Commuting Boston Student
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Let me start by laying out some facts as I understand them. If any of this is wrong, please correct me:
So, what obstacles exist to making such a move, and what are the chances we would see a serious proposal for it - short or long term?
- The final approach of the Northeast Corridor ROW into South Station utilizes the Providence/Stoughton, Needham and Franklin Lines ROW, forcing both Regional and Acela trains to stop at Back Bay, and then contend with the BOS-BBY curve. Due to the high traffic demands created by the aforementioned commuter lines and curve geometry, Back Bay is a de facto mandatory stop for all trains - and worth an extra 5 minutes minimum, on a service with a vested interest in cutting travel time wherever it can.
- The Fairmount Line, while presently to become a DMU service with frequent headways, stands to benefit far more from electrification.
- Constructing passing tracks or 3-tracking/4-tracking the entirety of the Fairmount Line would be easier/cheaper than constructing bypass tracks at Back Bay, and carry an added benefit to the Fairmount Line.
So, what obstacles exist to making such a move, and what are the chances we would see a serious proposal for it - short or long term?