Commuter Rail to New Hampshire?

Obviously not, but if Nashua is open to hosting a layover yard they could probably get the T to fund part of the extension.
The T can only fund to the state line and slush some funds to CSX under the guise of "freight improvements" for building the layover yard to T spec on the unused back portions of Nashua freight yard. That's the lion's share of the work, and they'd definitely be willing to pay because of the ops improvements and in-district constituency the extension would serve. Thankfully there's little permitting involved for the layover because it's tucked inside a century-active freight yard. Nashua only has to square 4.5 miles of presumably single-track running track improvements (resurfacing, welded rail...it's already Class 3/60 MPH) and signaling improvements (adding cab signals + ACSES positive train control to the existing recently renewed signal system). There are thankfully no bridges on those 4.5 miles, and only 1 public grade crossing (Crown St., which needs a do-over and some signal mods so trains turning on the adjacent platform can override gates-down) and 1 very minor private grade crossing. A fairly modest-sized Fed grant...again ostensibly under the guise of "freight improvements"...would do the whole job. The bigger struggle the city has is how it's going to pay for the 2 stations. The most up-to-date cost projections from the recent study were sufficiently blowout that they're probably going to struggle with that if the Feds aren't willing to grant them most of the way.
 
The bigger struggle the city has is how it's going to pay for the 2 stations. The most up-to-date cost projections from the recent study were sufficiently blowout that they're probably going to struggle with that if the Feds aren't willing to grant them most of the way.
If there's an issue with station construction funding, the City of Nashua could focus on building the station at Crown Street first, and South Nashua could be built later as an infill station.
 
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If there's an issue with station construction funding, the City of Nashua could focus on building the station at Crown Street first, and South Nashua could be built later as an infill station.
The Oct. 2022 cost estimate for South Nashua was $21.2M, and Crown St. for $21.9M. South Nashua was to be primarily funded by federal funds and NHDOT; Crown St. was to be primarily funded by the city. Both estimates are a bit overinflated because the parking is pre-existing at both sites. South Nashua has about 2-1/2 times the parking capacity of Crown St., and Crown St. has 3 buses. There isn't a ridership projection for each, though, since the truncated 2022-23 study didn't get far enough to benchmark that before it was aborted and the 2014 study only specced one Nashua stop.

I guess it's jump-ball which one should go first. If it's possible to get any fed funding for stations, South Nashua might take priority since that was how it was slotted before.
 
Moran again made the motion to remove the commuter rail study from the legislation, expressing that they should focus on more immediate needs in the city.

“I think all these projects are amazing, going to be for the betterment of Nashua, fix things that are falling apart and bring rail eventually to the city. But do we need it right now after hearing it could wait? Or could we repurpose that $225,000 to city welfare? Or could we repurpose that money to the paraprofessionals that are being underpaid in the school district?” Moran said.

Alderman Moran agreed. “My children’s children will probably see the rail. Tonight, there are people freezing on the streets. $225,000 is a lot of money to the point that you could probably house all those folks that are homeless in Nashua for at least three to six months with that amount of money. That is not chump change to people living in poverty and freezing on our streets who have no clue or idea of ‘oh my gosh, I can’t wait until there’s a freaking transit system that I can take into Boston to be homeless down there too,’” he said. “I think it should be repurposed to something that’s actually beneficial to people who are freezing and dying on our streets and overflooding our emergency rooms. But go ahead, study your rail.”
 
My children’s children will probably see the rail. Tonight, there are people freezing on the streets. $225,000 is a lot of money to the point that you could probably house all those folks that are homeless in Nashua for at least three to six months with that amount of money.
It'll take generations because we keep reallocating it's funding to other things like this... And laughable to suggest that $225k could house all the homeless for six months. Real lack of understanding of how expensive that sort of thing is...
 
It'll take generations because we keep reallocating it's funding to other things like this... And laughable to suggest that $225k could house all the homeless for six months. Real lack of understanding of how expensive that sort of thing is...
I agree with your statement, but I’m also sympathetic to a city like Nashua not wanting to devote scarce municipal resources to a project that should not fall on the shoulders of a municipality. Expecting Nashua to shoulder the load and Nashua opting not to do so is much more a failure of the state of New Hampshire than the city of Nashua.
 
I have heard this false equivalence over and over, but I have never seen a scientific study that links road building and public transit to increased homelessness. I could be sarcastic, however, and suggest to the Alderman that you could kill two birds with one stone by building a bridge that the homeless could live under.
 
I have heard this false equivalence over and over, but I have never seen a scientific study that links road building and public transit to increased homelessness. I could be sarcastic, however, and suggest to the Alderman that you could kill two birds with one stone by building a bridge that the homeless could live under.
There used to be (and probably still is) a fairly sizeable homeless encampment behind the back of CSX/Pan Am Nashua freight yard. You would think the Alderman would be all for commuter rail with the layover yard and its 24/7 onsite security cleaning that up.
 

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