Boston MBTA: Why not EMUs or at least electric locomotives?

[Bob Dylan]

Good luck with the whole project. MassDot and the MBTA seem to bungle a lot of things, and the other thing is that nobody is quite sure where some of the money goes. Remember: Mayor Curley ran the city from jail back when.

And was elected to Congress while in Jail!!!

 

[jis]

Diverting attention away from negative political commentary for a moment....

Well, moving the South side to electric traction would be the easier of the two exercises, with the Providence Line being a matter of setting up maintenance facility for electric trains and getting electric trains,

The whole thing would be achievable in ten years given adequate funding, at least if this were India.

This article has some more details:

https://www.wbur.org/bostonomix/2019/11/04/mbta-regional-rail-electric-trains

The improvements will start on three lines. One resolution the board adopted instructs T officials to prepare immediately to launch electrified pilot programs on the Providence/Stoughton Line, the Fairmount Line, and a section of the Newburyport/Rockport Line connecting Boston to Lynn, Revere, Chelsea and Everett, sometimes referred to as the "environmental justice line."

They are basically talking of doing the whole thing in 15-20 years.

Here is the study on which all this is based:

https://www.mbta.com/projects/rail-vision#alternatives

The Commission appears to support something between Alternative 5 and Alternative 6, starting with the South side as I surmised above. They do throw in a Northern segment too, but that will involve more effort than the South side part.

My suspicion is as a starter they ought to work towards Alternative 3 and upgrade from there towards Alternative 6 opportunistically. They will probably get the electrification profile of Alternative 5 out of it all that when the dust settles in 10-15 years.

Now back to the normal gripes...

 

[neroden]

The MBTA news is super good -- having electrification + North-South-Rail-Link as the *target* is the correct thing to do, and we're going to see quite a lot of stuff happen.

I fully expect to see full electrification of lines for essentially the same reasons why SEPTA discontinued its diesel services; maintaining two fleets on one line is just a pain. Electrification isn't that expensive and definitely reduces operating costs substantially in the long run.

 

[west point]

let us hope that MBTA will build the CAT with heavy ice and snow a possibility. Suspect that CAT overhead poles and hangers will need to be somewhat closer. As well provision for ice breakers on either electric motors or some kid of lead unit such as Amtrak's F-40 cabbages with ice breakers.

 

[Palmetto]

Probably not any closer than what's already in place on the South Side. They apparently have chosen the Rockport/Newburyport Line as the first to be electrified on the North Side, which some view as a step-child to the South Side. That way, North Station gets wired up, and will be ready to go when the N-S Rail Link is built. I'm not sure I see the logic in that. The new North Station stop in the link will be underground, IINM.

 

[neroden]

The line priorities make sense. Electrification gives the biggest benefits with closely spaced stops, where the accel/decel profile can improve trip time. Newburyport/Rock port probably benefits more than other North Side lines.

 

[Palmetto]

The line priorities make sense. Electrification gives the biggest benefits with closely spaced stops, where the accel/decel profile can improve trip time. Newburyport/Rock port probably benefits more than other North Side lines.

Having grown up there, the Reading/Haverhill Line has much closer stops at least until Reading. There are three in Melrose alone.

 

[neroden]

True regarding the near portion of the line.

 

[mainemanman]

Having grown up there, the Reading/Haverhill Line has much closer stops at least until Reading. There are three in Melrose alone.

Fitchburg line has potential, considering the amount of park and rides on it. Lowell line does too. Lowell line needs some new stops on Salem St or Montvale Ave and in Somerville (maybe across from a new green line stop). Shawsheen could use one too, but that's north of Anderson.

 

[CTANut]

If they wanted to connect North and South Station via a tunnel, they would have to electrify all the lines.

 

[jis]

If they wanted to connect North and South Station via a tunnel, they would have to electrify all the lines.

Not necessarily. Electrifying some lines, the heaviest traffic and most frequent stop ones and using dual mode for the others may be a less expensive alternative when imputed environmental costs are not fully taken into account, as is often the case. But then even that is better than all diesel as is the case now.