Southcoast Rail

Transit Oriented developement is fine as long as everyone realizes what they are about to be (or in the near future) neighbors with. Now is the
developer for the Wamsutta Mills going to note in their sales brochures
that across the street will be a storage yard for passenger trains? Will
they note that Monday through Friday the first train might be started up
as early as 5AM? Or in the winter when its too cold, overnight?

A prime example is Brickbottom here in Somerville next to the Fitchburg Route mainline/Boston Engine Terminal/Grand Jct Branch. What started
as an artist's loft/workshop reuse of the old A&P warehouse, turned into
apartments/living quarters. And apparently (though I never comfirmed
it) not in line with the zoning. It wasn't long before the railroad (including
Guilford when Yard 8 was still open), was the bad neighbor in the 'hood.
Somerville and local groups are now rezoning and attempting to
"redesign" this whole area in conjunction with the Green Line Extension.
Some of these design "contests" are hysterical. One even left out the
Lowell mainline between Washington St and BET!

And this is why I just love the upcoming Northpoint Project going up at
old Yard 7 in the People's Republic Of East Cambridge. Its smack up
against Boston Engine Terminal and the Fitchburg Route mainline. If the
T thought they had noise issues with the Artist's at Brickbottom and
parts of East Cambridge (next to the Twin City Mall), they got another
thing coming.

D

They should use the Stoughton Branch via Easton and raynham to taunton for NB/FR. I feel that's the best track alingment for this new service.

GP40MC1118 wrote: And this is why I just love the upcoming Northpoint Project going up at
old Yard 7 in the People's Republic Of East Cambridge. Its smack up
against Boston Engine Terminal and the Fitchburg Route mainline. If the
T thought they had noise issues with the Artist's at Brickbottom and
parts of East Cambridge (next to the Twin City Mall), they got another
thing coming.

D

And its even better -- if I recall correctly from the last time I looked at the plans, despite the mix of residential, commercial, and office buildings in North Point, the ones closest to BET are, you guessed it, condos. Gold star award there...

the T should just run service to Taunton and build a layover there.......so they wont have to go all the way to FR/NB and the folks living there would only have to drive to Taunton to take the train....better than driving to Providece, Lakeville/middleboro or not taking the T at all


the MBTA can build a station near the Silver city mall near COTLEY junction and the NB sec. and use the CSX Middleboro sec. till WEIR junction and rebuild the track all the way to Stoughton via the Dean St. branch

MBTA F40PH-2C 1050 wrote:the T should just run service to Taunton and build a layover there.......so they wont have to go all the way to FR/NB and the folks living there would only have to drive to Taunton to take the train....better than driving to Providece, Lakeville/middleboro or not taking the T at all

What about those whose destinations are FR/NB? The impact of such service is two way, workers and tourists will use it to go to to those cities as well those who live in those cities will use it to get to Boston.

Also, if done properly, this service can help boost tourism in New Bedford. (I'm not sure Fall River has much in the way of tourist destinations.)

woops i forgot about that,

then the MBTA should build the line in 2 sections, establish service to Taunton, and when that proves to be a sucess, then finish the the job to NB/FR

Ron Newman wrote:Also, if done properly, this service can help boost tourism in New Bedford. (I'm not sure Fall River has much in the way of tourist destinations.)

There's constant rumbling of rail service from Newport to Fall River. Though I don't think anything will seriously happen on that front until and unless the Commonwealth gets to work on the FR line. Fall River could become an important transfer point between Newport and Boston, and as downtrodden as Fall River is, I see the city as having great potential, if only as a bedroom community.

With rail connections from the north and from Aquidneck Island, Fall River becomes a more attractive place for business development.

Is there any potential for freight traffic?

Ron Newman wrote:Is there any potential for freight traffic?

To Aquidneck Island? Depends on what they do to rebuild the bridge I suppose. The most recent proposal for rail on the island was intra-island DMU.

Regarding New Bedford area commuters driving to Taunton to take the train to Boston, you can make much better time going the back road to the Middleboro/Lakeville station where there is almost no traffic from that direction, than fighting with the traffic on the terrible stretch of Route 140 between Route 24 and the middle of Taunton. I use the station frequently and it is extremely convenient.

Related to the earlier notes about tourism in Fall River, they have Battleship Cove which does an excellent job of keeping all the motels in the area full on weekends throughout much of the year as veterans groups hold banquets and reunions on the battleship. It was a good thing they got the battleship too, if it had gone to New Bedford it probably would have been neglected and scrapped by now.

Regarding people going to work in New Bedford: Did you ever notice that New Bedford has very little rush hour traffic, and wonder why that is?

Guilford Guy wrote:Put the layover yard in myricks

I live in Myricks and they did so such thing.

Cotuit wrote:

Ron Newman wrote:Is there any potential for freight traffic?

To Aquidneck Island? Depends on what they do to rebuild the bridge I suppose. The most recent proposal for rail on the island was intra-island DMU.

The RIDOT made it clear that the repair/replacement of the highway bridge will come first.

GP40MC1118 wrote: As far as layover yards and stations go south of Cotely Jct, I do think
there should be a Myricks station. Agway recently closed and the
property is for sale. This would be a golden opportunity to buy it up
for a station site.

Some one bought it, (the store and the plant) super sorry. A station in Berkley would be nice so I can WALK to the train!

I think that could work, and where the H & L Bloom terminal is in Oak St, Taunton, they can build an 800' platform like the Old Colony Lines so that an 9-car CR train can stop there and make Taunton an official Transportation Center.