Status of Danbury Branch Signalization Project

Latest update on the proposed schedule from the mta website.

http://web.mta.info/mnr/html/temp_danbury_schedule.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The bus schedule looks pretty interesting
According to the train schedule
1813 and 1837 will probably sit in Stamford till 1838 and 1844

fl9m2004 wrote:The bus schedule looks pretty interesting
According to the train schedule
1813 and 1837 will probably sit in Stamford till 1838 and 1844

80 min run time for the bus sono to Danbury. Did I read correctly?
I hope its more than one bus so there is an express bus to Danbury or the one bus will have to follow the time table waiting 5+ min at each stop. I was more shocked to see the 5pm & 9:20 pm trains being a bus. We never had that when we had track work or the signal upgrades Yikes!

and the rants continue...

It appears there were very serious errors of either design or installation in this project. Safe to say it was the former --- anyone who has studied engineering or project management knows typically 80% of errors are in design. Why? What went wrong? Was this a high-tech signalling system that used something untried?

Wholesale cancellation of trains for weeks to allow fixing this is a drastic consequence, and I certainly hope the responsible head (or heads) will roll.

BTW, there was a comment a few items previously to the effect of "What was wong with MBS operation anyway?" Well, here's my observation on that. MBS is OK when you have block operators. But there aren't any north of WALK, haven't been for years. That makes MBS extremely inefficient. Every crewman up there will tell you the radio reception is irritatingly spotty and unreliable up in the hills and valleys of the Danbury line, and the alternative is to wait at a station while the conductor gets on the phone. Kills time!!!! Bad!!!!!

Radio is fine on branch, only weak spot is merrit 7.
radio bases at Danbury, Redding, Branchville, Wilton, Dock yard.

I hope we can get our trains back soon. Tried the bus gave up especially when they only give us one bus for 3pm. Sure... That's all we need but, it's takes 35 min to get from Danbury bethel to west redding boy was that painful and "never again" was how I felt. What times do they have more than 1 bus from Danbury to have an express Danbury to SONO?

Police in Danbury had several roads closed last weekend as MN crews tried to address the signalling issues. Most of their attention was focused on "simple", non-traffic light crossings. Now the approach seems to be to replace the entire crossing signalization to see if that might help get them going.

"The crossing at East Liberty Street is being excavated on each side and the entire crossing will be replaced, according to the state DOT. The work will last until Wednesday and has prompted traffic detours.

Another possible benefit to the project is that officials expect it to provide clues into the issues with the Metro-North Danbury Branch’s Signalization Project, which have forced trains to operate on a stop-and-warn status and has impeded commuters’ trips up and down the line for months."

http://blog.ctnews.com/offbeat/2014/03/ ... bury-area/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

according the MTA meeting yesterday, the cause of interference has been found, and east liberty street is working as intended, normal Danbury Service will resume by mid april.

DutchRailnut wrote:according the MTA meeting yesterday, the cause of interference has been found, and east liberty street is working as intended, normal Danbury Service will resume by mid april.

Not from my perspective...Southbound I could only activate East Liberty Street with the Island circuit today and Northbound the island circuit wouldn't work until I was in advance of the signal at CP423 so if they fixed it....it didn't last long

South Street in Bethel was torn up yesterday/today with mats and asphalt gone around crossing. Necessary update while reduced service or trying to resolve issues with crossings? Also Depot Road and Portland Avenue in Branchville stop and warns are back as of today so doubt things are getting fixed.

FL9AC wrote:South Street in Bethel was torn up yesterday/today with mats and asphalt gone around crossing. Necessary update while reduced service or trying to resolve issues with crossings? Also Depot Road and Portland Avenue in Branchville stop and warns are back as of today so doubt things are getting fixed.

Bummer to hear stop and warns are back

your right you don't have a clue, the cable in Catenary pole is a 12 " fiber optic cable in 1" sleeve, its owned by AT&T, it has nothing to do with railroad.

Sounds to me as though it's getting worse instead of better.

They are working on the crossings but unfortunately with so many crossing issues it's going to take quite a bit of time to resolve and then they still have to test. They are running a periodic test train up the branch mid-day after working on a few things to test but so far only stop and warn to be lifted was Wilton Station Crossing.