Southcoast Rail

The lady running the Southcoast Rail study says now that they want to electrify the lines to New Bedford and Fall River at an estimated cost of as much as $2 billion, depending on route and equipment, and that there are lots of funding sources available. See this link:

http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbc ... /902180342

RAS wrote:The lady running the Southcoast Rail study says now that they want to electrify the lines to New Bedford and Fall River at an estimated cost of as much as $2 billion, depending on route and equipment, and that there are lots of funding sources available. See this link:

http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbc ... /902180342

If this actaully happens, would it mean the MBTA will start using electric locomotives interchangeably on the Providence line on the NEC and the Stoughton line? AEM-7's or new electrics?

Just wondering since I remember a lot of diesel vs electric debates for the MBTA and that the MBTA prefers diesels so they can interchange on all the different lines, rather than limiting specialized locos to just one or two lines.

I think it would make sense to have electric trains if they can run them on 3-4 lines

Providence (and beyond), New Bedford/Fall River and Fairmount.

With a long term goal of electrifying the entire south side.

Stoughton, strangely enough, would prefer diesel locomotives.

[Anzivino] said diesel engines would be better than electric locomotives because they are less unsightly.

They also want a downtown tunnel a la Hingham.

I love the way railroad topics get filtered through the media. Apparently Stoughton feels that GP40s and F40s are less of a visual blight than say an ALP46...

If i remember right, the Old Colony lines were (re)built with electrification in mind for the future.

So assuming that Old Colony gets electrified as well as the Stoughton - Fall River branch, then would it actually become feasible and practical to use electric locos, as 5 lines would be electrified (Providence, Stoughton, Greenbush, Lakeville, and Kingston)?

And in that case, would the MBTA go ahead and electrify the Franklin, Needham, and Framingham lines or just leave them diesels?

octr202 wrote:I love the way railroad topics get filtered through the media. Apparently Stoughton feels that GP40s and F40s are less of a visual blight than say an ALP46...

It's probably not the locos but the overhead wires and poles that are considered unsightly.

Jon

As a commuter right out of Stoughton, I can't visualize a tunnel in Stoughton. There's too much stuff right next to the tracks, plus a lot of busy intersections to dig a tunnel through or do a cut + cover. How exactly was the Hingham tunnel built and what does it look like? Any YouTube videos of trains travelling through the Hingham tunnel?

More wasted taxpayer dollars on a stupid study.........
Another study, study after study, after dumb study, what the hell do they acomplish? This is like the 2000th study on this line, every stupid study comes up with the same result. I remember a reporter about 6 months ago asking Gov. patrick about the progress on the Stoughton/New Bedford/Fall River line and Deval said "we are currently doing a study". Does he expect to learn something new that we didnt know from previous studys? As for electrifying the line, are you insane? If they took some of the study moeny and put it towards construction they might actually get something done.

Any YouTube videos of trains travelling through the Hingham tunnel?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_bSH3S8Vzo

I'm also the outhor of that movie clip so credit me also

The T would have to have a serious influx of cash in order to afford (both financially and logistically) having two separate types of engines in the system for different routes. As it is now, when a train is late or broken, a set for another route is taken to handle the previous one. This happens often - as you often get automated door systems unexpectedly chiming all the way to Worcester. Not to mention, the current schedule has always had a certain Providence train turn around to Framingham -- thus a "Yawkey" mention in the schedule after the turnaround. Not possible if electric engines are used. And I bet CSX would never allow it on the B&A anyway.

But the T is having enough trouble buying new diesel engines, imagine what will happen if they want electric.

MARC uses both electric and diesel locomotives. Although MARC electrics are confined to the NEC, MARC diesels appear on the NEC regularly. MARC's practice seems to be to use the electrics for its largest rush hour Corridor trains, and the diesels on smaller non-rush trains.

Triker wrote:Another study, study after study, after dumb study, what the hell do they acomplish?

They guarantee long-term state employment to consultants! You wouldn't want those poor guys to have to get real jobs, would you? Seriously, I couldn't agree more with your point. Massachusetts wastes millions of our tax dollars on these study things because it's built into the political culture.

And speaking of waste, at $1.4 billion for 6,300 daily customers, that's a construction cost of over $222,000 per rider even before you get into operating subsidies. I'd put the money (if it really appears) into transit projects that would benefit more people, like the Green Line extension beyond Lechmere.