Increase Worcester service start-up date.

[BostonUrbEx]

we can barely operate as it is currently, every piece of equipment is being used. idk how they are going to fit these extra trains in...

Probably just off-peak improvements. I know they need a later last-run. Last train is what- 10:30pm?

[Joe51]

we can barely operate as it is currently, every piece of equipment is being used. idk how they are going to fit these extra trains in...

With the exception of the Worcester-Framingham-Boston express(P582/583), the service changes have been from extending Framingham-Boston trains to Worcester.

[MBTA F40PH-2C 1050]

we can barely operate as it is currently, every piece of equipment is being used. idk how they are going to fit these extra trains in...

With the exception of the Worcester-Framingham-Boston express(P582/583), the service changes have been from extending Framingham-Boston trains to Worcester.

I understand that, but in regards to that, those Framingham-Boston trains are turned to go to another line once back in Boston. If they are going all the way to the Woo, means 1 less train in Boston for another trip, seeing as a full local Worcester roundtrip takes close to 4 hours. The schedule needs to be worked with more spacing as well. That Super Express is not so Super. They ride Approach signals for most of the journey. The T is trying to put too many trains too close together with an antique signal system between Framingham and Boston. Cabs between COVE and CP 21 would greatly make a difference, but we are a long ways off before that happens

[Joe51]

The schedule needs to be worked with more spacing as well. ... The T is trying to put too many trains too close together with an antique signal system between Framingham and Boston.

No disagreement here. I'm hoping the new schedule will be much better than it is now. It will be interesting to see if they have any trains that will run only to/from Framingham.

[frrc]

From today's Worcester Telegram, riders complained at a recent meeting...

http://www.telegram.com/article/20131119/NEWS/311199862

[BandA]

From today's Worcester Telegram, riders complained at a recent meeting...

http://www.telegram.com/article/20131119/NEWS/311199862

"We don't size equipment for service," Mr. Planck said.

I don't even have words....

[frrc]

From today's Worcester Telegram, riders complained at a recent meeting...

http://www.telegram.com/article/20131119/NEWS/311199862

"We don't size equipment for service," Mr. Planck said.

I don't even have words....

And therein lies half the T's problems in a nutshell.

More like politicians running a railroad vs. railroad people....

JoeF

[Komarovsky]

Right now P582 comes joined together with P506 and the two are separated when P506 pulls into the station and the P582/P583 seems to be whatever consist is lying around that they can send out. Maybe once the layovers in the P&W yard are completed they can dedicate a 4 car right sized set and more importantly revamp the schedule so both trains aren't catching bad signals because of the locals that run right in front of them.

[MBTA3247]

From today's Worcester Telegram, riders complained at a recent meeting...

http://www.telegram.com/article/20131119/NEWS/311199862

"We don't size equipment for service," Mr. Planck said.

I don't even have words....

I believe he was referring to the fact the T doesn't add and drop cars throughout the day and the sets are sized for the busiest trip they run on during the day.

[BandA]

http://www.telegram.com/article/20131119/NEWS/311199862

"We don't size equipment for service," Mr. Planck said.

I believe he was referring to the fact the T doesn't add and drop cars throughout the day and the sets are sized for the busiest trip they run on during the day.

The "T" will never improve if they don't solve some of their problems. They need the flexibility of their predecesor railroads to make/break efficiently, or they need smaller sets / DMU for off peak service. To add equipment they would need storage space, such as Beacon Park that the Mass Turnpike Authority used to own. Equipment costs need to be affordable, i.e. a Hyundai coach which has no engine should be cheaper to buy than 200 5-passenger Toyota cars.

Mr. Planck stated fact but offered no solution or hope of a solution. I'm not trying to pick on Mr. Planck.

[railman616]

We all know that ALL the problems are because of CSX owning and dispatching the line to Worcester and doesn't not give Commuter Rail priority. Wait we own it now, never mind, move along folks nothing to see here. Politicians think Government will run everything better. Lets speed up the train and lets add more stations and lets add more trains. That will help on time performance, well guess what it doesn't work that way. The 50 million they give CSX could have built a new fleet of trains sets to better help the over all reliability of the system. But they had to get CSX out of Beacon Park and CSX is more then willing to take all the state money it can get. Look at the pig in a poke they get on the Grand Junction with the BU bridge and the south coast lines. If CSX deferred any more maintenance on the Fall River line they would not have been able to move Haz Mat to the state pier.

[BandA]

Through Newton, so far they've taken down the telegraph poles (assume they ran new signal wires, hope they planned for new systems...), painted the signal boxes, worked inside the signal boxes (presumably cut them over to MBTA dispatch), and fixed cracks in the 50 year old non-ada platforms. With only the boring purple boxes and no freight (except for the produce train?), the line is presently way, way underutilized. No timetable or announcements about redoing any of the platforms for ada compliance, except something about moving the Auburndale platform to the other side (but no timetable announced), which doesn't make much sense - where would they cross over?

No indication or hope that they will ever increase train frequency to the "inner" stations. In fact Newton gets more trains on weekends since they aren't skipped. Meanwhile Newton plans to sell off their Newtonville parking lot which will be sorely needed IF train schedule is ever increased and IF fares are ever equalized with green line and express service that travels the same (or more) distance or IF charlie cards are ever accepted. "T" or the city will eventually have to build an expensive garage over the pike sometime in the 2020s.

Back Bay should be priority for full high as soon as Yawkey is finished. Doesn't make sense to go from high to low to high to low. When the redid Back Bay in the 80's they put in full high platforms, then quickly ripped them out and said they were only "temporary" platforms. Sure looked permanent to me, Conrail or CSX must have complained.

Millions spent but zero return YET to passengers a year later, and negative return if you are one of the handfull of businesses in Boston that require freight. Hopefully next year we will see the improvements that haven't been announced.

[MNCRR9000]

Yes MBCR dispatchers now control out to CP45, went into effect the beginning of August.

Is the Worcester dispatcher a new desk or did they add on the territory to one of the other positions?

[daytripper1]

Yes MBCR dispatchers now control out to CP45, went into effect the beginning of August.

Is the Worcester dispatcher a new desk or did they add on the territory to one of the other positions?

They folded the Greenbush dispatching into the Old Colony. So now one dispatcher is responsible for everything Cabot south; Middleboro, Plymouth/Kingston and Greenbush is one dispatcher. Technically two desks (two different systems). Then they established the Worcester Main Line desk. So a net change of zero new dispatchers, with one poor soul getting a another 16 or so miles of territory.

[bmvguye39]

With the eventual increase in service levels thru Worcester, I wonder if anyone has given any thought to eventually rebuilding the 2nd track tunnel/platform so trains could be serviced each way having multiple trains in the station at once...i.e. Amtrak and Commuter Rail or something else. I have a picture of it somewhere... Also, from its diagram, the station appears to have had two terminating tracks on the westside plus 3 thru tracks, I suppose that if the MBTA/Amtrak/whomever were to run shuttle trains from Springfield to Worcester or from the coast up to Worcester those could be potential layover locations and also serve as boarding platforms too. It would be nice to see thru trains from NY to Maine and Springfield - BOS make stops in Worcester to give it a little more of a traffic footprint... helping the local economy and improving regional transport at the same time... probably too idealistic at this time.