AMTRAK NEC: Springfield Shuttle/Regional/Valley Flyer/Inland Routing

Nearly every transportation project in the State of Connecticut has been postponed indefinitely. Included in that is the CDOT fleet replacement and Phase III of the Springfield Line. Phase III was everything North of Windsor and the new stations.

It's beyond me how this state that was my residence 1945-70, with the affluence of Fairfield, and even Litchfield, Counties, is so darn broke.

well there is this governor who spends money like a drunk sailor............ nuff said.

DutchRailnut wrote:well there is this governor who spends money like a drunk sailor............ nuff said.

That is insulting to the sailor.

ConnDOT will NOT be involved with the Greenfield Ma service,that is MassDOT's problem,recycling some stored MBB coaches and F40's.
The Layup yard in Springfield will be a ConnDOT/MassDOT "shared" project/problem.

Backshophoss wrote:ConnDOT will NOT be involved with the Greenfield Ma service,that is MassDOT's problem,recycling some stored MBB coaches and F40's.
The Layup yard in Springfield will be a ConnDOT/MassDOT "shared" project/problem.

Armory layover is shared CDOT/Amtrak, but primarily MassDOT-funded because CDOT can't pay across the state line and that was considered fair division of costs for MA not having to pay much at all for the spoils of the track work south of the border. It's been MassDOT's unwillingness to pay that's kept it from advancing to design, so too many Hartford Line trains have to short-turn in Hartford for the first several years from lack of layover space. MassDOT cannot hope to advance its own Knowledge Corridor service without paying what it agreed to for this layover, so all talk is moot until they get this moving.

asull85 wrote:Nearly every transportation project in the State of Connecticut has been postponed indefinitely. Included in that is the CDOT fleet replacement and Phase III of the Springfield Line. Phase III was everything North of Windsor and the new stations.

The governor is laying this out to see if the 2018 legislature that starts its session in February will come up with more money (ie: gas tax increase, vehicle mileage tax, tolls, ect:) to pay for all of this. Bonding for all of this is going to cost a lot more money because the states bond rating is in the dumper. We may see how all of this plays out by summer if were lucky. Another interesting year ahead.

J. Lang

New Hartford line website http://www.hartfordline.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

lordsigma12345 wrote:New Hartford line website http://www.hartfordline.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I wish their damn map showed "Amtrak Connection to Boston and Albany". But it doesn't.

A lot of planners are reluctant to promote the Lake Shore Limited because it is so unreliable eastbound. That appears to be what happened in this case.

Part of the reason we need a separate, dedicated ALB-BOS train.

Oh and a unicorn while I'm wishing for stuff.

Even with EHH gone,still a hard sell to get CSX to play along,NEED Springfield-Worcester first!

Greg Moore wrote:Part of the reason we need a separate, dedicated ALB-BOS train.

Oh and a unicorn while I'm wishing for stuff.

This shouldn't be hard to do. There's not very much freight traffic on CSX during the day from what I've been reading

Rockingham Racer wrote:

Greg Moore wrote:Part of the reason we need a separate, dedicated ALB-BOS train.

Oh and a unicorn while I'm wishing for stuff.

This shouldn't be hard to do. There's not very much freight traffic on CSX during the day from what I've been reading

It's pretty much a funding issue.
And my understanding is CSX is pretty much against it.

BUT, there is a movement to make this happen. I know for one I'd be going to Boston a lot more often if I could take the train.

Ideally any such train(s) would allow easy transfers not only to the shuttles but also to the Vermonter.

It's been hashed out repeatedly in threads around here that SPG-BOS has good potential, but ALB-SPG is too hilly/windy and not competitive with I-90 Mass Turnpike.