Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail (South Coast Rail)

Re: Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail

My bad. Meant staple. Off topic. Either way, let's get back to bickering about social classes in various satellite cities and whether or not they deserve the commuter rail.
 
Re: Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail

Ron Newman said:
Fishermen serve no purpose to society? Wow. They take a lot more risks with their lives every day than most of us will in our lifetimes.
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[sarcasm]
Come on now, Ron. Of course he's right -- there is no value to be found in New Bedford. No fishermen, no history, no Moby Dick. We should take some ARRA funds and build a giant wall to immunize the rest of the state.
[/sarcasm]
 
Re: Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail

'Down payment' for South Coast rail
$20 million grant to fund bridge repair

NEW BEDFORD ? The state has been awarded $20 million in federal grant money to reconstruct three freight rail bridges that are a critical part of the infrastructure needed for the South Coast Rail Project, federal officials announced Wednesday.
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Full story is HERE.
 
Re: Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail

I guess every little bit counts.
 
Re: Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail

Says it's for freight.

Will it even overlap the potential passenger line?
 
Re: Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail

^yeah, the SCR project isn't even scheduled to be completed until 2016-17. This is, "for freight" but the bridges are all part of the proposed commuter rail route. I'm willing to bet this grant wouldn't have been applied for if it weren't for the passenger proposal. It's a drop in the bucket as far as finances go and absolutely will help existing freight traffic; but it's big for the commuter rail proposal.

Also, keep in mind, a large portion of the $2.4 or $2.9 billion proposal (price depends on whether it's entirely electric or diesel) is South Station expansion and adding new track there. That'll likely happen eventually regardless of what happens to the SCR proposal.
 
Re: Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail

for all you train guru's.

Mass. buys more South Coast rail tracks
Fall River, New Bedford still expected to get service by 2016
By Chris Barrett
PBN Staff Writer


WIKIMEDIALOCAL OFFICIALS have been pushing for years to get commuter rail service extended to New Bedford and Fall River. Above, an MBTA train in Wellesley.

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BOSTON ? The extension of commuter-rail service to Fall River and New Bedford edged closer to reality Thursday with the announcement that Massachusetts has purchased about 30 miles of rail line for about $20 million.

In a conference call with reporters, Mass. Gov. Deval L. Patrick said the commonwealth would purchase the tracks from freight train operator CSX Corp., which will continue to operate freight trains on the routes.

The newly acquired track runs from Cotley Junction in Taunton to Fall River and New Bedford. Patrick called the sale a ?historic transaction? that will put the long-discussed South Coast commuter rail on track to completion.

Patrick promised to have the new train service running by 2016 for a route with diesel engines or 2017 for a route with electrified engines. The state is waiting for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to complete an environmental study due out this fall. State officials also hope to receive additional federal money from Congress.

Elected officials say the project will give a boost to economic development by providing Southeastern Massachusetts with a direct link to Boston. Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Murray said commuter rail routes in other parts of the state have spurred the economy there.

?For too long, Southeastern Massachusetts has been shut out,? Murray said.

U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., said the project would raise property values and attract employers. Congress has provided more than $30 million in funding for the project since 2005, he said.

?It?s a very important boost to our economy,? Kerry said. ?It is extraordinarily helpful to the New Bedford-Fall River-Taunton triangle, which for years has been struggling to find a way to make up the economic lag that it has consistently faced in terms of unemployment, job growth and investment.?

In August, Murray unveiled the South Coast Rail Economic Development and Land Use Corridor Plan, a document aimed at guiding transportation and development plans for Bristol County. The plan called for 11 train stations in the county.

The document estimated that extending commuter rail service to the South Coast would create between 3,500 and 3,800 net new jobs by 2030, with two-thirds of those jobs located in Bristol County. Construction would generate between 7,000 and 8,000 new jobs and more than $1 billion in spending, the report said.

Last week, the state issued a request for proposals to replace three deteriorating railroad bridges in New Bedford, work that is expected to start this fall. The Obama administration awarded the state $20 million for the project in February.

The South Coast rail project is unrelated to Rhode Island?s plans to extend MBTA service to T.F. Green Airport in Warwick and Wickford Junction in North Kingstown. Officials here are also exploring the possibility of extending commuter service to the West Kingston station in South Kingstown.

Additional information is available at southcoastrail.com.
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http://www.pbn.com/detail/50627.html

and interesting maps here

http://www.southcoastrail.com/mapsphotos.asp?GroupID=11861
 
Re: Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail

http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2010/06/work_on_fall_ri.html

Work on Fall River, New Bedford rail link to begin this summer, Patrick says
E-mail|Link|Comments (21) June 17, 2010 12:57 PM
By Eric Moskowitz, Globe Staff

Construction will begin this summer on a long-promised, long-delayed commuter rail link to Fall River and New Bedford, Governor Deval Patrick said today.

The announcement follows the state's purchase of more than 30 miles of track in the Taunton-Fall River-New Bedford triangle from the freight rail company CSX. The state and CSX closed on that sale late last week as part of a larger $100 million arrangement that has been in the works since 2008.

The CSX deal will also give the state control of track between Framingham and Worcester that will allow the MBTA to increase the number of commuter rail trips and improve commuter service between Boston and Worcester.

In a conference call with other state and federal officials, Patrick and Lieutenant Governor Timothy P. Murray told reporters that the "historic transaction" and start of construction will help ensure their administration's commitment to have commuter trains running between Boston's South Station and the South Coast region before the end of the decade.

Local politicians, civic leaders, and residents of Fall River and New Bedford have sought commuter rail as a way to revitalize their region, enhance its connection with Boston, boost property values, ease highway traffic, and facilitate redevelopment around rail stops. They have endured a succession of empty promises and delays for two decades.

This is different, Patrick, Senator John Kerry, and others promised them in this morning's call.

"This is real," said US Representative James P. McGovern, a Worcester Democrat whose district extends to Fall River. "This is not just a dream. This is not just a speech or rhetoric. This is real -- this is going to happen."

The work that will start this summer is a $22 million, 18-month project to refurbish multiple freight rail bridges in New Bedford to facilitate commuter rail travel along that part of the route.
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so action is finally happening on this. I wonder if this has anything to do w/ the casinos
 
Re: Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail

Wait, so did they pick a route?
 
Re: Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail

If the tracks the state bought run from Taunton to Fall River then I would say that the route chosen/to be chosen is the one that runs from Fall River/New Bedford north to Taunton, Raynham, Easton and connects in Stoughton. Frankly, it's the only route that makes sense for the region.
 
Re: Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail

It's been stoughton all along. It's not "official," but the others aren't in contention. The only possibility for change is if the Army Corps says there will be An adverse impact on the Hockomock Swamp which could mean they will pick the rapid bus (a terrible choice). Anyway, Stoughton is the only rail route option at this point.

Still, the triangle from Taunton (Myricks Junction) to Fall River and New Bedford would be used for each of the alternate routes. I'm willing to bet the "work" starts there.

I am taking this news with a grain of salt. Patrick is up for reelection and he needs the rather large population in the South Coast to vote for him. It's a $2+ billion project and there's no telling where the vast majority of that money is coming from. I'll be more confident when there's progress in November and beyond.
 
Re: Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail

Ill eat a commuter rail train if this opens in 2016.
 
Re: Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail

^There's NO WAY. I think it'll get done eventually, but there are so many different (big) obstacles that need to be overcome. First is obviously funding. Billions of dollars need to be acquired from somewhere. Next is expanding capacity at South Station. That can't be done until the adjacent Post Office land is acquired (which was essentially stopped dead not too long ago).

Once those two hurdles are cleared, there is an abundance of small feats still to overcome. They've purchased the track which is huge. They still need to win environmental approval through the Hockomock Swamp (you can bet area residents will fight that approval tooth and nail, dragging it out as long as possible). They need to finalize the purchase of land where the stations will go. They need to update all the track along the route (which will require environmental approval in most locations).

Even if everything goes perfectly like the project being funded tomorrow in full, the post office land acquired, environmental approval granted, etc. I still highly doubt that passengers will be traveling by rail from Fall River/New Bedford to Boston in 5.5 years.
 
Re: Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail

Do they really need much more track capacity at South Station? The T already runs trains to Stoughton; these would just be extended southward, the same way Ipswich trains were extended to Newburyport.
 
Re: Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail

Ron Newman said:
Do they really need much more track capacity at South Station? The T already runs trains to Stoughton; these would just be extended southward, the same way Ipswich trains were extended to Newburyport.
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Capacity at south station will max out in 2012 with the indigo line. Thats why they want to send the new worcester trains to north station.

Id hope that service to NB and FR would include more trains than those currently going to Stoughton.

This also doesnt take into account increased service to Providence if so desired by the state of RI.
 
Re: Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail

Don't forget the Postal Annex is being demolished sometime in the near future. That will reopen the opportunity to restore South Station to 38 tracks with air rights development above.
 
Re: Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail

I think that, at it's maximum, South Station had only 26 tracks.
 
Re: Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail

Sorry 28 tracks.
 
Re: Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail

I seem to recall the demolition of the Postal Annex could net a maximum of 6 new tracks, with only 4 actually part of the Fall River / New Bedford project.

I may have simply dreamt that though.
 
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