at this point the diversion of effort and money to pursue this route threatens the real viable route Boston - Springfield - Albany. There is only so much money to go around. Especially in the current political climate they need to keep focus on what is achievable.
I think they have already ordered (or have purchased used) additional bilevel coaches to replace all the remaining single level coaches on the T commuter lines. The T only runs commuter service, not intercity or long distance service, and the existing coaches are fine for 30 to 45 minute trips but not great for longer than that. Springfield is a couple of hours from Boston and Albany is twice as far on slow tracks, by either the LSL route (through Worcester, Springfield and Pittsfield) or the Northern Tier route (through Fitchburg, Greenfield, the Hoosac Tunnel and North Adams to Albany), so they would need cars more suitable to medium distances. Maybe the replaced single-level cars could be converted (more legroom, a cafe, more luggage storage, etc.), but they are pretty old and worn out. More likely, I think, they would buy new (or used?) equipment similar to what is used on the longer state supported routes "out West" (New York's Empire, Pennsylvanian, Piedmont, Illinois, Michigan, etc.) where the distances and times are much longer than a suburban commuter service. Or they may contract it to Amtrak, like the Downeaster or Cape Flyer. Amtrak would presumable use old Horizons or Amfleets or require the T to provide new Siemans coaches or equivalent. It's not like there are hundreds of surplus trains sitting around just waiting to be put to productive use.
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