Stamford Track 7 - Atlantic St Bridge Replacement

It's now been almost ten years since I started this thread. Time to check in on the progress!

The canopy is mostly done but there is still no progress on the connection between the existing track 5 platform and the new track 7 one. Maybe another 10 years and it will be finished.

Great photo, looks like they've only migrated one catenary tower to the far side and only have 1 other tower in. That would appear to be complex work as compared to laying the tracks or making the platform connection.

It still doesn't look close to completion. The platforms are done, as is the canopy, but the gantries still have to be moved out of the way. I don't think, in any case, that this makes sense operationally as during non-peak there's no need for track 5 to be kept clear. It will be a pain in the ass for transfers as well. The dispatchers do a terrible job of moving jobs through there anyway.

Agree the transfers are a pain unless the transferring train is on track 5 and even then, its not a great connection as its at the end of the platform.
They haven't created a 'bridge' from the current platform to the new one.
One has to wonder if expansion projects like this were slowed down with the revenue reduction of covid.

The MTA announced they would close the New Canaan Branch this summer for track improvements and run substitute busing.

The press release does mention the bridge work associated with the Track 7 Expansion but notably is silent on the track itself.

https://portal.ct.gov/DOT/CTDOT-Press-R ... ranch-Line

Any word from other sources on the slow progress of moving catenary lines out of the future track bed? The Garage seems to be actually moving along.

The work schedule seems very slow. 8000 ties and 1600 feet of rail certainly does not seem to need 13 weeks. Now the bridge work might take somewhat longer but 6 weeks also seems to be enough? Maybe CT is using older methods to replace track and bridges?

Are delays due to lack of parts?

I wonder if they need to remove and then replace catenary for any of this work. I'd think that could explain to long duration.

Hey guess what -- it was inevitable, but after 22 years of Stamford station being my train station, I'm about to move (to Tarrytown and the Hudson line!). Let's check on the status of this thread I started over 11 years ago now..




Virtually no progress since last year. The project appears to be completely stalled.
Also interesting is that the new easterly access to the platform for track 4 down to Atlantic Street, completed back in 2018 as part of a station improvement project, is still fenced off, five years later. Weeds have completely overgrown the new stairs and signage.

No progress still in Jan 2024, from the July 2023 post, what happened? Contractor disbarred? It should be in public records at some govt meeting/hearing. A total of ONE cat tower was moved out the way, as seen in pics above, at some point, but dozens more to go. "Force Account" politics? Seems like the actual contractor finished the job (bridge+platform).

Did MTA delivered an invoice of $1.6 billion to CDOT to move the wires and cat for Track 7.

Track 7 will soon hit puberty, do we have to wait for it drive, or vote?

I saw in a CDOT PDF discussion of "Track 6" platform, probably a dead end track, being built. I guess that is after the garage is torn down on south side and cars pushed south.

I swear I've seen a PDF that talks about a WEST SIDE Track 7 but can't find it, currently a MOW track, being rebuilt into a passenger platform, and another bridge over Washington. The new garage ped bridge DOES NOT prevent a Track 7 WEST track+platform from being built upto the station house. The pre 1985 Stamford station had TWO dead end, north side, tracks. First dead end, was rebuilt to track 5, pass through, early 2000s. Connecting the old New Cannon platform, to its other dead end. The tiny MOW track, dead end, is still there today, and could be rebuilt to be a platform again.