Globe has an article today citing soaring fairmount ridership, mainly Red Line refugees. They also mention this bill that's out there to try and dedicate equipment to the line and plan electrification. https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H3908
Railroad Forums
Fairmount Line Discussion
- Discussion relating to commuter rail, light rail, and subway operations of the MBTA.
Sounds like they should just make it into a light rail line or something, the Fairmount Line should never have become a "Commuter Rail" line, especially since it doesn't even leave the city limits.
Photo by Alan Thomas: NYNH&H I-4 Pacific #1372 proudly thunders through Forest Hills as it makes its way to Providence R.I.
People need to stop with Fairmount being converted to heavy rail or light rail.
It provides an alternative route into Boston that avoids the Southwest Corridor. For anyone who remembers the train rear-ending that happened at Back Bay c. 1990, the Fairmount Line was the only reason Franklin, Providence and Stoughton trains could continue service.
If, say, the Mass Ave bridge over the Southwest Corridor collapsed tomorrow and the Fairmount Line could not be used, service would be a mess for months. Fairmount needs to remain an alternative.
It provides an alternative route into Boston that avoids the Southwest Corridor. For anyone who remembers the train rear-ending that happened at Back Bay c. 1990, the Fairmount Line was the only reason Franklin, Providence and Stoughton trains could continue service.
If, say, the Mass Ave bridge over the Southwest Corridor collapsed tomorrow and the Fairmount Line could not be used, service would be a mess for months. Fairmount needs to remain an alternative.
Faimont Line is free during Red Line Ashmont Branch reconstruction. I don't see anything posted about that here.
If you remember your history from the 1970s or read on the internets, the Dorchester Branch aka the Midland Branch aka Fairmont Line was used to replace the Providence Line aka NEC during the destruction of the 6+track?? train line & replacement with the Southwest Corridor Orange Line + NEC. Train stations that had been closed about 1930 (probably due to competition with the new Boston Elevated's Cambridge-Dorchester subway extension) were reopened. After the NEC, Orange Line and Back Bay stations were replaced they kept it open as the Fairmont Line.
If you remember your history from the 1970s or read on the internets, the Dorchester Branch aka the Midland Branch aka Fairmont Line was used to replace the Providence Line aka NEC during the destruction of the 6+track?? train line & replacement with the Southwest Corridor Orange Line + NEC. Train stations that had been closed about 1930 (probably due to competition with the new Boston Elevated's Cambridge-Dorchester subway extension) were reopened. After the NEC, Orange Line and Back Bay stations were replaced they kept it open as the Fairmont Line.
As wicked mentioned, you must have more than one route into a major city. Instead of talking about bridges collapsing, what happens when a bridge just needs scheduled replacement every 50 years (they don't make them like the railroads used to - railroad bridges lasted at least 100 years!) Remember the Sumner Tunnel repair? Just a 25% capacity reduction caused massive problems. And that Commonwealth Avenue Bridge Replacement!
1987: Southwest Corridor reopens for commuter rail/Amtrak traffic. All trains moved off the Midland. Midland stops closed.
1988 (IIRC): The "Fairmount Shuttle" is born. It terminates at Fairmount. Uphams Corner and Morton Street are the only intermediate stops. Service was hourly, I think.
1988-1990 range: Fairmount Shuttle is extended to Readville.
1988 (IIRC): The "Fairmount Shuttle" is born. It terminates at Fairmount. Uphams Corner and Morton Street are the only intermediate stops. Service was hourly, I think.
1988-1990 range: Fairmount Shuttle is extended to Readville.
Readville is a looong way out from South Station for still being inside Boston--about as far out as Winchester and Waltham are from North Station.
Just because in greater Boston all rail transit that's on the national rail network consists of fairly infrequent diesel push-pull trains using a mix of low and high platforms with conductors in pillbox hats lifting tickets doesn't mean that the only choices are that or non-FRA transit service. Look at New York (if FRA requirements scare you off of looking at London or Tokyo).
It would be possible to make the Fairmount line into something as frequent and convenient as a subway line while still keeping it as a replacement route for CR and Amtrak:
Electrify the line, install full high platforms at any station that doesn't have them, install faregates or set up a POP system so no need for conductors to lift tickets, buy a suitable fleet of FRA compliant EMUs with lots of automatic doors (piggyback on a Metro North order?), and run frequent subway-style service along the line. Make the platforms long enough that when the line is needed for detours the EMUs can be run as double drafts on headways twice as long as normal to make slots for the detouring trains. Isn't something kind of like that even in some long-range plans?
Just because in greater Boston all rail transit that's on the national rail network consists of fairly infrequent diesel push-pull trains using a mix of low and high platforms with conductors in pillbox hats lifting tickets doesn't mean that the only choices are that or non-FRA transit service. Look at New York (if FRA requirements scare you off of looking at London or Tokyo).
It would be possible to make the Fairmount line into something as frequent and convenient as a subway line while still keeping it as a replacement route for CR and Amtrak:
Electrify the line, install full high platforms at any station that doesn't have them, install faregates or set up a POP system so no need for conductors to lift tickets, buy a suitable fleet of FRA compliant EMUs with lots of automatic doors (piggyback on a Metro North order?), and run frequent subway-style service along the line. Make the platforms long enough that when the line is needed for detours the EMUs can be run as double drafts on headways twice as long as normal to make slots for the detouring trains. Isn't something kind of like that even in some long-range plans?
According to Wikipedia, Readville is Zone 1A (and temporarily free) and is 9.2 Miles. Belmont is Zone 1 and is only 6.4 Miles, Newtonville is Zone 1 and only 8.1 Miles, West Newton is Zone 2 and 9.1 Miles. Riverside is 12 Miles! Braintree is about 10 Miles.
Rather than buying EMUs, just buy small or derated electric (or diesel) locomotives. "Road switchers" would be sufficient and much cheaper, freeing up HSP46's for other lines while continuing to use relatively plentiful? single-level coaches. Unless the locomotive engineer is acting as a motorman and collecting fares, there is little advantage other than fuel efficiency to use DMU/EMUs instead of push-pull equipment. [EDIT] Fairmont and Readville have low level platforms, right?, so then you cannot use automatic doors at those stations. Electrification will require Amtrak kicking in some money, agreement with Amtrak on electric pricing, substation upgrades, and construction of a South Side maintenance facility for electric equipment.
Last edited by BandA on Mon Oct 16, 2023 5:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Just read the bill; Within 180 days the T must increase the train frequency (I think), build high-level platforms at Readville and Fairmont and start accepting Charlie Cards. No way is that going to happen in six months. Oh and it has to be "affordable" which means affordable to riders, not the MBTA. I see nothing about additional operational funding. Oh and trainsets have to be dedicated to the Fairmont Line which must be called Indigo. Conductors would need to have portable Charlie Card devices similar to Metro-North New Haven Line conductors?
You can't paint a line on a platform in six months, never mind go through permitting, approvals and actual construction of full highs.
We should trust the government to do the work within six months. Whether it has been bid out yet or not! Might go slightly over budget...
Arborwayfan wrote: ↑Mon Oct 16, 2023 3:43 pm Readville is a looong way out from South Station for still being inside Boston--about as far out as Winchester and Waltham are from North Station.On top of this, also consider running rapid-transit headways with partial electrification (or DMUs like the Stadler FLIRT) to places like Boston Landing, (west station if that ever gets built), down old colony to Braintree, down the corridor to Readville (using the Franklin platform), etc.
Just because in greater Boston all rail transit that's on the national rail network consists of fairly infrequent diesel push-pull trains using a mix of low and high platforms with conductors in pillbox hats lifting tickets doesn't mean that the only choices are that or non-FRA transit service. Look at New York (if FRA requirements scare you off of looking at London or Tokyo).
It would be possible to make the Fairmount line into something as frequent and convenient as a subway line while still keeping it as a replacement route for CR and Amtrak:
Electrify the line, install full high platforms at any station that doesn't have them, install faregates or set up a POP system so no need for conductors to lift tickets, buy a suitable fleet of FRA compliant EMUs with lots of automatic doors (piggyback on a Metro North order?), and run frequent subway-style service along the line. Make the platforms long enough that when the line is needed for detours the EMUs can be run as double drafts on headways twice as long as normal to make slots for the detouring trains. Isn't something kind of like that even in some long-range plans?
You can't run RT headways on the Old Colony until something changes re: single track. There's a better shot of me winning the Powerball.
Wicked and BandA, I think you're both missing my point. I am not saying that it would be quick or easy to start running the Fairmount line like an RT line. I am saying that for around the same amount of money, planning, construction, and changes in the way politicians and passengers imagine the line that it would take to change the Fairmount Line into an RT line, it could be made into an FRA rail line capable of offering service similar to RT service. I am saying that there is no big reason for an argument between those who want RT-type service and those who want an emergency or construction-related detour route from South Station to Readville. I'd be interested in hearing if you think I'm wrong about that, because I am no kind of expert, just someone who's seen a whole bunch of different kinds of trains and platforms and rights of way and knows that there isn't just one kind of rapid transit and one kind of commuter rail that are very different from each other, but rather a continuum of overlapping types of ROW, equipment, and service patterns.
Is anyone likely to come up with the money for either making it an RT line or making it an FRA line capable of running RT headways? Probably not, partly because even in the most public transit friendly parts of the US our political culture treats roads as a necessity and transit as a luxury.
Is it a good idea? Maybe; I don't know where people from Hyde Park and Uphams Corner and whatnot want to go and what the best way is to get them there.
Would it be better than turning the line into an RT line that regular trains can't use? Yes.
Is anyone likely to come up with the money for either making it an RT line or making it an FRA line capable of running RT headways? Probably not, partly because even in the most public transit friendly parts of the US our political culture treats roads as a necessity and transit as a luxury.
Is it a good idea? Maybe; I don't know where people from Hyde Park and Uphams Corner and whatnot want to go and what the best way is to get them there.
Would it be better than turning the line into an RT line that regular trains can't use? Yes.