Waterbury Branch Thread

robelybasis wrote: ↑Tue Jan 04, 2022 11:49 am They really just have to add a 2nd track onto the WYE going to GCT and have it connect to track 4 so you don't have to wrong rail for a short section and can hold in the right direction and ease congestion. Probably about a $3 million project to redo everything there.

Looking back at old NHRR-era pics of the Devon area, there was a direct connection from NHL Track 4 to the Waterbury Branch. It was an at-grade crossing which involved 3 diamonds to get the 4->WB train across tracks 2,1,3. I'm guessing the diamonds were removed by Metro North and simplified with the present connection off Track 3 and the train having to thread its way through switches to go from 4->2, 2->1, 1->3.

Outside of that, the best bet would be making Devon Transfer permanent. An "up and over" to get from 4 to 3 would be necessary. I wouldn't worry about parking... make it solely a transfer station, though depending on local road access, you could make it a "kiss & ride" type setup with just a drop-off/pick-up area (buses could use it too). This one maneuver would allow for more frequent trips on the branch and provide connections at Devon in both directions.

Naugatuck isn't the only town on the line that wants a new station in a place convenient for TOD. Now Beacon Falls and Seymour want a new joint station located between them. Not sure if that would entail abandoning the existing stops in Beacon Falls and Seymour. If so, it would be a shame to abandon the nicely located Seymour station.

BEACON FALLS — Town officials are looking into a public-private partnership to build a joint train station for Beacon Falls and Seymour on 220 acres in both towns.

The area includes from Route 42 and Breault Road in Beacon Falls to Route 67 and Stop & Shop in Seymour.

The Board of Selectmen and Planning and Zoning Commission held a special meeting Dec. 21 with members of Haynes Group of Oxford, which manages and develops both residential and commercial properties.

“Our plan is to build a transportation oriented development with the concept of combining both train stations into one, somewhere centrally located,” Haynes Group President Thomas Haynes said, according to meeting minutes. “Right now, a concept. We want to work with both towns, both Planning and Zoning boards. (It) creates a lot of opportunities for both towns.”

The first part of project would be installing a road to connect to Route 42 and Route 67, Krenesky said.

Haynes said a road would open the 220 acres for development. If the grant is approved, the group would start engineering and he would like the road work to start next year, if possible, according to meeting minutes.

https://www.mycitizensnews.com/news/bea ... e-seymour/

Of course, I have to cynically wonder if once the road is built, why would they bother with the station.

I agree about not closing the current Seymour and Beacon Fall Stations. There's really not much of a point to. The Seymour Station is located right in the business district. The platform is on straight track so building a high level platform there should be fine.

shadyjay wrote: ↑Tue Jan 04, 2022 5:39 pmLooking back at old NHRR-era pics of the Devon area, there was a direct connection from NHL Track 4 to the Waterbury Branch. It was an at-grade crossing which involved 3 diamonds to get the 4->WB train across tracks 2,1,3. I'm guessing the diamonds were removed by Metro North and simplified with the present connection off Track 3 and the train having to thread its way through switches to go from 4->2, 2->1, 1->3.

Outside of that, the best bet would be making Devon Transfer permanent. An "up and over" to get from 4 to 3 would be necessary. I wouldn't worry about parking... make it solely a transfer station, though depending on local road access, you could make it a "kiss & ride" type setup with just a drop-off/pick-up area (buses could use it too). This one maneuver would allow for more frequent trips on the branch and provide connections at Devon in both directions.

Devon Transfer and/or Barnum Station are the key, as just moving around the interlocking doesn't fix the Bridgeport Bottleneck. Kiss & ride with bus and bike/pedestrian access would make sense. It all fits together well, as the station would presumably only have main line trains stopping for connecting Waterbury trains, so it would basically follow the schedule of the Waterbury Branch.

Ideally, they'll do Devon Transfer AND Barnum Station, really opening up capacity in that section. Add the Orange station, and you've really improved things in that general area for Metro North. With more capacity, the Waterbury branch could have a mix of Bridgeport/Stamford, Devon Transfer/New Haven, and Devon Transfer terminating trains.

As much as I think a new station like Devon Transfer would slow the travel times for MNR Trains traveling from NHV-GCT, that's not always everything, given the reason for building the station. I would probably be for a permanent Devon Transfer Station, given the fact that the more trains are added to the Waterbury Branch in coming years, the more that they would have to layover in Bridgeport. By the WBL trains laying over in Bridgeport between runs on the NHV, they only make 3 out of the 4 tracks available. That could lead to other trains having to wait for one another to clear and the New Haven Line is a very busy stretch of track. On weekdays, it would be nice to have some of the WBL trains run directly to BRP and STM and back to WB. Most other times of the day, the WBL trains should layover at the Devon X-fer Station if it ever gets built.

The old Bridgeport station had a 5th track that was used as a layover for the Bridgeport-Waterbury RDCs. That kept it off the mainline, unlike the present situation. Also back in those days, low level platform access permitted a train to stop on either Track 1 or 2 and still platform. The outer tracks had wooden boardwalks so you could easily cross (lots of stations had them, Old Saybrook being another). Of course now you can't do that, but its too bad Bridgeport couldn't have been designed with capacity for the future (like a 5th track or island platforms). Now we have to talk about adding another Bridgeport station in order to correct the old one... but that puts it away from downtown and the transportation center access (buses, ferries, etc). Or, just tear down the existing Bridgeport station and add island platforms and a 5th track. Oh wait... its over water. Well, still could be done. Anything could be done ($$$$$$)!

The proposed Barnum Station in the East End of Bridgeport is certainly worth looking into. Now typing it in with the Waterbury Branch rail service-the trains that continue to Bridgeport and Stamford should definately stop at Barnum Station if it ever gets built. I don't think there is any need to have most of the trains end their run at the Barnum Station. At that point, they might as well just go into Downtown Bridgeport to end their runs.

njtmnrrbuff wrote: ↑Fri Jan 07, 2022 10:13 amAs much as I think a new station like Devon Transfer would slow the travel times for MNR Trains traveling from NHV-GCT, that's not always everything, given the reason for building the station.

MN has a lot of work to do on speed and schedule times, and there is a lot more improvement to be had on the whole line than would be lost to some trains stopping at Devon Transfer (to coordinate with WBL trains), Orange, and Barnum. Bridgeport station gets totally clogged up by the WBL trains that use one of the side platforms. With Devon Transfer and Barnum, all Amtrak traffic would stay on the express tracks and Amtrak would no longer serve the current Bridgeport station, leaving more space for MN. No WBL trains should terminate at BPT at all, a few a day should run to STM, a few to NHV (with Devon Transfer for passengers going south), and the rest terminate at Devon Transfer. That would drastically increase capacity throughout that whole section of railroad.

shadyjay wrote: ↑Fri Jan 07, 2022 10:07 pmNow we have to talk about adding another Bridgeport station in order to correct the old one... but that puts it away from downtown and the transportation center access (buses, ferries, etc).

Actually, it makes a lot of sense for Amtrak to be at Barnum where there is a lot more space. As part of the deal, MN should offer free rides to and from Barnum to Bridgeport, it's not like it would cost anything.

njtmnrrbuff wrote: ↑Sat Jan 08, 2022 9:41 amI don't think there is any need to have most of the trains end their run at the Barnum Station. At that point, they might as well just go into Downtown Bridgeport to end their runs.

Barnum is not intended as a terminal. It's to move Amtrak out of BPT and avoid having to cross over onto the local tracks. With Devon Transfer, WBL trains should either terminate at Devon Transfer, or head to STM or NHV. All MN trains starting or terminating at BPT to/from NY could easily make an extra stop at Barnum without adding any time to anything except for people who actually want to go to Barnum.

How close is STM to capacity? It really wasn't designed as a terminal either, but at least it's got the island platforms. Could it handle a couple trains a day each terminating from WBL, SLE, and SPG?

Woops I meant to say if Devon Transfer is ever a permanent station, then most of the trains running to and from Waterbury would run as far south as Devon. I don't want to go too far off topic but in terms of having Amtrak stop at Barnum if it ever gets built, not sure about that. The current Bridgeport Station is really the main intermodel transit center in that city because not only do you have Metro North NHL and WBL trains but you also have the ferries that run from Bridgeport to Port Jefferson and back. There are probably many people who live in Suffolk County in the Port Jefferson area who depend on the ferry to connect to Amtrak trains. It's too bad that there is no room for anymore tracks at Bridgeport Station because the WBL trains can layover there without having to sit on any of the Main Line tracks for a long time.

No STM wasn't designed to be a terminal. However there are probably people who live in towns along the WBL who work in Stamford and could use some more direct trains to there even if they end there. Thankfully diesel shuttle trains layover in the yard most days of the week.

Anybody know when the 7 additional trains are coming, like what month?

Dunno, but the new Naugatuck Station and high level platforms in Waterbury have been added to the 5 year capital plan at $12.5 and $60 million respectively for 2023. Dunno why the Waterbury project is so much more expensive.

Citizens News-Chugging along: Naugatuck train station project receives state funding
5yr plan

The Waterbury branch (weekday) schedule effective July 10th, 2022 is now available for public review: https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/DOT/docum ... -Table.pdf

Other items for review at the public hearing are available here: https://portal.ct.gov/DOT/Publictrans/B ... y-Analysis

Are there funded plans for line speed/schedule improvements on the branch itself? It's so slow, it's barely competitive.

Could the new platform at Stamford be useful for this, it's pre-ordained for the New Canaan, given NC branch aspirations for all to run through the GCT.

Something CDOT/MNR should push for is a turning track 0.1 Mi South of Bridgeport station along the higher embankment outside the Ferry Terminal, similar to how Danbury Branch trains sit in South Norwalk off the mainline. This would make the already congested bottleneck less congested with the more trains coming onto the NHL and WBL. The reasoning of this being south is because it would be not financially feasible to build a side track over the water on one side or hit the station building on the other side. Bridgeport tends to get really clogged up during peak hours with the Waterbury branch train idling on the mainline track for 30 mins per turnaround.