AMTRAK NEC: Springfield Shuttle/Regional/Valley Flyer/Inland Routing

According to the 10/24/1972 Amtrak timetable archived at timetables.org, BOS-NHV via SPG was 2:10 to SPG and 3:34 to NHV on the Bay State. Via the Shoreline, the 7:05AM Manhattan Turbo was 2:05 to NHV and the 12:30PM Colonial was 2:55 to NHV.

According to the 10/25/1959 New York Central timetable at https://www.canadasouthern.com/caso/ptt/timetables.htm, BOS-SPG at 98.3 Miles, with stops at Trinity Place, Newtonville, Framingham, WOR, Palmer, SPG was 2:02/2:10/2:18 depending on which Beeliner you took.

According to Amtrak.com, BOS-SPG is 2:28 eastbound and 2:31 westbound on the Lake Shore Ltd. despite making fewer stops than in 1972 or 1959. Hartford Line is between 1:25 - 1:37.

Add the 2:02 Beeliner from 1959 + the 1:25 Hartford Line = 3:27. Compare to the slowest Acela is 2:08 and the Northeast Regional is 2:23 - 2:38 except the late evening one is 3:00

The MBTA has spent lots of money on tracks, but the speed is the same or slower than in 1959. They should be able to get the speeds on BOS-SPG high enough that people are willing to take Inland Regionals. Presumably, the Hartford line portion is as good as it is going to be unless you have express trains

Remeber what I always tell you guys its not how fast you go Its how you go fast.
Been a while since Ive been over the B&A but here are the speeds between BBY and SPG

1.1-2.5 30mph
2.5-CP3 40mph
CP3-CP4 50mph
CP4-10.4 60mph
10.4-10.7 55mph
10.7-11.5 60mph
11.5-12.2 55mph
12.2-13.4 60mph
13.4-13.8 55mph
13.8-20.9 60mph
20.9-CP22 30mph (EB) 15mph due to grade crossing
CP22-22.5 50mph
22.5-36.1 60mph
36.1-36.8 55mph
36.8-39.5 60mph
39.5-42.2 50mph
42.2-CP44 40mph
CP44-44.7 25mph finally made it to Worcester and the end of MBTA/KEOLIS territory
I am willing to bet the speeds are not much different know then they were back then.

Part 2 WOR SPG
44.7-47.4 60mph
47.4-48.8 50mph
48.8-51.0 55mph
51.0-58.3 40mph Charlton we have reached the top of the grade its all down hill from here
58.3-CP60 50mph
CP60-60.7 45mph
60.7-63.1 50mph
63.1-70.5 60mph
70.5-71.0 55mph
71.0-75.8 60mph
75.8-76.3 45mph
76.3-88.3 60mph
88.3-88.8 55mph
88.8-CP97 60mph
CP97-CP99 30mph you have arrived in SPG
Like I said in the beginning of these post been a while since I have run a train on the B&A. but from past experience I can tell you we would cross over to track 2 coming east at CP92 then the steady down grade on the cab signals would begin were we would arrive at SPG on a restricted cab which in the world of CSX is not exceeding 15mph but there is more to it then that, You hit it,go buy it,through it, over it, fail to stop for it. Basically anything and everything.

Looking forward, most of Boston-Worcester is planned for 80-89/70-79 mph, more than half Worcester-Springfield 70-79/80-89 with a good amount of 60-69 Worcester -CP-64 with slowest-of-all MAS <50 in the curve ~51-52, coming from the recent political $2-3b. commitment made to East -West Passenger Rail.

SPG-NHV can get down to 1:15 or so I bet with Connecticut River bridge replacement, double tracking, elimination of slow speeds into SPG, and reconstruction in Hartford.

For a successful operation, speeds need to be approximately competitive with with driving, and hopefully much faster than driving at rush hour. Inland route needs to be close to Shore Line, doesn't have to be exactly as fast.

for persons in Worcester the inland route same train will be competetivewith coast toute.

BandA wrote: ↑Tue Sep 06, 2022 7:43 pm For a successful operation, speeds need to be approximately competitive with with driving, and hopefully much faster than driving at rush hour. Inland route needs to be close to Shore Line, doesn't have to be exactly as fast.

I don't think the Shore Line comparison matters if the goal is intra-Mass. travel, as opposed to BOS-NYP or even NYP-SPG. The big question is how much time can they gain over driving once the train gets inside 128. (And if they're only getting 2 new R/T's per day, I don't think they're going to be seeing many SPG-BOS commuters, but rather occasional "I need to go into Boston for something today" travel.)

I received this from CTDOT via email today.



Apparently there is a full rail shut down this weekend of the corridor from New Haven to Springfield and on to St. Albans, with all Vermonter, Valley Flyer and the Hartford Line service replaced with buses for the duration.

Does any one know what projects are planned for this weekend, besides finishing up the roof work at Union Station in Hartford?

They are doing erosion and signal work in Windsor as well as crossing work in Wallingford I believe.

If they were smart, they would've taken this time to lengthen the double track from OAKWOOD in West Hartford to PARKVILLE in Hartford to reduce the bottleneck quite a bit, but of course they didn't.

Still ridiculous they had this shutdown during peak ridership months when trains were getting SRO just days before and the line only opened 4 years ago. Could've done the canopy then.

daybeers wrote: ↑Thu Sep 08, 2022 2:24 am They are doing erosion and signal work in Windsor as well as crossing work in Wallingford I believe.

If they were smart, they would've taken this time to lengthen the double track from OAKWOOD in West Hartford to PARKVILLE in Hartford to reduce the bottleneck quite a bit, but of course they didn't.

Still ridiculous they had this shutdown during peak ridership months when trains were getting SRO just days before and the line only opened 4 years ago. Could've done the canopy then.

I'm not going to say "they shouldn't lay down rail" because double-tracking is a good thing. I'm just saying "it takes more than a day to lay down rock and rail, tamp it all down, test it to make sure it's safe, and let it go."

They are also doing a surfacing/tie job in the Springfield/Longmeadow area.

RedWolf of course it does, but this shutdown has been for the majority of the summer.

daybeers wrote: ↑Thu Sep 08, 2022 9:35 pm RedWolf of course it does, but this shutdown has been for the majority of the summer.

There must be a cost and/or engineering factor that's preventing the double-tracking then.

The undeerstanding why not completing double tracking is the Hartford station possible relocating platform(s) and tracks.