Lines/ROW with potential for future commuter rail use

Am seeking info on lines in the Boston area that have the potential to eventually be used for expanding commuter rail. Not necessarily anything in the next 20 years, but at some point way in the future (50+ years), should funding somehow become available. Obviously there probably won't be funding for any of these for decades, if at all, but am curious how many are worthy of efforts to preserve the corridors for potential commuter rail use(or any kind of transit use.)

Fall River and New Bedford seem likely at some point, as does Nashua(and eventually extended to Manchester), Framingham-Clinton-Leominster has been recently studied, as has Needham Jct-Millis/Medway, an extension from Forge Park to Milford, and somehow sooner or later service will probably return to the Cape to around Hyannis. I've seen the PMT report, http://www.ctps.org/bostonmpo/pmt/pmt.htm, but have questions about other lines not mentioned.

How about the Central Mass from Waltham to Sudbury, Hudson, and Clinton? There seems to be a movement for a bike trail on that stretch, is there room for both a trail and a (perhaps fenced) rail line? Has the MBTA studied it, do they or the state own or hold an option on the land, or is the Framingham-Clinton route to be used in place of it?

Another interesting possibility is the abandoned route from Franklin to Woonsocket and west. Looking at the Google aerial photos, the ROW appears to still be whole, with options to use the P&W from Blackstone to Uxbridge, or the old ROW west to Douglas(though a pricey new bridge would be needed to cross the 146 hwy), or turn south into central Woonsocket and then west to around Smithfield, where the ROW disappears into housing at Hwy 102 (on the west side of the crossing of the Slatersville Reservoir.)

The MBTA has studied the line from Salem to Danvers, but what about north to Boxford and Georgetown (would require a new crossing of I-95, right?) or at least Topsfield? Have they studied the Danvers-Lynnfield-Wakefield branch as an alternative to via Salem? Although they have looked at extending the Orange Line to Reading to replace commuter rail, perhaps double-tracking the easier section of the Reading Line might be much cheaper and attract more new transit riders with increased frequencies and a Danvers/north extension?

Are some still pushing light-rail for the Manchester-Lawrence line, or is commuter rail still a possibility, at least on the southern end? Finally, what about the Minuteman Trail through Lexington and Bedford, any room for light-rail?

Thanks for any thoughts you can share on these.

You bring up some great questions. The only one I can take a stab at is the Minuteman. The answer is no. In some places there is enough room but in others there isnt. Even if you could take some land (which would surely piss people off) there are still other places where you couldn't have it both ways. This is moslty in Arlington though. In Lexington and Bedford there seems to be enough room. The only way I see haveing transit and a bike path is if the line is underground which would be really expensive and not woth the cost unless the population density of Lexington tripples and Hanscom expands (hahahaha). But as you said, this is looking 50 years down so those last two things are possible...in 50 years.

I would love to see a High Speed Line through Arlington but I do love that bike path. I think that is the feeling of most people in Atown.

1) Fall River & New Bedford: going through
2) Needham extension to Millis: being studied still but getting alot of problems from NIMBY's
3) Framingham to Fitchburg: doubt it....unless CSX sold it, and I actually beleive they would keep it.
4 Cape Cod: I have heard strong rumors/talk that once the New Bedford/Fall River work goes through, this will be next....with Cape Cod Central providing connecting service to the CR betweeen Hyannis & Bourne.
5)Franklin Line being extended to Milford: The track is already in very good condition, and is owned & maintained by the MBCR. The main problem would be revamping all of the grade crossings (currently they are all just cross-bucks, which requires trains to "Stop & Protect".
6) Extension from Lowell to Nashua, haven't heard much on that.

I'd like the Watertown Branch perserved for light rail from westerly of Arlington Street to Waltham, and used as a trail north of Arlington Street to Alewife Station.

I'd like the Watertown Branch perserved for light rail from westerly of Arlington Street to Waltham, and used as a trail north of Arlington Street to Alewife Station.

The ROW is pretty much built on from Mt Auburn to Bridge St (where the route was severed in 62), bar a small walk from Whites St to Waverley. Its never going to happen.[/quote]

Yeah, I walked along the Watertown Branch to Waltham. I took the bus most of the way because there is almost no ROW. It could be done with a modest amount of landtaking.

The Central Mass would be a good idea at least far as Wayland, but
there are serious NIMBY problems; don't think it'll happen unless
Route 20 becomes jammed up the way Route 3A is on the South
Shore.

I love to see commuter rail to Portsmouth, NH. I only say this for if the bridge gets re-built there then maybe the Downeaster train can get re-routed up the coast and save time.

I love to see commuter rail to Portsmouth, NH. I only say this for if the bridge gets re-built there then maybe the Downeaster train can get re-routed up the coast and save time.

There's been talk in Kittery of extending the commuter rail all the way into Maine, though I haven't heard much lately.

The Downeaster won't be rerouted along a coastal route though. Currently the highest rate of usages is coming off the NH stops (though they still aren't contributing their fare share to maintenance.)

NH needs to give in and pay. People are moving further away from Boston and wanting to commute and we needs autos off the roads for this type of trips. Look at Arundel, ME new homes going up like wild fire.

Just to run a branch to Portsmouth wouldn't be all that hard. It's only
about seven miles to the junction at Newfields, and the ROW is still
there. The track would obviously have to be replaced and some new
signals installed, but its doable. I'd say they could do it for less than
$ 10 million, and then run MBTA-type commuter rail to Portsmouth.

The Downeaster couldnt go via portsmouth on the old eastern, there is no ROW after portsmouth to continue on!

The Downeaster couldnt go via portsmouth on the old eastern, there is no ROW after portsmouth to continue on!

I had suspected as much. But would it be possible for the MBTA to get to Kittery or even York?

In Kittery they are actually quite keen to see the 'T' come up there, as they hope it would bring Bostonians to the beaches and outlets, and of course there are a lot of Mainers in York and Kittery who work in the Boston area.

Central Mass. won't happen for the same reasons the railroad failed in the first place: it doesn't connect to any major population centers, and the Fitchburg and Worcester lines are 10 miles north and south of it. More sensible would be to expand service on the Fitchburg, including double-tracking between South Acton and Willows.