What an incredibly lazy and short-sighted move to shut the line down for
two months. NYC figures out how to phase work all the time on railroads, subways, etc. They could do half the platform at one, they could put the other track in, interlock it in the signaling system so that you can't have a train on both tracks at the same time and build an elevator, and there are probably a bunch of other solutions I can't even think of.
Jeff Smith wrote: ↑Tue Dec 07, 2021 1:18 pmCtDOT's shared fleet with MNRR needs are a bit more complicated. For one thing at this time they require two types of traction power, whether going to either GCT or in the near future NYP.
They need to just electrify everywhere that needs direct service to GCT or Penn, which is Poughkeepsie, Danbury, Oyster Bay, Port Jeff, and Patchogue, and then make Speonk and Wassaic change trains somewhere. Waterbury should use DMUs.
North of New Haven, I do think electrification does have some utility, but of course, has extremely high costs in both installation and fleet. A Charger variant with Diesel and AD could work.
Springfield should either use DMUs or be electrified- it's debatable whether it's worth it, it's definitely right on the line one way or the other. It might be worth it to have increased Amtrak service directly from DC and points beyond up to SPG, move the switchover point up there, and then make the run up to Greenfield a DMU shuttle from SPG. Amtrak and CDOT could share an EMU fleet for CTRail and Amtrak shuttles, with Amtrak running their own equipment for the Vermonter and trains ending in SPG or taking the inland route to Boston. Long-distance dual-mode catenary/diesels would be useful for the Vermonter and Inland route trains, especially since the MBTA should electrify to Worcester, and there is no justification for doing Springfield-Worcester.