Issues with New London CT station

[atlantis]

*please note* This topic is not intended to be confrontational. Just an observation and to see if others have experienced the same thing.


While leaving for Boston earlier this month after work, I waited on the Northbound (riverside) train platform
at the New London train station for the 11:39 pm train to Boston. (train no. 166) Those folks who are familiar with New London station know that the station has two side platforms and not a center one. The only way to cross between the platforms is to use the level crossing as there is no separate crossing for pedestrians. During the day and early evening, the station agent makes the announcement of which track the next train arrives several minutes in advance, thus giving the people time to cross to the riverside platform for the northbound trains. (keep in mind that you have to use the level crossing as New London and Mystic are the only stations on the NEC without a pedestrian bridge/tunnel) Now here is the rub: That station is no longer open or staffed after ten at night, The building is closed so you have to wait outside on the platform. Okay, not an issue in of itself. The thing is, there was a last minute track change and the northbound train arrived on the SOUTHBOUND track. The problem is that there was no announcement as the station is closed, not even an electronic/remote announcement of the track change and obviously could not cross the track when the train was coming. I had to hoof my luggage high overhead and board from the "wrong" side as a result and nearly got stranded. If there is something in the phone app that informs you of the track change, I am certainly not finding it. I wrote two emails to Amtrak and received a stock reply. Just wondering if anyone else has experienced the same thing in New London. I was the only passenger getting on that night and not even Amtrak police around.

[Suburban Station]

there apparently was a pedestrian bridge
" In 1953, the railroad asked the Public Utilities Commission for permission to remove the footbridge, but the request was denied. The railroad petitioned again in 1961, seeking to spend $1,250 to remove the bridge rather than $15,000 repairing it. Of the average 132 people using the bridge daily (versus 612 crossing the tracks on the street), most were reportedly using it as an "observation post" to view the harbor.[16][17]"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_London_Union_Station

[Dick H]

If you scroll down further on the Wiki material, there is photo of the pedestrian bridge, with a note that it was demolished in 1961.

There is a proposal for a new bridge to serve a Coast Guard Museum, ferry terminal and rail line. Here is line from the 2014 article

The southbound platform is adjacent to the station building, and its high-level section requires crossing only a lightly used spur of State Street. However, access to the northbound platform requires crossing both Northeast Corridor tracks. The footbridge to the planned Coast Guard Museum will allow access to the northbound platform without crossing tracks, which will improve safety and prevent passengers from being trapped on the platform by stopped trains.[31]

Full article here.
https://www.theday.com/article/20140827/NWS01/308279939

[atlantis]

True about those proposals although my point was about the lack of announcement of the track change and what to do. Back in the early 1980's I took a train from Mystic back to Boston and there was an announcement over the loudspeaker that there was a track change. The Mystic station hasn't been staffed since the 1960's or thereabouts and yet a remote announcement was made from somewhere else to inform the people of the track change so that they could be on the correct platform and track, so I hardly believe that Amtrak no longer has the method of making announcements from a remote location. My original question is has anyone else experienced the same problem and if there is something on the app that informs passengers of a track change as I certainly am not finding it.

[Dick H]

Amtrak often operates by habit. When something changes, they don't handle it well.

[ExCon90]

That may be it: certainly technology exists to provide a visual display at the station controlled by the dispatcher from wherever necessary. But someone has to think of it first--preferably someone other than a passenger. And it doesn't seem to me that it would be so expensive as to constitute a budget item requiring special action.

[jxzz]

Metro North line stations from GCT to New Haven have real time tracking through app "right track". Each station would show which train go to which track, and delay for how long or cancel if any.

I come to realize that those kind of tracking is related to Metro North. Amtrak stations do not get these, probably in very low priority list of things to do for Amtrak. It is a bit unfortunate.

New London is also a station for commuter rail Shore Line East (SLE). Unfortunately SLE is not Metro north, does not have capability to track real time on station track change, delay or cancel etc. Kind of stuck.

[kitn1mcc]

us out here on the shoreline are forgotten about, track changes,late,we get non of that when the station office is closed. the TAMS should have kicked on tho

[Maverickstation1]

A long overdue footbridge spanning the tracks is planned as part of the Coast Guard Museum, and the bridge will be funded by the State of CT.

New London had a footbridge and it was taken down at some point in the 1970's.

As stations between New Haven and Old Saybrook were updated they all have these pedestrian crossings.

Per The Day of New London construction on the long delayed museum should start in early 2020.

https://www.theday.com/article/20190808/NWS09/190809486

[Traingeek3629]

us out here on the shoreline are forgotten about, track changes,late,we get non of that when the station office is closed. the TAMS should have kicked on tho

I totally agree that automated announcements are needed at the Shore Line East stations telling people track changes, delays, cancellations, and any other info. The only time I've ever heard an announcement other than "Train Approaching" was 8 years ago when the whole NEC in Connecticut was having huge delays, trains stuck on tracks, you know, the usual stuff.

[njtmnrrbuff]

A pedestrian bridge has been needed at New London Station for a while. Being that this station has a lot of ridership on the NEC and track assignments can vary, it will be great to have some sort of crossing that doesn't involve people having to cross the tracks when the gates are down.

[Rockingham Racer]

With that pedestian bridge, add an elevator on each side for ADA compliance.

[The EGE]

The bridge that is currently planned (and funded) will indeed have elevators.

[jxzz]

The bridge that is currently planned (and funded) will indeed have elevators.

Glad to hear that new London train station issue will be resolved in future plan.

[charlesriverbranch]

Try boarding at Ashland, Virginia. This is an unstaffed station with side platforms, but low level platforms. There are two tracks, and trains can arrive on either track in either direction. You are supposed to wait until you see the incoming train clearly enough to tell which track it's on and then, if necessary, CROSS THE TRACK IN FRONT OF IT as it approaches the station.

Oh, and that headlight you see may in fact be a CSX freight train and not the Amtrak train you're expecting.