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  • AMTRAK NEC: Springfield Shuttle/Regional/Valley Flyer/Inland Routing

  • Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.
Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.

Moderators: GirlOnTheTrain, mtuandrew, Tadman

 #1476271  by njtmnrrbuff
 
I wouldn't count on any NE Regionals being extended to Greenfield as there is either no place to wye them up there and if there is, they would probably have to go to a freight yard. The shuttles will most likely be the added Amtrak runs to Greenfield as they run push pull.

I don't know too much about the public buses running in the Knowledge Corridor but what I do know is the service is sparse at the best. An extension of the Amtrak 400 series shuttles will be a game changer for those people who want to live in the Knowledge Corridor region and might want to go to Springfield and beyond. It would be great to have a lot more options between Springfield and Boston. That will happen eventually, whether in the form of Amtrak or MBTA. I believe that there is a right of way that comes from Boston and passes through Greenfield-probably the same right of way that connects to MBTA's Fitchburg Line. When heading to Boston from Greenfield, I'm sure that there are people who will drive to Wachusett and take MBTA from there.

Remember that people who live in the Knowledge Corridor region who are commuting by train are probably going to anywhere between SPG and NHV. It's an extremely long commute to NYC. It's not that short of a commute to New Haven either. Boston is still a schlep away, especially when rail connections are extremely sparse.
 #1476396  by Traingeek3629
 
478 is too late. It would arrive in Greenfield after midnight, which would be too late for families due to the late arrival and daily commuters as it leaves NY at around 8:00 PM and if 495 was the AM train, most people would be in Greenfield from 12 AM to 6 AM. That would be about 5.5 hours of sleep or less. 494 would be good for both families and daily commuters, as it leaves NY around 5:30 and would arrive in Greenfield around 10:00.
Last edited by GirlOnTheTrain on Sat Jun 16, 2018 11:59 pm, edited 1 time in total. Reason: Nesting quotes give the mods migraines, stop.
 #1476444  by GirlOnTheTrain
 
You seriously think people are going to commute from north of Springfield to New York on a daily basis and use that as your logic to not extend certain shuttles? Leave that to the people who actually get paid to decide which shuttles are going to be extended...or by all means apply to Amtrak if you think you can do a better job. I'm sure they're dying for your input. [/sarcasm]
 #1476682  by lordsigma12345
 
Last night had some free time after work so for fun I took 417 down to New Haven and 412 back to Springfield. Not all that many people on 417 as it connects to a more expensive Acela but they did have a few people with connecting tickets and it is a cross platform transfer like with the Regionals. Most of the rest of the people on board had CTrail tickets. First time seeing the 110 MPH on the line which was neat.
 #1476719  by adamj023
 
I am wondering if the Hartford line is actually heavily enough used for all this new train activity. Both Amtrak and CTRail have added capacity on this line. CTRail is using leased rolling stock that is speed limited I hear till they get newer train sets over time.

I know that the Northeastern Corridor is growing but I don’t know how this area is utilized. Having new stations and additional capacity and infrastructure improvements are all very nice but it seems overkill to have both Amtrak add capacity and then for CTRail to add even more capacity unless of course there really is serious demand. And CTRail has a speed disadvantage on the older train sets for now as well.
 #1476821  by adamj023
 
Matt Johnson wrote:Apparently the Vermonter is benefiting as well:
Some part of the double track won’t be ready till September from what I’ve heard but that isn’t that far away and a huge amount of improvement has already occured on the line.

All the areas by this line have experienced growth. Vermont tends to be a seasonal destination. Hartford, CT has lots of businesses where I would expect commutation on rail would be high. The smaller towns across the system seem like middle class communities who could benefit from rail,
 #1476833  by Matt Johnson
 
adamj023 wrote: Some part of the double track won’t be ready till September from what I’ve heard but that isn’t that far away and a huge amount of improvement has already occured on the line.

All the areas by this line have experienced growth. Vermont tends to be a seasonal destination. Hartford, CT has lots of businesses where I would expect commutation on rail would be high. The smaller towns across the system seem like middle class communities who could benefit from rail,
I would potentially move to Hartford if Pratt & Whitney or UTC Aerospace extended a job offer! Alas, I've had a couple of interviews, nothing further. Somehow working in retail for 9 bucks an hour with an engineering degree and an MBA is getting old, but I digress. It's nice to see some real results from the Obama era stimulus funds.
 #1476848  by adamj023
 
There are also growth corridors in other areas of the country which are working on rail updates. This segment was the most recent one put to service. I can’t say where the economy is best however whether in USA or abroad. It all depends what you do and where you can find a job and what options you have in that field.

But for those who work in Hartford, CT, the commute has gotten significantly better to nice communities.
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