Connecticut Commuter Council minutes for January now online

Here's what you COULD do.

Replace catenary with third rail from New Cannan to Stamford Junction (is that the name of the place?) Then maintain both systems to the Stamford platforms.

This would allow the New Canaan shuttles to be run by M1s (some of which MN has scrapped already?) M3s or M7s freeing up M2s M4s and M6s for the mainline.

I don't know if that would be worth it -- aren't the New Canaan shuttles just single M2 pairs? If so, not much to free up.

The New Canaan Branch is not going to third rail. That would just be like installing the entire main line with it. There are other issues that need to be evaluated like improving the speeds on certain portions of the Main Line.(Bridgeport-New Haven being good for like 90). Of course, it would be nice to see new cars for the mainline. On Friday, I am thinking about going to OSB via MN and SLE. I will try to note anything important.

JayMan wrote:I don't know if that would be worth it -- aren't the New Canaan shuttles just single M2 pairs? If so, not much to free up.

I used to see two car trains fairly often on weekends, but lately almost every train has been at least 4 cars, most rush hour trains are many more cars, though several of them won't make the platforms.

Replace catenary with third rail from New Cannan to Stamford Junction (is that the name of the place?) Then maintain both systems to the Stamford platforms.

There would never be third rail on the New Canaan Branch, it doesnt make any sense, why spend money on a project like that which would cost a ton of money, and take a lot of time to complete, by then we'll probably have new rail cars. Anyways, there are at least 10 or 12 grade crossings, and I think overhead catenary is a lot safer then third rail for a branch like this.

The overhead wire on the New Canaan line is very recent. The entire system is only about ten or eleven years old. Wires, poles, -everything-.

The current catenary is recent. IIRC, the first part of the new haven line to get wired was New cannan to Stamford...