Merimac Line: Lowell to Haverhill

BostonUrbEx

BostonUrbEx

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*North Attleborro should read: North Andover.

Google Maps: http://www.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UT...34766256038742.0004938c6bf4739d86575&t=h&z=11

In-Zone Fare: $2
1 Zone: $2.5
2 Zone: $3

Zone 1 to Boston via transfer to Lowell Line: $7.25 (Zone 6 + $.50 = Zone 7)
Zone 2 to Boston via transfer to Haverhill Line: $7.25 (Zone 6 + $.50 = Zone 7)
Zone 3 to Boston via transfer to Haverhill Line: $7.75 (Zone 7 + $.50 = Zone 8)



This is my idea for a frequent DMU service between the cities of Lowell, Lawrence, and Haverhill during weekdays. Service would be capped to 4 stops per city serviced, no service in between cities, as the goal is quick travel within denser urban areas.

Comments, suggestions, etc are welcome as always.
 
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I was going to, but I was too lazy to forge a ROW out for a small city like Newburyport which is much further away compared to the bigger 3. I didn't see it as being worth it but maybe I'm wrong. Using existing ROW would require a dip south all the way to Georgetown. Also, would require reverse-moving or passenger transfers to get directly into Haverhill.

I'd rather map it out to Nashua, but I'll leave that to be covered by a Lowell Line extension.
 
Where was the right-of-way that you want to revive between Lowell and Lawrence?
 
Ron Newman said:
Where was the right-of-way that you want to revive between Lowell and Lawrence?
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The is a ROW from Lawrence Center to Glenn Street. Land would have to be acquired or Glenn Street adjusted in ordered to squeeze by Glenn St. There's currently a single tracks freight lead that runs halfway then cuts across and into an industrial area.

At the end of Glenn, a high-voltage transmission line ROW begins. This may have been a rail ROW at one time, I cannot tell. Eventually it merges into other transmission lines and turns south, crosses 495, then it would peel west, using existing, and active, freight ROW, which then runs into the current MBTA Lowell Line.
 
Would it make more sense to develop this as a light rail line? It would be pretty useful as one connecting two commuter rail lines, along with the various town centers.
 
I assume that you meant to put North Andover, rather than North Attleboro...
 
HenryAlan said:
Would it make more sense to develop this as a light rail line? It would be pretty useful as one connecting two commuter rail lines, along with the various town centers.
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Maybe start with a bus to gauge interest?
 
there's already a Lowell-Lawrence bus. I don't know how popular it is, though.
 
HenryAlan said:
Would it make more sense to develop this as a light rail line? It would be pretty useful as one connecting two commuter rail lines, along with the various town centers.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure how well DMU's accelerate compared to light rail vehicles, but DMU's should be capable of much greater speeds as the run between cities.

This goes 100MPH in service and is capable of even greater speeds: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transwa_Prospector


Roxxma said:
I assume that you meant to put North Andover, rather than North Attleboro...
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Indeed. I had noted it just under the zone map I made.


Ron Newman said:
there's already a Lowell-Lawrence bus. I don't know how popular it is, though.
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I feel that's hardly a proper comparison, though. Buses would run in traffic and there's that "lowly" bus image. Also, the intent is to help revive these cities, not necessarily just to run on existing demand but to create it as well. I doubt a bus would do much for that. Lowell is doing well with rebounding on its own, Lawrence and Haverhill could certainly use a helping hand.








Anyways: Came up with a solution for an easy ROW into Newburyport... kinda... I'm working on the map to route it up the median of 495 to Amesbury. A stop somewhere in southern Amesbury, Salisbury (near the center), and if the bridge over the Merrimac is EVER restored: a stop or two in Neburyport. This would all be Zone 4.
 
Question for the board: Would the brainstorming ideas that have been floated in this sub forum be more appropriately placed in the Design a Better Boston forum? When it comes to the New Development forum, most threads are centered around projects that have some grounding in reality, whereas a lot of the recent threads in Transit and Infrastructure discuss ideas that are fairly far fetched.

If the Transit and Infrastructure forum is the place for people to propose a heavy rail subway line from their basement to their favorite Thai restaurant, then that's fine, but I thought that's what the Design a Better Boston forum was for.
 
belmont square said:
If the Transportation forum is the place for people to propose a heavy rail subway line from their basement to their favorite Thai restaurant
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Shhh, I wasn't posting that one until Saturday.


I find myself a bit torn by it. There's the Transit and Infrastructure forum for "All things T or civilly engineered within Boston Metro."

And then there's Design a Better Boston and the description only specifically mentions architecture and developments.

I believe I throw out ideas into both, though I tend to gravitate to this one for transit ideas since I just feel like they fit better.
 
I don't much care, but I'd tend to advocate for all transit oriented threads, real or imagined, to be in the transit sub-board, because this is not really a transit oriented website. It makes sense to have development fantasies separate from real development due to the volume of such threads. But transit is a side interest, one that hasn't developed enough to merit thread segregation.

Just my opinion, something that rarely if ever matters.
 
I like this idea a lot. I think much needed. I think I read start with bus and there already is a Lawrence / Lowell bus, rail is just used more by the public for whatever reasons. But I think this line would be used on a regular bases. The MBTA really does not have any line that moves parallel to Boston. Example, if I could take a train direct to Worcester from Haverhill or even some time in the future NH, that would be practical for me.
 
Just to continue the Merrimac Valley discussion, I attached an image of a revived Essex Railroad and Lawrence Railroad line. I realize it wouldn't attract much ridership, but it certainly shows the gap in train service between Newburyport and Lowell lines.

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This diagram uses the existing ROW of the old passenger lines running through the area.
 
The Haverhill line going the way of the old railroad bed? We lived next to it, when I grew up in Topsfield. My father is rolling in his grave right now, he always feared this day would come.
 
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