MBTA Commuter Rail (Operations, Keolis, & Short Term)

Ryanontherails said:
There are a few things that didn't make any sense about this: why the bustitution from Forge Park to Franklin, and why after 9am? I don't see what that has to do with either project. How much will be done at Foxboro before the repairs are made? Apparently they already had a contractor lined up. Why not finish the double-tracking between Walpole and Franklin while they're at it?

Here is the PDF schedule for this week, and here it is for next week.
Click to expand...
If I had to hazard a guess about the Forge Park bustitution, it would be that running via the Fairmount Line adds travel time and thus decreases equipment availability, so the slow run to Forge Park gets cut. But that's just a guess and it's not based on anything.
 
TheRatmeister said:
If I had to hazard a guess about the Forge Park bustitution, it would be that running via the Fairmount Line adds travel time and thus decreases equipment availability, so the slow run to Forge Park gets cut. But that's just a guess and it's not based on anything.
Click to expand...
Maybe behind the scenes lobbying from the town to cut down on the late night train whistles, since it's dubious at best that Franklin will invest in the money to upgrade the crossing for silent running.
 
Ryanontherails said:
There are a few things that didn't make any sense about this: why the bustitution from Forge Park to Franklin, and why after 9am? I don't see what that has to do with either project. How much will be done at Foxboro before the repairs are made? Apparently they already had a contractor lined up. Why not finish the double-tracking between Walpole and Franklin while they're at it?

Here is the PDF schedule for this week, and here it is for next week.
Click to expand...
These links are attached to adobe acrobat. To view without the acrobat chrome extension, just remove the http://chrome-extension//efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/ from the url.
 
erf51trains said:
These links are attached to adobe acrobat. To view without the acrobat chrome extension, just remove the http://chrome-extension//efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/ from the url.
Click to expand...

Ok, I'll keep that in mind.

TheRatmeister said:
If I had to hazard a guess about the Forge Park bustitution, it would be that running via the Fairmount Line adds travel time and thus decreases equipment availability, so the slow run to Forge Park gets cut. But that's just a guess and it's not based on anything.
Click to expand...

Maybe, but then why not also finish Phase 2 of the double track project between Walpole and Franklin? It's just adding a little over 2000' of track in Norfolk and Franklin, and finish the connection at the WALPOLE WEST interlocking.

bakgwailo said:
Maybe behind the scenes lobbying from the town to cut down on the late night train whistles, since it's dubious at best that Franklin will invest in the money to upgrade the crossing for silent running.
Click to expand...

I don't think so, as they're not bustituting the trains before 9am. They've kept the morning rush but not the evening rush.
 
Looks like bustitutions this weekend and next on the Lowell Line are for switching over to the new "High Line" bridge in the Inner Belt:

High Line Bridge Work Continues August 16 – 17 and 23 – 24 | Updates | MBTA

Official website of the MBTA -- schedules, maps, and fare information for Greater Boston's public transportation system, including subway, commuter rail, bus routes, and boat lines.
www.mbta.com www.mbta.com
 
F40PH-3C rebuild #1030 is being done up in a Boston & Maine maroon-and-gold heritage paint scheme. . .
file.php
 
Does anyone know why the speed limit on the outer Franklin Line (between Walpole and Franklin/Dean) is 70 MPH instead of 79 MPH like some of the other Commuter Rail lines? Trains on this stretch of track are limited to 70 MPH, even though the tracks are (mostly) straight, with 4 miles or more between stations. Will the speed limit be raised once the double-track project is complete?
 
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www.thereadingobserver.com

MBTA refiles Notice of Intent for Reading Turnback Track Project — The Reading Observer

The MBTA has submitted a Notice of Intent (NOI) to the Reading Conservation Commission for the proposed Reading Turnback Track Project, aimed at expanding rail service capacity between Reading Station and Boston.
www.thereadingobserver.com www.thereadingobserver.com

T resubmits the Reading turnback track proposal for community input. There seems to be no changes from the loudly protested previous plan from this winter except for adding track pans underneath the locomotive resting spot to prevent any leaks from seeping into the adjacent wetlands, and planting of 16 measly trees.
 
I’ve seen it a couple times on Sunday afternoons. I think anytime where going through the ungated crossings will piss off the fewest motorists.
 
The T says that accessibility rules required them to block access to the platform that's most easily accessible to the station building in their Worcester Union Station project:

mass.streetsblog.org

A New Fence Welcomes T Riders To Worcester's Union Station - Streetsblog Massachusetts

A multi-year station renovation project will eliminate access between trains and the passenger boarding platform that enters directly into the city's historic Union Station.
mass.streetsblog.org mass.streetsblog.org
 
wicked said:
I’ve seen it a couple times on Sunday afternoons. I think anytime where going through the ungated crossings will piss off the fewest motorists.
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I'm surprised there aren't gates at this crossing. It is on an active railroad, crossing an arterial street in an urban area, after all.
 
Charlie_mta said:
I'm surprised there aren't gates at this crossing. It is on an active railroad, crossing an arterial street in an urban area, after all.
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The train moves at what, 10mph or less? And they seem to use a flagger at busier times. Assuming they're fine with that model of operations, I don't see a whole lot in terms of safety that would be gained by the addition of gates?

If there's something in the way I'm pretty sure the train's moving slow enough that it can just stop and wait.

(And if you are going to drive straight into the side of a train once it's started crossing, you were probably too distracted to notice a gate either)

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Given Cambridge's traffic challenges I'd also have concerns about how often you're going to wind up with a gate thunking on a car or dangerous behavior by a driver who's blocked in by traffic to escape closing gates in a panic, at the rare times they do move something during busier hours.

Reality is that with a very lightly used line a lot of people do sit in traffic where they shouldn't, especially with the short distances to adjacent lights and awkward road/track angles.
 
millerm277 said:
The train moves at what, 10mph or less? And they seem to use a flagger at busier times. Assuming they're fine with that model of operations, I don't see a whole lot in terms of safety that would be gained by the addition of gates?

If there's something in the way I'm pretty sure the train's moving slow enough that it can just stop and wait.

(And if you are going to drive straight into the side of a train once it's started crossing, you were probably too distracted to notice a gate either)

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Given Cambridge's traffic challenges I'd also have concerns about how often you're going to wind up with a gate thunking on a car or dangerous behavior by a driver who's blocked in by traffic to escape closing gates in a panic, at the rare times they do move something during busier hours.

Reality is that with a very lightly used line a lot of people do sit in traffic where they shouldn't, especially with the short distances to adjacent lights and awkward road/track angles.
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I was worried more than anything else about the safety of the flagger in heavy traffic. Oh well, if they ever someday institute commuter rail onto this route, they'll have to install the gates then.
 
StreetsblogMASS said:
The T says that accessibility rules required them to block access to the platform that's most easily accessible to the station building in their Worcester Union Station project:

mass.streetsblog.org

A New Fence Welcomes T Riders To Worcester's Union Station - Streetsblog Massachusetts

A multi-year station renovation project will eliminate access between trains and the passenger boarding platform that enters directly into the city's historic Union Station.
mass.streetsblog.org mass.streetsblog.org
Click to expand...
Is there no way to get a waiver/exception here? It also should not be much of a problem to only open half of doors on the Union Station side of the train given conductors are manually opening doors at most stops already.
 
StreetsblogMASS said:
The T says that accessibility rules required them to block access to the platform that's most easily accessible to the station building in their Worcester Union Station project:

mass.streetsblog.org

A New Fence Welcomes T Riders To Worcester's Union Station - Streetsblog Massachusetts

A multi-year station renovation project will eliminate access between trains and the passenger boarding platform that enters directly into the city's historic Union Station.
mass.streetsblog.org mass.streetsblog.org
Click to expand...

This is a dumb and shitty outcome. They can't have all of the doors open to the middle and some open on the station side? Really?

I can't believe anyone actually thought the fence was going to go all the way down the platform based on the updated rendering. That looks like it was made in just the right way to make it seem like the fence ends where the platform starts and hide the rest of it.
 
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