Haverhill Line Upgrades (Western Route)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't trains still block that crossing when making that stop?

That would imply that this move never happened, if the point of it was to stop blocking the crossing.

Correct trains still block the crossing.

WOW it's been awhile passing through the wildcat area of construction!!!

Lots of work with track and signal bridges installed around the old interlock. looks like ballast cars have dropped tons of stone right up to the rt 93 overpass on the new track sections. Track tamper doing it's thing now past the old steel barrier wall once standing by Market basket warehouse lot. Looks like there will be cutting in new switches at the wildcat in a few weeks.

Wow...apparently it was me. I stop using the line and look at all the progress.

I believe current order of things is for Ash St and Woburn St to be cut into service, then CPW WJ will be removed from service until it's reincarnation is ready to go live, and the Wildcat will temporarily double in length as it runs from Wilmington to CPF LJ.

We should be within a couple months of this happening.

So I can see some confusion here. Is this correct? WWJ is temporarily eliminated and the Wildcat will run the "number 2" track to LJ and the Western Route will run the "number 1" track to LJ. Meanwhile the new interlocking at Ash St. will be placed in service.

That's correct. CPW WJ will be (temporarily) retired and there will be two "Single" tracks running side-by-side for two miles.

Are there diagrams somewhere showing this work? I'm having trouble locating the places in this discussion. Some of them are in the Guilford Timetable if they are "CPF XX", but others "Vale?" are not to be found, Also I can only find an Ash St in Reading so I don't know how this applies to the area around WJ and LJ, unless my context is really off (likely!). Thanks.

The new track through Andover is apparently being frequently used, particularly by Pan Am, as a siding to hold freight trains for extended periods -- which is stirring local complaints
http://www.andovertownsman.com/news/cov ... f401d.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Covering their tracks
Residents grill Pan Am, MBTA officials during hearing on idling trains

The kicker is PAR dispatches that section of track(D-2),not MBTA.
There's a thread in the PAR/Guilford Forum about Andover's complaints.

The new crossing gates, flashers and "electronic" bells have been installed at the Lowell Junction Road grade crossing at LJ.

Is the plan to have universal crossovers at LJ?

Yes, but it is unclear if they'll install both crossovers as a part of this current project or not. They might leave room for the 'trailing point' crossover but not install it until they figure out how they're double tracking Ballardvale.

This whole project can't get done soon enough. Big summer of travel coming up and the Downeaster is currently experiencing record ridership.

BostonUrbEx wrote:Yes, but it is unclear if they'll install both crossovers as a part of this current project or not. They might leave room for the 'trailing point' crossover but not install it until they figure out how they're double tracking Ballardvale.

It's pretty evident that this project wasn't well figured out; or laid out piecemeal. Ballardvale platform on the track 1 side, Lawrence on the other side. As far as doubling thru Ballardvale, that's pretty straightforward. Move the crossing apparatus and take back up the asphalt that was put down over the roadbed of the old Eastward Main. When that is done, as well as the construction of the second platform in Andover, there will be fewer traffic conflicts. Are they still running at restricted speed between Frost and Bradford?