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Discussion relating to the operations of MTA MetroNorth Railroad including west of Hudson operations and discussion of CtDOT sponsored rail operations such as Shore Line East and the Springfield to New Haven Hartford Line

Moderators: GirlOnTheTrain, nomis, FL9AC, Jeff Smith

 #1498594  by nomis
 
Officials push to get Bridgeport East Side train station back on track
https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Of ... 560130.php
“The governor made a very strong statement the day he was inaugurated about investing in rail travel to improve Connecticut’s transportation infrastructure. We endorse this vision,” said a statement from [Mayor Joe} Ganim. “The city and state have already invested millions to develop the area around the proposed Barnum Station in anticipation that this new station would be built.”

Ganim said he and Bridgeport State Legislators had a conference call with officials from Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration to reenforce the city’s commitment to the station.

“The East Side and other adjoining neighborhoods have gotten their hopes up about the possibility of a new rail station and are looking to us as leaders to make it happen,” Ganim said.

“We understand the desire to advance the Barnum Station and will continue to work with the city and the General Assembly. As we set priorities for the next few years, all of our rail facilities will be evaluated for future enhancement,” said CTCOT Commissioner Joseph J. Giulietti in a prepared statement in the news release sent out by the mayor’s office.
 #1498779  by 35dtmrs92
 
Initially I was in favor of the Barnum station, but I have changed my mind in favor of putting in island platforms at the existing Bridgeport station. It makes sense to link Waterbury with a one-seat ride to a major city center station with local and express service, neither of which a Barnum Avenue or Devon station furnishes, and which I think is worth at least some cost premium over either of those solutions. The area around the existing Bridgeport station doesn't seem massively more constrained than around Barnum Avenue, even though it is much nearer the center of the city. On the land side of the embankment, there is some room to shift the track closer to Water Street, which itself seems like it could be narrowed. It would be ideal to have a fifth bay platform for Waterbury trains--it really only needs 4 car lengths, but even with four platform tracks, fluidity is improved by cutting out crossover moves for express and semi-express service. It also becomes easier to have an express overtake a local between New Haven and Stamford once more than one train going the same direction can load at Bridgeport simultaneously. Moreover, flexibility to accommodate disruptions increases. From what I can see, eastbound Waterbury service usually crosses over to the eastbound track and back over; this seems like more trouble than it's worth. If NJT and Amtrak can manage dozens of contraflow moves for Raritan Valley service around Newark, I fail to see how a contraflow operation for Waterbury service would intractably gum up the works from Bridgeport to Devon. I would, however, like to see a cost estimate for a fifth track at Stratford served by a platform, as I think it could increase flexibility.
 #1633784  by shadyjay
 
35dtmrs92 wrote: Tue Jan 29, 2019 6:15 pm On the land side of the embankment, there is some room to shift the track closer to Water Street, which itself seems like it could be narrowed. It would be ideal to have a fifth bay platform for Waterbury trains--it really only needs 4 car lengths, but even with four platform tracks, fluidity is improved by cutting out crossover moves for express and semi-express service.
Apparently a 5th track at the current Bridgeport station is coming soon. In the fall of 2024, there is a ConnDOT bid going out to "reinstall" the 5th track at Bridgeport. Historically, the original Bridgeport station had a 5th track I believe on the water side, but that was when the station was further north, on the curve just before PECK. Presently, a 5th track appears like it could be added on the land side. Again, if its for shuttles, it wouldn't necessarily have to be 8 cars long (4 would probably suffice), and it could be built to share the existing Track 3 platform. It appears you'd probably have to shift over the pedestrian walkway to the bus area, as this street view attests...
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.1788459 ... ?entry=ttu

A Track 5 reinstallation at Bridgeport would allow you to get those shuttles laying over off the mainline. I've seen them sitting on Track 2 just west/south of the station in between trips. That's gotta tie things up and make it interesting for the RTC's.
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