UNHAlumInCT wrote: [*]Why wasn't the double track kept and higher frequency offered?
Was there ever consideration to extend the Orange Line down to West Roxbury?
Was there ever consideration to run a heavy rail "loop" from South Station to West Roxbury and Needham then connecting over the existing ROW back to Newton Center and back into South Station? I believe I've read on this forum that the Riverside line was originally intended to be a heavy rail line rather than the current Green Line trolleys.
aline1969 wrote:In the 1970's the MBTA wanted to extend the orange and green lines to Needham coming into town from both directions, Orange via todays commuter rail and green line branching off by rt. 9 between Newton Highlands and Eliott stations. The two lines would have meet either in Needham Square or Needham Heights. My grandfather was the deciding factor in Needham and he turned both lines down. He did not want crossing gates going up and down every 5-10 mins and the town was not interested in making the tracks go under or over all the intersections.
3rdrail wrote:I was surprised that when they installed the replacement Orange Line "Southwest Corridor" that they didn't offer anything beyond rehashing a truncated 100 + year old line. A piggyback onto the Boston-Providence Main Line through Rozzie into Hyde Park, Dedham, to 128 would have been great, which just so happened to be the New Haven's and MTA's plan in essence many years ago (using outer tracks as electrified 3rd rail routes fenced off from the inner two "express" tracks.) It could have also been done out the Needham branch through the Arbs, Rozzie, Dedham, and Needham. We gained nothing by tearing down the El.
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