Framingham/Worcester Line Dispatched Partially By Amtrak

Effective Monday April 2, 2012 @ 1201am Cove to CP 3 of the B&A will become Amtrak's "Worcester Main Line" and will be dispatched by Amtrak Terminal Train Dispatcher. This according to MBCR & Amtrak Supplemental Bulletin Orders.

Why Amtrak? There's only 2 LSL's per day. Or is that for better NEC traffic management on approach to Back Bay?

Is Cove Interlocking underneath I-93/Harrison Ave? Where's CP 3?

BostonUrbEx wrote:Is Cove Interlocking underneath I-93/Harrison Ave? Where's CP 3?

Beacon Park...which end I don't recall.

CP 3 is at the east end of Beacon Park Yard a few feet west of the Commonwealth Avenue bridge.

Could it preparation dispatching the entire line once Beacon Park is closed out and the Worcester yard is finished?

CSX owns the line, why Amtrak? Or the "foot in the door" for an AMTK takeover of the Worcester Line?

My initial thought was the "inland" NEC, with trains to Boston from New York via Hartford and Worcester. But that's just so far off in the future.

It's rather early for April Fools, isn't it?

Isn't Cove sort of a choke point? They can only have so many trains going through Cove at a time. I don't know how often it happens, but almost every train I've been on had to hold at Cove for a minute or two because of traffic. It would make sense that Amtrak would want to dispatch it to give their trains priority.

R36 Combine Coach wrote:CSX owns the line, why Amtrak? Or the "foot in the door" for an AMTK takeover of the Worcester Line?

The MBTA is taking ownership of the line in a deal made back a few years ago. (There is another thread somewhere...) The Grand Junction Branch is no longer owned or controlled by CSX. It is now controlled by the MBCR North Side Terminal Dispatcher. The next section to be taken over by the MBTA is from Cove to CP-3. It is not logical to set up a new Dispatcher for this small section, but it is logical to let Amtrak take over this section as it flows into the Terminal area at Cove. Not sure if this is permanent or a temporary arrangement, but eventually MBCR will dispatch the line to Worcester not Amtrak.

edbear wrote:CP 3 is at the east end of Beacon Park Yard a few feet west of the Commonwealth Avenue bridge.

CP-3 actually runs from east of Comm Ave Bridge to just west of Comm. AVE bridge

And just to be clear, CP-3 will still be CSX controlled for now. But east of the interlocking will under the Authority of Amtrak.

Amtrak took over the dispatching from Cove (east of Back Bay station) to, but not including CP-3 (east end of Beacon Park) on 4/2/12.
A new commuter rail schedule also went into effect that eliminates all train meets between Cove and CP-4 in preparation for
upcoming single track operations between Cove and CP-4 in conjunction with a major construction project at Yawkey Station.

Routing of trains on Tk 1 and Tk 2 between Cove and CP-3 is pretty much the same since both tracks are still in operation.
However, adjustments based on the new schedule are still going thru a learning curve. Where certain trains cross from one track to
another, especially west of Framingham, is still a work in progress.

CSX still controls CP-3.

And oer the FRA track 1 is now Track 7 and Track 2 is Track 5. (As they were numbered before at Back Back for passengers to not get confused with NEC Tracks 1&2.

The FRA says it's too confusing having two main line tracks numbered the same there......hello!?! They are two separate main lines....whats next, renumbering the Dorchester too?