NEC "East End" Stations

This morning about 8 a.m. (Sunday, October 10, 2004) I stopped by the Amtrak station at Kingston, Rhode Island. I was surprised to see under construction a new, lofty bridge for passengers, totally enclosed against the fierce New England winters, with two elevators. I remark that these structures are a sign of 21st century railroading, seen from I-95 in Florida south of West Palm Beach, and now here in rural Rhode Island. The purpose, of course, is to aid passengers in getting to the opposite platform or to an island platform, just as similar structures were installed in the 1980's on the Harlem Division of the NY Central. It seems that two mini-hi platforms are also being provided, MBTA-style, with ramps from the low platform. The station looks in good shape, though it was locked at the early hour. Almost all 120 parking spaces were filled. (I wonder where the passengers went.) But (amazingly), there was no timetable posted! Someone is spending a fortune on construction, and nobody uses scotch tape (too expensive?) to put a timetable in a window!

Joe McMahon

It is a good thing that there is going to be a footbridge at Kingston. What would make it even better is high level platforms since it is in 150 zone. But, I believe there are automated warnings at that station.

Not sure if it's in a 150 zone...I think the Acela Express might be doing 130 at the Kingston station, but either way, yeah, it's pretty fast!

Kingston is within a 150 mph zone, the station is at MP 158.1 and the 150 zone is :

MP 154.3--MP 171

The other 150 zone in RI is MP 174.5--MP 180.5 (Cranston area)

Here's the new pedestrian overpass under construction:

http://www.mattmello.com/railfan/images/IMG_2843.jpg

150mph on double track, low level platform station!?!?

That's a lawsuit waiting to happen.

Is the FRA's attitude to rail safety really this screwed up that they're singularly worried about trains crashing into each other at high speed, but letting a train go through a station at 150mph is perfectly ok?

Nasadowsk, there will probably be instructions for yielding for a train in the opposite direction.

Where's your law-suit your predicting anyways?

The MBTA station in Mansfield, MA is also low level and in double track, 150 mph territory!

http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo ... 117853.jpg


Attleboro is also in 150 mph territory, but there are four tracks:

http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo ... 618383.jpg

that last pic is mine, the weather was horrible that day

Well, even if the platform remains low level, still, the same rules apply.

hsr_fan wrote:The MBTA station in Mansfield, MA is also low level and in double track, 150 mph territory!

Just WOW. Would NOT want to be sitting there.

The MBTA station in Mansfield, MA is also low level and in double track, 150 mph territory!

Actually, Mansfield is NOT in the 149.9 zone. The top speed there is 129.9 mph, I believe.

I could have sworn that Mansfield was in the 150 zone. Easy enough to verify, if anyone knows what milepost the station is near. According to http://community-2.webtv.net/AcelaTrain ... LAEXPRESS/ the 150 mph sections are as follows:

MP162 - MP170

MP195 - MP205

According to my timetable, the speed at Mansfield Station is 150 MPH.
Mansfield Station is MP 204.0 and at MP 205, the speed drops to 130 MPH.
I do not have access to current bulletin orders but this is what is in the
timetable.
Noel Weaver

hsr_fan wrote:Here's the new pedestrian overpass under construction:

http://www.mattmello.com/railfan/images/IMG_2843.jpg

It looks like the new station at Old Saybrook (which is also used by Shoreline East).