Framingham/Worcester Line Questions

the New CP in Newton looks like it is just about to be put into service. On Saturday on my way to work on the pike I noticed the Lights had been turned to face to track abd have been turned on and where red in both directions. the other set of lights (non CP were still active also). Lots of MBTA signal personal on scene also.

Where is the new Control Point?

Between Boston Landing and Newtonville, just inbound where I-90 passes over the tracks. "CP-6" It's been physically there for a while, looks like it's finally turned on. Google Maps Link

Looks to be only a 40 MPH crossover. Are higher speed crossovers more expensive? I'm thinking of the #32 crossovers installed between BOS and NHV when the Shoreline was electrified. If the new East-West proposal ever happens, they're going to have to do better than this, one would think.

Looks like it is in Brighton as it is east of Brook St. Is that a replacement or a new crossover? I assume trains going straight can go track speed, only trains crossing over are limited to 40?

It took them a very long time to build that CP

#20 45mph crossovers, which is what most of the new locations have been. The #32 crossovers are good for 80mph, but take a lot more maintenance, are more expensive to purchase and need a lot more physical space because they are longer. When this interlocking was designed the speed on the line was still only 60mph.

CP-6 features universal crossovers (ie, 2 sets of crossovers.

Dope slap for me, yes universal crossover. The town line is about 2000 feet to the west, looking from the Pike or the train, the park is in Newton and the business next to it is in Brighton. Also, if you wanted to access the Grand Junction from the west (cough, cough), you would need to be on Track 1 or use the crossover at CP6 to access Track 2.

Going east, the next crossover is at the former Cottage Farm / University (i.e. by the Comm Ave Bridge & BU Bridge). Spent many an evening commute sitting there for an extra 10+ minutes.

From @NewtonMAMayor: More good news from MBTA – Tesler and Poftak also committed to funding a 30% design for all three commuter rail stations in Newton for dual, 800-foot long platforms and full accessibility.

Hopefully this doesn't mean "we'll design one of the three and that's it"

1 of the 3 to 30% was the prior committment. So this moves it to all 3.

I see the former spur to the Houghton Chemical plant has been removed. When did that happen?

That's been gone for almost 3 years now. There were posts in one of the forums here, I'm not sure which one.

Here are 3 pix of the current status of the Natick MBTA re-construction as of Saturday 9/4/21. Note in the middle photo, IMG_9969, the high level platform supports are many feet from the existing "outbound" track location. I'm guessing that track will be realigned along the yellow-white line painted in the ballast so making room in the center for the proposed 3rd track.

Wow! How much land was taken for this station project? I assume they are reversing the freight undercut, and adding back the third track.