Fairmount Line Upgrade

HenryAlan said:
Agree with the consensus on EMUs, but there is a routing that might work for the Blue Line (full God mode, of course). People are thinking about it as a ride from the North Shore to Dorchester. But what if we envision the Blue Line main as running from MGH to State, then branching, with the new branch heading down Congress St. It could stop at Post Office Square, South Station, then run South toward the Fairmont ROW.
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Branching before or after State? Branching before State means losing both Orange and Green transfers for half of the mainline frequencies so I'm assuming not that.

Branching after State is better, but I don't see how you fit a junction (especially a flying junction), in there without blowing up State en route to Congress while also avoiding Orange+platforms under Washington? State's platforms, if I recall, are pretty much right underneath the State/Congress intersection (immediately after which you have the curve right to head towards GC). @The EGE hasn't done State as part of his amazing Underground Station series yet, but I'm pretty sure Google Maps' alignment is off on both Orange and Blue through that area - and there's not as much room as Google Maps would suggest.

I think you run into the same issue again, not enough room to pull it off (but I'd love to be wrong on this).
 
roy_mustang76 said:
Branching before or after State? Branching before State means losing both Orange and Green transfers for half of the mainline frequencies so I'm assuming not that.

Branching after State is better, but I don't see how you fit a junction (especially a flying junction), in there without blowing up State en route to Congress while also avoiding Orange+platforms under Washington? State's platforms, if I recall, are pretty much right underneath the State/Congress intersection (immediately after which you have the curve right to head towards GC). @The EGE hasn't done State as part of his amazing Underground Station series yet, but I'm pretty sure Google Maps' alignment is off on both Orange and Blue through that area - and there's not as much room as Google Maps would suggest.

I think you run into the same issue again, not enough room to pull it off (but I'd love to be wrong on this).
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An old Boston Transit Commission plate posted in the Underground Station Layout thread indicated that the Blue Line platforms begin under the east end of the Old State House. If that's accurate, then the current platforms would have to extend a good distance past the State/Congress intersection, making it impossible to stick a junction there without blowing up the platforms (which either blows up the cost or kills an important transfer.)
 
I said God mode for a reason. There's nothing practical about it from a constructability standpoint, but it could be a useful route if we wanted to somehow make a Blue Line branch through Dorchester, regardless of cost. Ultimately, though, 15 minute EMU service is the best option.
 
mass.streetsblog.org

MBTA Plans Frequent-Running, Battery-Electric Trains on the Fairmount Line - Streetsblog Massachusetts

The MBTA is considering a proposal to dramatically increase service on the Fairmount Line with a new fleet of electric battery-powered trains by 2026. Under a proposal described in bid documents that the T posted on Friday, the Fairmount Line would move closer to a rapid transit style of...
mass.streetsblog.org mass.streetsblog.org

20 min weekday & 30 min weekend service on the Fairmount line by 2026?
It seems like everyone's dead set on these battery powered trains which I still don't totally understand but at this point anything's better than the diesel I guess
 
I'm reading that Keolis proposed this through the MBTA Innovation Program?? Interesting...
 
Nobody is getting BEMU's on the property in 2 years when rolling stock procurements take upwards of 5 and the T's inaction on its existing BEMU RFP probably means it needs a new round of paper bids before any further action. The timetable they propose is silly-short.

I smell BS. Or a naked PR campaign by Keolis to up their cred for the contract renewal by making flashy promises that they can institutionally implement the Rail Vision.
 
F-Line to Dudley said:
Nobody is getting BEMU's on the property in 2 years when rolling stock procurements take upwards of 5 and the T's inaction on its existing BEMU RFP probably means it needs a new round of paper bids before any further action. The timetable they propose is silly-short.

I smell BS. Or a naked PR campaign by Keolis to up their cred for the contract renewal by making flashy promises that they can institutionally implement the Rail Vision.
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The article was just updated to say that BEMU service would begin by the end of 2027.
Still seems like a short timeline but it is roughly in line with Metra's timeline for their BEMUs .
 
Stringing wires on the Fairmount Line should be a no-brainer—it connects to the electrified NEC on both ends and won't need any substations of its own. It also provides redundancy to Amtrak as an alternate route should there be any disruptions between Readville and South Station. If the T won't even commit to wiring up the Fairmount, it bodes very poorly for systemwide electrification. And for rapid transit-style service in particular, fast acceleration is the most important factor for schedules, and BEMUs take a big performance hit there due to the weight of the batteries. It's frustrating to see the T once again chase untested "innovations" when proven solutions with a decades-long track record are right there.
 
If they're really that committed to BEMUs, my only hope is that they'll followup with wiring the Fairmount Line fairly quickly, and move the BEMUs to other lines in the system before they are electrified themselves. (Newburyport/Rockport and Franklin-via-Fairmount may be good candidates.)

However, AFAIK the T had not made mentions to BEMUs since Eng came here, and amid rumors that Eng himself is (unsurprisingly) not keen on BEMUs, I'm more inclined to think this call for BEMUs is solely from Keolis without acknowledgment from MBTA. Keolis may have proposed BEMUs due to it still being the officially preferred option relatively recently.
 
poppycot said:
The article was just updated to say that BEMU service would begin by the end of 2027.
Still seems like a short timeline but it is roughly in line with Metra's timeline for their BEMUs .
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There are more moving parts at stake than just ordering the vehicles. You need a place to maintain them. Readville heavy maint facility is only in prelim design with no construction funds yet allotted. Boston Engine Terminal would need mods programmed if it were to be the interim BEMU facility. You'd need to wire up Readville layover + the nooks-and-crannies at Widett Circle to charge the vehicles off-shift; no CIP funds there yet. The T isn't adopting BEMU's unless it can wad up Fairmount's fleet with Providence's and Stoughton's. That means a RIDOT CIP item for wiring up Pawtucket layover. 20-minute service and turnaround time for maintaining 20-minute service may be constrained by the single-track Readville platform. They'd have to traffic-model whether that's even possible during Foxboro or freight slots, and quick-start design on a relocated double-track island-platform station (originally proposed with the "Indigo Line" effort, but no action in 15+ years) a few hundred feet north.

All of that is doable in 5-6 years if they reach a "Go for it!" decision now, but a claim of 2-3 year service-and-vehicle starts is not only unrealistic but misleading.
Teban54 said:
However, AFAIK the T had not made mentions to BEMUs since Eng came here, and amid rumors that Eng himself is (unsurprisingly) not keen on BEMUs, I'm more inclined to think this call for BEMUs is solely from Keolis without acknowledgment from MBTA. Keolis may have proposed BEMUs due to it still being the officially preferred option relatively recently.
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And that's the problem. On traditional procurement processes + basic punchlist items ^as above^ the clock is ticking for even hitting a 2030 start. The agency still can't agree amongst itself on what it wants to do here, so 2024 is getting chewed away with no action at even getting to the starting gates.

I think Keolis is just advertising its management bona fides for being the immediately qualified operator whenever Regional Rail gets implemented, so it can get the next contract renewal. I doubt they're proposing it with any intent that the aggressive target dates are in any way accurate or hopeful.


EDIT: Don't forget as well...you ain't charging a BEMU fleet off Sharon substation unless the sub is expanded. BEMU's suck up a LOT of juice when they're in charge mode, and Sharon sub is only built-out enough right now to power Amtrak's loading. Building out the sub requires cooperation with Amtrak on design-build (since they own and administer it), a somewhat substantial line item to go on the CIP, and procurement time for the equipment. 3 years if they hurry...and of course they're not hurrying.
 
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F-Line to Dudley said:
You need a place to maintain them. Readville heavy maint facility is only in prelim design with no construction funds yet allotted. Boston Engine Terminal would need mods programmed if it were to be the interim BEMU facility. You'd need to wire up Readville layover + the nooks-and-crannies at Widett Circle to charge the vehicles off-shift; no CIP funds there yet.
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FWIW, the bid does include "Construction of a light maintenance facility (site to be provided by MBTA) for the new rolling stock" which would be under the responsibility of Keolis. Granted, whether that's realistic is another question.
 
Teban54 said:
FWIW, the bid does include "Construction of a light maintenance facility (site to be provided by MBTA) for the new rolling stock" which would be under the responsibility of Keolis. Granted, whether that's realistic is another question.
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How on earth will they build an entire new maintenance facility in 2 and a half years? The Quincy bus yard has taken over 5 years and is not even close to being complete.
 
In January, Keolis, the private company that operates the MBTA's commuter rail system, announced that it had issued a "request for proposals" (RFP) for new battery-electric trains to run on the Fairmount Line by 2028.

It's a major step towards implementing the T's plan to start running trains every 20 minutes South Station and Readville using faster, cleaner electric trains, which would replace existing diesel locomotives.
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mass.streetsblog.org

Outsourced Procurement Keeps the MBTA's Plans for New Electric Trains In the Dark - Streetsblog Massachusetts

The MBTA's contractor argues that the "request for proposals" for new electric trains contains proprietary information that can't be shared with the public.
mass.streetsblog.org mass.streetsblog.org
 
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Interesting highlights for me in this:
1. It's being structured in a very UK/Euro way, one private company will finance and own the trains, a second private company will lease and operate the trains. This sounds like what we call in the UK a ROSCO: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_stock_company, a setup with an interesting history. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_transport_in_Great_Britain#Train_leasing_services

2. "No additional catenary is planned", the insistence that we not build tried and proven overhead catenary continues.

3. Pilot train delivery in 2027.
 
HelloBostonHi said:
Interesting highlights for me in this:
1. It's being structured in a very UK/Euro way, one private company will finance and own the trains, a second private company will lease and operate the trains. This sounds like what we call in the UK a ROSCO: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_stock_company, a setup with an interesting history. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_transport_in_Great_Britain#Train_leasing_services
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Not sure how I feel about that, but it what I expected.
 
seems a little cagey about maintenance facility site. where the layover tracks specifically identify readville and widett, the site selection just says “the selected site which is on existing MBTA property.” Notably, prior plans for maintenance facility in Readville included taking privately owned land by eminent domain. Maybe I am overthinking.
 
dennismulder said:
seems a little cagey about maintenance facility site. where the layover tracks specifically identify readville and widett, the site selection just says “the selected site which is on existing MBTA property.” Notably, prior plans for maintenance facility in Readville included taking privately owned land by eminent domain. Maybe I am overthinking.
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That's probably for the full maintenance facility the MBTA wants to build in Readville. Farimont only upgrades probably won't require any land that isn't already owned.
 
HenryAlan said:
That's probably for the full maintenance facility the MBTA wants to build in Readville. Farimont only upgrades probably won't require any land that isn't already owned.
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I think the recycling center next door at Readville that's going to be evicted for the yard expansion is already on a T-owned easement, not private land. Yard 2 was much bigger in the NYNH&H/Penn Central days than when the T rebuilt it in the mid-90's, and since that property passed intact from Penn Central to the T in the bankruptcy asset sale of 1973 they probably still own all of it.

If they'd just fund the damn Readville VMF so the design-build can proceed on an achievable schedule they wouldn't need to RFP at all for a random BEMU shed on take-it-or-leave-it site selection under kooky procurement logistics. The lack of that Readville facility being in the construction pipeline is already going to screw things up when the Grand Junction goes out-of-service for years for Pike Allston reconstruction, so they're playing with fire the longer it gets delayed by the lack of full funding commitments. If the BEMU shed is only going to be for this very specific private-outsourced Fairmount Line operation and whatever half-dozen or so minimum-size trainsets that will require, we won't have any spare maint capacity to add EMU/BEMU's to Providence/Stoughton--the most plug-ready schedules for them because the wires and charging capacity are almost entirely already are--at all until the big VMF is settled.
 
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