Transitmatters posted quite the press release about the Fitchburg Line and it’s interesting…
https://static1.squarespace.com/sta...sitMatters-Modernizing+the+Fitchburg+Line.pdf
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They suggest adding infill stations at Brickbottom and Union Sq. If they want it to be regional rail why are they adding subway-spaced stops that are already served by rapid transit? If the Union Branch is never extended to Porter then a stop there is sensible for a transfer but 2 regional rail stations 0.4 miles apart is pointless.
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They also suggest narrower platforms which I don’t get at all. If they’re worried about freight clearance gallery tracks are a thing.
View attachment 43113Shorter platforms sure I guess but the platforms already exist at 800’ so why make only half of it high level. And open gangway EMUs? Just have EMUs with doors between cars that can operate via a button press like every other EMU.
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“These grade crossings on a single track section are busy, therefore frequent gate closures are fine and it shouldn’t be double tracked” is quite an interesting conclusion. Disregarding whether or not running a train every 7.5min bidirectionally on a single track section with a stop is possible, I don’t think the grade crossing problem was very thought out here. Admittedly I haven’t been over to the Waltham station but if it works anything like Norwood Depot then the gates remain down for the duration of the station dwell time because of the train’s proximity to the signal (if this is incorrect apologies). This would mean the gate is down for the 30-60sec before train arrival plus however long it’s in the station. Potentially half of the 7.5min before the next train coming the other direction starts the same cycle over again. Said busy street would likely have its gate closed for ~4min every ~4min. Because of this I don’t think it would be possible to have a grade crossing here without double tracking to at least have the gates down their target of only every 7.5min.
Ultimately this seems like they’re trying to bring back 1910s service of many stops but frequent service with modern trains and their associated infrastructure rather than a completely modernized service. With how long the Fitchburg trip is the best thing for the line would be their suggested electrification and EMUs along with a couple infill and transfer stations like Union Sq and Alewife, but combining these with more mixed express patterns like the upcoming South Acton Express and existing Littleton Local trains.