Green Line Extension to Medford & Union Sq

HenryAlan said:
Ugh, you're right. I wasn't looking very carefully at the map, so I guess I'll just go back to pining for an access ramp on both sides of Washington Street.
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yeah, I'd love if money was spent on propper access from East Somerville but instead money has been spent on access to the rear of the inner belt that has zero residents. I mean there are plans to build in the area and the old GLX staging area along the inner belt road has got to be worth more now but the priorities seem out of whack
 
The old GLX staging area is going to become expanded storage tracks for the VMF and a MoW facility.
 
RandomWalk said:
The old GLX staging area is going to become expanded storage tracks for the VMF and a MoW facility.
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Was this always in the plan? Why do they need more space already?
I get buying the land and holding it though.
 
VMF = Vehicle Maintenance Facility (Existing)
MOW = Maintenance of Way

The real estate transaction was announced at a Board Meeting in the past year or so, with a very conceptual layout. The expansion is to accommodate the new GL Type 10 cars, and provide MOW needed space.
 
Jouhou said:
Agreed. I thought that was supposed to have been implemented years ago but I guess not.
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The contract had to go out to rebid with tweaked specs because the original vendor couldn't do it. Re-proposals were due in August, but I don't know if there's been an award yet. It's going to be done in two phases...Phase I is just a warning system overlaid on top of the existing operator control, while Phase II is the real-deal automatic speed/stop enforcement.
 
Why was the original vendor unable to do it? Was the contract under-specified? Were they BS-ing their capabilities?
 
RandomWalk said:
Why was the original vendor unable to do it? Was the contract under-specified? Were they BS-ing their capabilities?
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The German firm that won the 2018 contract blew lots of deadlines and had near-zero progress to show at the time the T terminated the contract last summer, so they probably over-promised.
 
Just curious, in terms of automatic train protection, where does the MBTA fall compared to other mixed Dedicated ROW/street running light rail systems in the US, such as MUNI, DART, Cleveland RTA, Septa's Subway/Surface routes, Newark Light Rail, Buffalo Metro Rail, etc etc.
 
TheRatmeister said:
Just curious, in terms of automatic train protection, where does the MBTA fall compared to other mixed Dedicated ROW/street running light rail systems in the US, such as MUNI, DART, Cleveland RTA, Septa's Subway/Surface routes, Newark Light Rail, Buffalo Metro Rail, etc etc.
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I don't know about most of them, but SEPTA uses a fairly modern install of ATO very similar to our Red/Orange lines. The T used that as a cautionary tale on what they were not looking for with GLTPS because the SEPTA system ended up reducing their central subway's overall throughput.
 
Which side was the collision on? (Northbound/southbound by cardinal direction) I ask because two things come to mind:
  • I think both directions have pretty good sightlines, but southbound in particular looks like there should be good visibility (although it is true that this was in the middle of a snowstorm)
  • The southbound track has a pedestrian grade crossing over the tracks. If the train couldn’t brake quickly enough for a stopped train, it probably wouldn’t have been able to stop for a pedestrian either.
To be clear, I’m not saying the T should implement a 5 mph (or some other extremely low) speed restriction going into East Somerville due to the grade crossing, but it does seem like a location where that much more operational vigilance is called for.

(Also, presumably there was a signal at Danger due to the train occupying the station platform? Now that would not be an operator error, if the signal incorrectly showed Clear.)

I dunno, I know it is easy for me to “armchair quarterback” here. But train collisions are always Big Yikes.
 
TheRatmeister said:
Just curious, in terms of automatic train protection, where does the MBTA fall compared to other mixed Dedicated ROW/street running light rail systems in the US, such as MUNI, DART, Cleveland RTA, Septa's Subway/Surface routes, Newark Light Rail, Buffalo Metro Rail, etc etc.
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Muni Metro (not an acronym) runs fully automatic in the subway with a CBTC system. Operators only control the doors. On the surface, there is no train protection; like the B/C/E, it mostly follows traffic lights using dedicated signal heads. There are a few surface interlockings with signals, but those are only to indicate switch position and do not automatically stop the train. Trains switch between manual and automatic mode at the subway portals; sometimes that fails and delays trains.

The new Muni train control system, which is being installed over the next decade, will be fully modern (the current system runs on floppy disks!) Trains will be connected to the system at all times so that the mode switch at portals is quicker and more reliable. It will also help make TSP more reliable, and possibly allow higher speeds over some switches. (Currently, many switches are restricted to 5 mph because operators have to check that they're set to the right position.) I think it may also allow for some kind of train protection on the surface.
 
Looking at the damage to the Type 7 vs. the Type 8, I know which one I'd rather be on in a crash.
 
The GLX has had more than it's share of problems & crashes!! First it was the tracks which were laid wrong, causing the whole thing to become a slow zone. Then there was a derailmentr not too long ago. Now another crash!!! What's next?!!!!!!!!! :eek: :eek:
 
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