Hartford Line CtDOT New Haven-Springfield - NHHS (Before Launch of Service)

Fred G wrote:Do you think they'd just replace the Amtrak shuttle with this new service, or just embellish the existing Amtrak service?

The common sense thing to do in this situation is to simply provide state support for three additional Amtrak trips. They
have both the cars and locomotives and the line can easily handle three more trains each way. Of course governments do
not always follow common sense.
Noel Weaver

The Amtrak fares are much higher than the SLE fares are per mile. Amtrak charges $11.00 for NHV-HFD @ 37 miles. SLE charges $8.25 for NLC-NHV @ 50.6 miles. MNRR costs $6.25 for NHV-STM @ 39 miles. MNRR charges $2.25 for WTBY-BPT @ 32 miles. If CDOT would increase the subsidy on the new service it could prove to be very successful.

I would like to see them do it. Give people a better option than driving or takng Amtrak. In the article the current Amtrak commuters mentioned that there are only three northbound trains between 2PM and 7PM. If you miss one you have to wait a couple hours for the next service.

The article also says CDOT is talking about 32 trains per day, 16 each way which sounds like hourly service from say 6AM to 10 PM.

If they do operate to Springfield than Massachusetts would have to provide funding as well, right?

Might MBTA eventually extend the Worcester trains west to Springfield? Wouldn't it be ironic if you could finally ride all the way from New York City to Boston on commuter trains but via the Inland Route not the NEC?

It looks like electrification and the purchase of high speed equipment are, at least, in the plans. If and when they'll get the money for it is the question.

http://www.stamfordplus.com/stm/informa ... 5482.shtml

With all plans and dreams the same dreaming politicians still have no money for PTC systems for Danbury and Waterbury Branches(must be in by 2012), they got no money for electrifying the Danbury Branch.
They got no money for final option on M-8 cars, including bar cars and any M-8's needed for Danbury branch(if electrified)

The downcycle hopefully won't last forever, but I agree any electrification or high-speed rail engineering is probably a long long way off. And they'd need Amtrak to support it, wouldn't they?

One thing they MIGHT consider-

Start a bus route and sell monthly tickets that are GOOD on Amtrak or CDOT buses. Like GO Transit.

One thing about a bus route, they could get it going fairly quickly and without a
h-u-g-e startup investment. It would also give them some idea of the demand and also develope a constituency for the service.

Plus a bus service is a lot easier to discontinue if it turns out the demand isn't there.

The last I knew there was bus service direct between Hartford and Boston that could outrun any train on any route between
these two points. As long as the direct route has been gone for many, many years, it is not likely that any train on any route
can beat a bus on the existing highway system in place.
This topic is beginning to get slghtly off the wall.
Noel Weaver

If the M8s get purchased for SLE is there any sense that MTA would operate SLE? Also, what about MTA operating Springfield to New Haven if electrified?

no and no, Amtrak does not have to let MNCR take gravy of their operations, and their property.

Noel Weaver wrote:The last I knew there was bus service direct between Hartford and Boston that could outrun any train on any route between these two points. This topic is beginning to get slghtly off the wall.

Hartford to Boston? Yeah that's off the wall alright.

Noel in case you're referring to anything I wrote I was talking about strictly New Haven to Springfield via Hartford.

The article linked (which I guess you didn't read) says CDOT wants to put a 32 trains-a-day service on that route (New Haven to Springfield) since people are already buying monthlies on Amtrak.

DutchRailnut wrote:no and no, Amtrak does not have to let MNCR take gravy of their operations, and their property.

Maybe CDOT could buy the line from Amtrak? Amtrak doesn't seem very interested in the Springfield line anyway.

CDOT could not afford the line, besides I don't think Amtrak is willing to sell.
Under David Gunn they would have made a chance as his intension was to get rid of commuter contracts.
The next two Amtrak presidents including current one, changed their tune and want the commuter contracts

WCBS880 wrote: CT Seeks Stimulus Money for High-Speed Rail

NEW HAVEN, Conn. July 11, 2009 (AP) - Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell says her state has applied for a share of $8 billion in stimulus funds for high-speed rail projects as it works to link New Haven and Springfield, Mass., with high-speed trains.

Rell and Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick have been working for months to expand commuter rail between New Haven and Springfield. Transportation officials from the two states and Amtrak officials have also been meeting since March to move the project forward.

Apparently there's a bit more to this whole issue than seems commonly known.

Here's a link to the full report-
http://www.wcbs880.com/pages/4782041.php?

seeking stimulus money is not same as getting stimulus money

Tommy Meehan wrote:

Noel Weaver wrote:The last I knew there was bus service direct between Hartford and Boston that could outrun any train on any route between these two points. This topic is beginning to get slghtly off the wall.

Hartford to Boston? Yeah that's off the wall alright.

Noel in case you're referring to anything I wrote I was talking about strictly New Haven to Springfield via Hartford.

The article linked (which I guess you didn't read) says CDOT wants to put a 32 trains-a-day service on that route (New Haven to Springfield) since people are already buying monthlies on Amtrak.

What CDOT wants and what actually happens are two different things.
Item, I could get on a bus in Boston and you could get on a train in Boston both bound for Hartford. I would be in Hartford
on the bus before you would be in Springfield on the train. This is why it would not be practical to run a train from Hartford
or New Haven to Boston via Springfield these days.
I think the only case for more passenger train service to/from Worcester would be for a train or two each way a day to New
York via the P & W through either Providence or probably better Norwich.
Some places trains are far superior to buses but Hartford-Boston does not fit on this one. If there was still a direct line,
this went in 1955, and it was in a decent state of maintenance, maybe a train could compete with a bus but this is not the
case and it never again will be. Too much is gone and for too many years.
Noel Weaver