Hi all, I just got a job in Boston and I'll be commuting from Worcester to Back Bay daily. I have a few questions about rail ops/infrastructure on the Worcester/Framingham Line.
1. I've read several times that the track conditions prevent trains from going over 60mph. Is this completely down to track geometry, track condition or a combination of several factors? Also, how does the track condition on the CSX owned rails differ, if at all, from the MBTA own rails?
2. What sort of improvements are in store for the portion of the line that the state is purchasing (if any)? I've seen documents that state how much money is allocated for improvements to the line, but I haven't found anything on what the actual improvements are supposed to be. Will any of the proposed improvements result in a decreased travel time?
3. Speaking of improvements, the 3 or 4 times I've taken the P508 train for job interviews its been hauled by one of the new MPI locomotives. Has this just been a coincidence or is the P508 always pushed/pulled by one of the MPI locos?
Thanks for helping out a newbie to railroading!
1. I've read several times that the track conditions prevent trains from going over 60mph. Is this completely down to track geometry, track condition or a combination of several factors? Also, how does the track condition on the CSX owned rails differ, if at all, from the MBTA own rails?
2. What sort of improvements are in store for the portion of the line that the state is purchasing (if any)? I've seen documents that state how much money is allocated for improvements to the line, but I haven't found anything on what the actual improvements are supposed to be. Will any of the proposed improvements result in a decreased travel time?
3. Speaking of improvements, the 3 or 4 times I've taken the P508 train for job interviews its been hauled by one of the new MPI locomotives. Has this just been a coincidence or is the P508 always pushed/pulled by one of the MPI locos?
Thanks for helping out a newbie to railroading!