Hartford Line CtDOT New Haven-Springfield - NHHS (Before Launch of Service)

BM6569 wrote:I finally got to see Hartford Station up close today. What's the plan for it with all these upgrades? Specifically, which track are they putting back in at the station? Looks like even the one still left could use some tie work.

From the plans I've seen, there will only be a single track passing through Hartford, and the present "center island" platform will get upgraded. There apparently are no plans right now to reinstall the old Track 2 (closest to the station) or upgrade that platform. I believe the Hartford improvements are being kept to a minimum until it is decided what to do with the station. They're talking about doing something to the I-84 viaduct and maybe relocating the rail alignment at some point in the future. I also thought I heard that the station viaduct needs replacement as well. So they're doing the bare minimum, with the double track line reducing to single iron within a mile or so of the station on either side.

NH2060 wrote:RE: Griffins Line (sorry if i don't understand what your VERY thorough post from 2 weeks ago was suggesting), but are you talking about

1) All freight being re-routed via CNZR and Bradley Airport
2) Amtrak/NHHS being re-routed via CNZR and Bradley Airport
3) If one of the two, where exactly would such a re-route re-join the SPG Line north of the Airport? Right before the Conn River bridge? West Springfield (with a new/expanded river crossing to avoid CSX traffic)?
4) None of the above and I'm not grasping it at all

No...not Amtrak or NHHS Amtrak/NHHS get sole traffic on the Springfield Line between Hartford Yard and the Bradley Branch, and the freights would get relocated. Since there are no freight customers currently on that stretch, a lot of slots currently get chewed up just by freight running overhead to Springfield, to Bradley, and to the couple customers Enfield-north. And this is the portion of the Springfield Line least able to be tri-tracked in the future. Which is why Amtrak and CDOT are angsting so much about getting the (considerably easier) Armory Branch re-connected at Springfield.

But, if the Armory can't happen they can dust off the ex-light rail plan on the Griffins and recycle the power line ROW they had earmarked for that project to get to Bradley. Requires a Farmington River bridge and some artful threading through the terminal to connect to the end of the Bradley Branch, but the bulk of the new ROW mileage is dirt cheap because it would just be plunked on top of the gravel access road for the powerlines thousands of feet away from any NIMBY abutters. This is why the State Rail Plan specs $3M for preventatively acquiring the ROW from the power company and where it splits between properties on final approach to the airport.

Do that and the freight can be punted entirely off the Springfield Line between the CT River bridge and Hartford. And the Griffins, because it was such a well-studied light rail plan 20 years ago, has known passenger upside inside Hartford in dense residential and serving Univ. of Hartford, in Bloomfield in dense residential and for the large office park near the current end of track, and as a better-utilized Bradley shuttle than a dinky pinging between Windsor Locks station and the terminal. You would be talking in addition to NHHS, which serves very different population centers to the north and acts as more of a cross-state express route. The Griffins would be more of a fit for DMU's and dense-ish stop spacing similar to the ex- light rail plan, even if the line only went initially to the current end of track at the Bloomfield/Windsor office park. It would slot after Waterbury-Hartford and possibly Hartford-Manchester or Willimantic on the Central CT commuter rail network priorities list, but it is one that should eventually happen because the light rail studies proved the risership is there. Especially if it connects to the airport.


And while the Armory is a better and cheaper freight clearance route that avoids the entirety of the northern Springfield Line...that branch does not have co-mingled passenger considerations like the Griffins. They can eventually justify the cost of crossing the river on the Griffins because it would get heavy passenger and freight utilization.

shadyjay wrote:

BM6569 wrote:I finally got to see Hartford Station up close today. What's the plan for it with all these upgrades? Specifically, which track are they putting back in at the station? Looks like even the one still left could use some tie work.

From the plans I've seen, there will only be a single track passing through Hartford, and the present "center island" platform will get upgraded. There apparently are no plans right now to reinstall the old Track 2 (closest to the station) or upgrade that platform. I believe the Hartford improvements are being kept to a minimum until it is decided what to do with the station. They're talking about doing something to the I-84 viaduct and maybe relocating the rail alignment at some point in the future. I also thought I heard that the station viaduct needs replacement as well. So they're doing the bare minimum, with the double track line reducing to single iron within a mile or so of the station on either side.

From this diagram I found on 'th Google, it looks like it's only a half-high island. Which makes sense because of the heavy ped traffic crossing the tracks.




The I-84 Viaduct replacement throws a monkey wrench in the ROW around here. Since 84 would be sunk into a cut continuous with the downtown/High St. stretch, which makes working the approach into Union Station a real bear as the tracks currently pass under the viaduct at Flower St. They'd have to tunnel under ...sharp-curve in the tunnel...then do a long incline up to the current Asylum St. overpass. Then bridge over the sunken highway at Church St., elevate the junction with the Griffins Line, and blow up the Edward St. and Walnut St. bridges. Expensive nightmare.

The replacement plan is a lot more engineering-elegant and cheaper (except for the whole part where the brand new Busway gets totally blown up and moved elsewhere), but unfortunately relocates the trains out of the historic station (which would remain the bus terminal). Tracks would go in the 84 cut and continue hugging the north side of the highway instead of crossing under at Flower St. There'd be a tunnel portal somewhere around Asylum to slip under the 84WB Asylum off-ramp. And then there would be a station bunker built there on the Asylum-Church block. Probably with provisions for 4 platforms + a freight passing track...akin to the newer Providence station. Then would portal back at-grade after the Church underpass in time for the Griffins wye and continue as-is.

Then they would probably cover over the sunken highway on the block between old Union Station and the bunker with air rights to connect the rail and bus facilities, Bushnell Park would gain some acreage with removal of the ROW, and they could repurpose the station upper level for the Busway or something.


This plan got a lot of public support when it was proposed last year because it considerably simplified the Viaduct project and was less disruptive. So it probably happens. And they do not have a choice but to tear down the Viaduct. It cannot be rehabbed any longer except for emergency patches to keep it from collapsing while they search for funding. They either totally replace it with a new viaduct structure or sink it. And the cost over lifetime of the structure priced much lower with a cut vs. a new viaduct. It's only a matter of how long they have to wait until funding is available. CDOT certainly isn't helping itself blowing the same billion dollars it would take to replace the Viaduct on the senseless busway. That alone has sunk any chance of design getting started this decade. So make sure your life insurance policy is up-to-date next time you drive 84 in downtown and ask yourself "Do I feel lucky today?" when driving over that structure for the next 10 years.

It would be nice to see thru trains on the Armory branch...and I'd love to see a RDC on it, too. But first I'd see two others -- the canal from Cheshire to Avon and the Manchester to Willimantic route.

F-line to Dudley via Park wrote:From this diagram I found on 'th Google, it looks like it's only a half-high island. Which makes sense because of the heavy ped traffic crossing the tracks.

That was from older plans. The newer plans show a full length high level platform:

https://picasaweb.google.com/1081181897 ... 9624290418" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The first tack-on project has just been funded. State officials announced a couple days ago that $10 million in federal funding had been made available to build the second platform at State Street. The three new stations are still unfunded, but the second platform is critical to allow NHHS trains to stop there on day one.

http://www.nhregister.com/government-an ... eral-grant" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The EGE wrote:The first tack-on project has just been funded. State officials announced a couple days ago that $10 million in federal funding had been made available to build the second platform at State Street. The three new stations are still unfunded, but the second platform is critical to allow NHHS trains to stop there on day one.

http://www.nhregister.com/government-an ... eral-grant" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Anyone else think it's really weird the Register used a picture of an NJT train at Hoboken Terminal to illustrate that story?

Not weird at all -- at least they found a photo from the same time zone. I'm trying to remember where I once saw (some years ago) an illustration pertaining to the U. S. that used a nice photo of British Rail. I think the usual procedure is that the editor asks for a file photo of a train and somebody digs one out. In Philadelphia we're quite used to seeing a photo of a Silverliner V illustrating a story about the Frankford Elevated.

http://www.courant.com/community/west-h ... 6861.story" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The new Flatbush Avenue Bridge will open to vehicular and pedestrian traffic Friday afternoon, 10 days ahead of schedule, the state Department of Transportation said Wednesday.

The four-lane, 1,100-foot bridge will take traffic over the railroad tracks and the CTfastrak busway route. Construction on the bridge began in March and cost $23.1 million.

-1 bad grade crossing on the Springfield Line.

CDOT to issue RFP for potential operators of NHHS:
http://www.railwayage.com/index.php/pas ... -line.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Potential operator candidates include Amtrak and Metro-North Railroad. Also likely to seek the business are contracting companies such as Keolis Commuter Services Inc., which last month landed a long-term contract with Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, and Veolia Transportation.

I believe the Amtrak agreement to operate the Shore Line East service expires about the time the "Shore Line North" (Hartford Line) service is supposed to start. The state would be smart to have those two operations under a common operator. IMHO Amtrak would be the logical operator as they own and operate most of the lines east of New Haven and have successfully (IMHO) operated the Shore Line East service for many years. They also staff some of the CDOT-owned shop facilities at New Haven. Also, look to earlier comments from "Dutch" on this - I agree with just about all of them - especially note the labor union comments.
I feel Metro-North, even if they were interested, would have a tough time taking this additional service on when they have had well documented problems running what they have now over the past few years.
FWIW and somewhat off-topic, my sister in law who rides MBTA ex B&M into Boston said the service was best when Amtrak was the contract operator.
It is interesting that some sort of commuter service on the Hartford Line could have been operated with the existing track and equipment according to a proposed timetable that was "carelessly left on a desk" at a CDOT office back in 2007. 3 additional trains were added Hartford - New Haven and return, one additional train Springfield - New Haven and return and a few existing Amtrak 400 series trains had their times moved, all this provided commute friendly service in and out of both Hartford and New Haven - but didn't do much for commuters between Springfield and Hartford. This could have been done but the state didn't have the will to do it, instead they "reinvented the wheel" with the current plans, far more expensive but much more service.
Latest news double track New Haven to around Hamilton St south of the Hartford station, single track through Hartford, then around Hartford Yard to Hayden Station will be double track. The two most serious problems to complete the entire project are the bridges: Hartford Station viaduct on which the platform is built and the Connecticut River bridge between Windsor Locks and Warehouse Point. Both depend on major funding and Hartfred depends on someone making up there mind about the related I-84 and railroad reconstruction/relocation through Hartford. There is a possiblilty you might have a Providence Union Station-like scenario unfolding at Hartford with the active line being moved away - west - from the current facility, creating the need for a new station.
"We live in interesting times" to say the least.

There's a blurp on the Eastern Railroad News site which mentions a possible shutdown of Amtrak's Springfield Line for upgrading, most likely related to the commuter rail service (double tracking, etc). I'm not a paid subscriber to the site, so I can't read the whole article, but it also mentions possible "privatization", which I'm assuming means non-Amtrak service (though I would think Amtrak would retain rights for the Vermonter and other SPG-WAS thru trains).

http://www.easternrailroadnews.com/daily-news/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
(posted October 9)

Seeing as I can't find any details anywhere (not even on ConnDOT's site or their NH/H/S site), does anyone have any more info?

(And with the Vermonter reroute in Mass set to happen at the "very end" of this year, a 6-8 month suspension of Springfield Line service wouldn't be good for business. Come to think of it.... "That's not going to be good for anybody".

shadyjay wrote:There's a blurp on the Eastern Railroad News site which mentions a possible shutdown of Amtrak's Springfield Line for upgrading, most likely related to the commuter rail service (double tracking, etc). I'm not a paid subscriber to the site, so I can't read the whole article, but it also mentions possible "privatization", which I'm assuming means non-Amtrak service (though I would think Amtrak would retain rights for the Vermonter and other SPG-WAS thru trains).

http://www.easternrailroadnews.com/daily-news/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
(posted October 9)

Seeing as I can't find any details anywhere (not even on ConnDOT's site or their NH/H/S site), does anyone have any more info?

(And with the Vermonter reroute in Mass set to happen at the "very end" of this year, a 6-8 month suspension of Springfield Line service wouldn't be good for business. Come to think of it.... "That's not going to be good for anybody".

Zero in the Courant or any other news source about that. And that would be big news if so much as a whiff of it came out. Not the kind of proposition that slips under the radar.

I'm doubtful that's accurate until there's at least one corroborating story from local news or a big national news outlet covering Amtrak.

shadyjay wrote:There's a blurp on the Eastern Railroad News site which mentions a possible shutdown of Amtrak's Springfield Line for upgrading, most likely related to the commuter rail service (double tracking, etc). I'm not a paid subscriber to the site, so I can't read the whole article, but it also mentions possible "privatization", which I'm assuming means non-Amtrak service (though I would think Amtrak would retain rights for the Vermonter and other SPG-WAS thru trains). http://www.easternrailroadnews.com/daily-news/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (posted October 9)

I don't see the story you mention in your link. I did find this in a Regional Plan Association brochure issued this past January:

Hartford Line
CTDOT and Amtrak are working together to double-track and electrify the Hartford Line and introduce commuter rail service between New Haven, Conn. and Springfield, Mass. Service will begin in 2016 between New Haven and Hartford, the portion of the project funded thus far. The improvements will allow for 24 additional commuter and intercity trains per day between New Haven and Hartford with connecting or through service to Grand Central and Penn Station.

For the Springfield Line closure item, scroll down on ERN
to 0800, October 9th. You just get the "teaser", as the
full story requires membership.