Pan Am Worcester Main Line

Good information about raising the Clinton bridge and to a WML clearance 22-feet above the rail.

From the NSR Settlement Agreement:

IV. NSR Trackage Rights
(1) NSR entering trackage rights agreements on industry standard terms except as
described hereinafter, with CSX, Providence and Worcester Railroad Company
(“P&W”), and Boston and Maine Corporation limited to no more than one pair of
NSR Premium Trains per day operating over the trackage rights;
...
(4) NSR will assume the capital cost of the connections and infrastructure necessary to
double stack the route, including:
(a) the Voorheesville/Schenectady connection;
(b) the clearance upgrades needed on the P&W segment south of Ayer; and
(c) the clearance upgrades needed between Barbers Station and Harvard;

Importantly, what's lacking at this point is the start of NS-funded clearance upgrades needed on the P&W segment, likely the most challenging of the entire project in clearing the tunnel under Worcester's Lincoln Square in addition to the Lincoln St. overhead bridge, as well execution of a CP-45 to Barbers trackage rights agreement.

Good to see there's finally general understanding around the fact that the WML could be re-connected to the Fitchburg Secondary if CSX chooses to do so as one element in reducing their footprint east of Worcester responding to growing passenger rail and re-development pressures.

However, should CSX decide to make the re-connection, unless something changes all evidence in wider-area existing, including and as well planned, new and improved track capacity at this point would favor use for local Secondary service and not a rumored re-routed road train pair dumping all work east of Worcester into Framingham where transit-oriented re-development pressures run high. This could work in conjunction with re-locating existing customers onto the Secondary from elsewhere as part of another element in pursuing reduction of their footprint east of Worcester.

Nice work, Mr. Barlow. You're not overthinking it, you're considering it along the same lines of how planners would view this situation and of no less value than rumors, where in all cases it becomes a matter of rolling probabilities according to the known facts at any given time as we move along to a 25-year horizon where, I might add, passenger rail and re-development pressures on CSX could become extended out as far west as Springfield.

But, at this point after 2 years of Fitchburg Secondary investments in new rail & ties unless they are added in Southborough and N. Framingham as they have in interesting contrast to the north, improbable a Clinton connection would serve a re-routed Framingham road train. Additionally, doubtful even if that were to become the case that the Westborough's and G&U's would be included.

taracer wrote: I can tell you that they are doing more work Worcester to Ayer then they are doing on the B&A, and the B&A is supposed to be double tracked from Worcester to Springfield in 5 years.

As a matter of fact the B&A Worcester-Springfield will not be doubletracked in 5 years, but instead have added track heavily skewed just to the west of Worcester and to the east for G&U interchange in addition to the track just added in Westborough.

At this particular time, subject to change when looking at the fullness of facts moving forward, drawing no conclusions here's how I assess in declining probability current WML track rumors in play:

- extending a second through track the additional 2/3 of the way CP-45 to Barbers
- adding N. Worcester yard track supporting local service
- re-connecting at Clinton for Fitchburg Secondary local service
- adding N. Worcester yard track for P&W interchange
- re-connecting at Clinton for a Framingham road train pair
- N. Worcester turntable