ProJo Editorial on Boston Transit Plans

Romney the 'new urbanist'
Friday, December 9, 2005
Providence Journal Editorial
http://www.projo.com/opinion/editorials ... c6b7e.html

In part of the editorial they suggest the following:
-Green Line branch along little used freight rail line linking MIT, BU, Harvard Brighton Campus
-Upgrade Fairmount Commuter Rail line to full Rapid Transit

Is that "little used" line the Grand Junction, which sees several train movements a day?

First, for those of you who hate mandatory logins (like me), heres one you can use courtesy of BugMeNot:

email: [email protected]
password: walrus

The "Green Line branch along little used freight rail line linking MIT, BU, Harvard Brighton Campus " would indeed use the Grand Junction. Theres already a better plan for that ROW though, its called the Urban Ring.

As for Romney being a "new urbanist," has he actually done ANYTHING to support that, or is he just flapping his lips (at least for now)?

Just more of the usual, periodic dreaming of those who don't realize what functions the Grand Junction (active freight line, only link for passenger equipment between North and South) and the Dorchester Branch (overflow commuter rail trains, freight access to South Boston, alternate route to Boston in case of disruption on the Southwest Corridor) serve as part of the rail network that would be lost if converted to rapid transit.

The Fairmount Line can no longer serve as an alternate route to Boston for Amtrak trains, since it is not electrified.

Ron Newman wrote:The Fairmount Line can no longer serve as an alternate route to Boston for Amtrak trains, since it is not electrified.

Regional and Regional Express trains aren't electrified.

dudeursistershot wrote:

Ron Newman wrote:The Fairmount Line can no longer serve as an alternate route to Boston for Amtrak trains, since it is not electrified.

Regional and Regional Express trains aren't electrified.

They're not? See for yourself! Since you are in Westwood, why don't you head down to Route 128 station and watch a few Regionals go by. Check out the pantograph on the engine, and listen for the (non-existant) roar of the diesel.

Ron Newman wrote:The Fairmount Line can no longer serve as an alternate route to Boston for Amtrak trains, since it is not electrified.

The route still provides an alternative to the Southwest Corridor, although they would have to have diesel powered locomotives for the move between "South Bay" & "Transfer".

As for the Fairmount Line, when are they going to stop their pipe-dreaming of converting it to a rapid transit line?!?!?!? As we have discussed on here before, the Dorchester Branch is vital for these reasons:

1) An alternative route when problems arise on the Corridor

2) How else would dead-head equipment be moved between the Readville Facility and South Station in a timely and efficient manner?!?

3) Although the Boston Globe and Americold Storage in South Bay can get their freight cars by way of Beacon Park, it is easier to route them via Readville and Amtrak doesn't want us taking freights down the Corridor from Readville, although we did it recently in a rare situation.

4) If they were going to make the Dorchester Branch into a rapid transit line, why would they be pouring tons of $$$ into renovating Morton Street, & Uphams Corner and planning on making 2 more new stations along the route?!??!?!?.

I dont think anyone (outside of a few on this forum) want to turn fairmount into a full fledged rapid transit line. The current plan is to upgrade the lines existing commuter rail service to near rapid transit service levels. I think that at the most, there would be peak hour trains every 10 minutes. (Source)

That said, I think its been said that the ROW is wide enough to accomidate 3 tracks the whole way, and 4 in some places. If so, should the "Indigo Line" ever need to be converted to full rapid transit, you could still have a single track for freight moves, dead heads, emergencies, etc. Hardly ideal, but in a pinch it could work. Again, thats definatly not something in the short term to worry about.

I think eventually they're going to start running DMU's on this line once they've put the new stations in; that would give it nearly rapid transit-like start-stop times, with maybe 3 car trains to run in off-peak hours. It won't happen for a while, however; not till the T's current locomotive fleet starts having to be replaced;
then, they might think about it.

SbooX wrote:I dont think anyone (outside of a few on this forum) want to turn fairmount into a full fledged rapid transit line. The current plan is to upgrade the lines existing commuter rail service to near rapid transit service levels. I think that at the most, there would be peak hour trains every 10 minutes. (Source)

That said, I think its been said that the ROW is wide enough to accomidate 3 tracks the whole way, and 4 in some places. If so, should the "Indigo Line" ever need to be converted to full rapid transit, you could still have a single track for freight moves, dead heads, emergencies, etc. Hardly ideal, but in a pinch it could work. Again, thats definatly not something in the short term to worry about.

Your source is a web page that hasn't been updated in over four years.

The most recent plan I've heard of is to run, at most, at 30-minute headways. Not enough to generate anything close to rapid-transit levels of ridership.

This is a core plank of the substitution projects for the so-called Central Artery Mitigation (so-called, because to be actual mitigation, the projects should have multiplied along with the time and budget of the CA/T, if you ask me).

The problem with the Fairmount Line is that it was never designed as a passenger route and doesn't go near many high-traffic areas. Even when it does go near such areas (Mattapan Square, Uphams Corner), it is off to the side, away from the main traffic areas. If DMU service and improved stations can be implemented in a cost-effective manner, great, but I just don't see this being a huge success (unlike the proposed Green Line extension to Medford or a Blue Line extension to Lynn).

JD

I am pro turing that corridor into heavy/light rail...more parts of Boston need faster more frequent rail.

aline1969 wrote:I am pro turing that corridor into heavy/light rail...more parts of Boston need faster more frequent rail.

But if it was heavy or light rail, where would it go once it reached downtown? The advantage of DMU service is that it can be run into South Station right alongside the other commuter rail lines and Amtrak. If you turn it into a rail transit line, now you are talking about a new and very expensive route into downtown.

JD

RailBus63 wrote:

aline1969 wrote:I am pro turing that corridor into heavy/light rail...more parts of Boston need faster more frequent rail.

But if it was heavy or light rail, where would it go once it reached downtown?

Under South Station, across the Central Artery corridor, and roughly following route 1 up to saugus.

i know, it'll never happen...