Haverhill Line Upgrades (Western Route)

Thanks. While I can see WJ from the I-93 overpass, it's probably best not to stop for pictures on my way home.

Was supposed to take a round trip on the Downeaster this Sunday on the Ocean View but got an email that we're being bustituted. Bah humbug.

EDIT: though according to the Downeaster twitter it's only a bus from BON to Haverhill. Can't get straight answers from anyone...

Boston to Haverhill, Merrimack River Bridge work this weekend.

Haverhill Line is also going to be bussed, from North Wilmington to Haverhill, which makes me wonder if they're cutting in the interlocking at Vale. Otherwise, they could probably get away with only bussing Lawrence to Haverhill.

That's the word on the street. No reason they couldn't run all the way to Bradford otherwise. That's a very short bus trip.

I find it very unlikely they'd run to Bradford with bridge work mere yards away. They'd also need a Rules 241 at CPF FR and Rule 502b at Bradford -- ie: lots of restricted speed and bad signals.

It's some confusing alerts. It sounds like there will be a closure due to the bridge in Haverhill each evening, Friday-Sunday, from about 5 PM to end of service. During this time, the T alerts show trains running to Bradford. Then, separately, there will be a larger shutdown with trains only running to North Wilmington during the day Saturday and Sunday. This is what I can get from the somewhat confusing T alerts.

At Vale interlocking they have track-aligned the signal heads for the new track. The signals are dark.
Signal heads for the existing track still turned away.

Beat me to it...I noticed that on the way home. I almost drove off the road in shock.

octr202 wrote:It's some confusing alerts. It sounds like there will be a closure due to the bridge in Haverhill each evening, Friday-Sunday, from about 5 PM to end of service. During this time, the T alerts show trains running to Bradford. Then, separately, there will be a larger shutdown with trains only running to North Wilmington during the day Saturday and Sunday. This is what I can get from the somewhat confusing T alerts.

I'm hearing Vale is coming on line this weekend, so that's likely the reason.

From what I read of the alerts you've got it, kind of makes sense actually. Basically, they are busing Bradford-Haverhill from Friday-Sunday for the bridge. But because Amtrak (who is busing Haverhill-Boston) and Pan Am won't be able to operate any through trains, it's a great opportunity to work in the Lawrence/Andover area without any trains running. So why not extend the busing during the day Saturday and Sunday and give the track and signal gangs a chance to work uninterrupted? And it's a waste of money to extend the busing all day if it's not necessary.

I'm surprised they even bothered busing, you can probably walk across the bridge almost as fast.

It makes perfect sense operationally - just a little confusing to riders on the alerts.

Hopefully a successful weekend ahead of them...

You only have a chance of beating the Bradford -> Haverhill bus on foot in rush hour; the jam leaving the parking lot can slow its trip by several minutes. My best had me on the Haverhill side of the river as the bus was waiting to turn left across traffic to go up to the station.

Large work crew at Vale Saturday morning, and as of 1045 am the signals were all aligned and lit.

Just drove back home after dark, and they really light up the area!

CPF-Vale was cut in Saturday 1AM by Bulletin Order.

There's also a culvert replacement/repairs going on on the Wildcat Branch

Here's the WB signals at CPF-Vale on Sunday morning, large crew on site doing fine-tuning.

Will be interesting to see if there are changes to the freight operating patterns as a result - like where the hold points for westbound freights will be when waiting for eastbound moves to clear.