Amtrak Downeaster Discussion Thread

[ns3010]

Took a day trip to Portland yesterday on 691/698, and the trips went pretty smoothly despite the busing. 691 was about 12 minutes late into POR, mostly because it took a while to get 4 busloads worth of passengers onto the train at HHL (and I think at least one or two of the buses left BON late). The buses for 698 arrived back at BON about 10 minutes late, also not bad. Since PAR was essentially shut down between Lawrence and Portland, we didn't have any delays on the DE. Normally, I really would have preferred to not have to deal with the shuttling, but the discounted price for the inconvenience made it worth it (1600 points round trip, including a Business Class seat for the trip back).


Side question (and sorry if this has been answered before, but a search through the whole forum yielded no answer): Why is the platform at PTC high level for only slightly more than one carlength (fitting two doubles assuming the spot lines up)? It looks like the whole platform is about 4 carlengths, with the ramps leading to the low level sections each taking up almost one carlength. Even if dwell time isn't a major consideration (considering the reverse move back to the main), why didn't they just build them out to high level for the full length?

[MEC407]

Good question. I believe all of the Downeaster platforms are mixed high/low level, and I've never had a clear understanding of why that is, considering that the trains have only ever used the high sections during the 15 years they've been running.

[Dick H]

I can't speak for Maine, but the matching funds to the federal grants for the
platforms at Dover, Durham=UNH and Exeter were paid by the local governments.
Dover contributed #220,000 toward the station and platforms. Full length\
platforms would have added many more six figures to the cost.

Some of the crews used to open one door on the high level and one on the
lower level on #685/#695, when there were large numbers of passengers
detraining. Lately however, they seem to open a double set of doors on
the high level platform, instead.

[gokeefe]

The Brunswick platform is a full length high level.

[jcpatten]

I think that all of the high level platforms outside of Mass. are set back from the track, requiring bridges between train and platform, at Pan Am/Guilford insistence.

[Rockingham Racer]

The Brunswick platform is a full length high level.

Isn't Woburn-Anderson also?

[gokeefe]

Yes and Haverhill.

[Red Wing]

Haverhill has a mini-high platform.

[MEC407]

Sorry, when I wrote "Downeaster platforms" I meant the ones that were built for the Downeaster service, e.g., not the ones on the T.

[JimBoylan]

It gets worse, from Amtrak.com's Service Disruptions:

Downeaster Service: Track Work Affects Several Weekends September through November 2016
Effective on Weekends - September through November 2016
Bridge work being performed by Keolis Transportation Services will affect Downeaster service, as described below:
Bus Service Provided between Haverhill and Boston North Station
Fridays, September 9, 23 and October 7, 18: Trains 688 and 689 will be replaced by bus service, operated by Peter Pan, between Haverhill and Boston North Station.
Saturdays and Sundays, September 10, 11, 24, 25; October 8, 9; November 19, 20: All trains will be replaced by bus service, operated by Peter Pan, between Haverhill and Boston North Station.
Woburn Station: Buses will not stop at Woburn on the dates listed above.

Trains Canceled
Fridays, October 21 and November 4: Trains 688 and 689 will be canceled with no alternate transportation provided.
Saturdays and Sundays, October 22, 23 and November 5, 6: All trains will be canceled with no alternate transportation provided.

[Renegade334]

Looks like Pan Am is doing some construction work on October 11 that will be affecting Downeaster. Any idea on what this construction entails? Link on amtrakdowneaster.com isn't working. Am quite curious

[swist]

There is an interim schedule posted on downeaster.com reflecting the track work from Wells to Brunswick. Basically all DEs between Oct 11 and Nov 9? will be part bus Wells to Brunswick.

As someone who takes the DE frequently, I'll have to merge the above MBTA-related changes in the schedules and come up with a master list of what's going on.
Although a change from bus to train probably won't impact the timing that much, it's still a PITA. Preferable just to stay on Concord Coach the whole trip.

[Renegade334]

There is an interim schedule posted on downeaster.com reflecting the track work from Wells to Brunswick.

Is it replacing track that will allow DE to go faster between those two locations? Or just general repair?

[BandA]

I think you actually just made NNEPRA's point for the wye.

The Downeaster is 10 minutes on the platform at PTC. Meaning that 10 minutes has nothing to do with the current reverse move. If you're saying Amtrak bakes in 10 minutes default for such a move, that is in the transit time between Portland and Freeport, which is currently 30 minutes by schedule. So taking out the 10-minute "baked in" back up move by restoring the wye saves 10 minutes, probably minus a minute or two of run time. They already have the 10 minutes on the schedule at PTC which would accommodate swapping ends. So $10million saves 10 minutes every train.

My back of the envelope calculation says that $10M is worth about $1300 per day in cost.

[gokeefe]

Drive by through Brunswick today showed a layover facility that appears to be complete. No visible construction equipment. Grass, landscaping and paving complete. I'm assuming there's still some interior work of some kind going on but based on previous photos I don't think there's much left to do besides setting a date for a ribbon cutting and moving in.