by Jeff Smith
A new page! Very similar to the M8 page now:
http://www.mta.info/mnr/html/catenary.htm
http://www.mta.info/mnr/html/catenary.htm
Current Status of the Catenary Replacement in New York and Connecticut
The New York State NHL catenary section - originally 44 miles of the older, existing fixed termination catenary system - was successfully renewed in 1993 with a state-of-the-art constant tension catenary system. As the name implies, this type of construction can better accommodate temperature extremes.
CTDOT commenced catenary replacement in 2001. The work was programmed in phases to limit any impact on train service. The CTDOT catenary program, developed in conjunction with Metro-North (MNR), included the replacement of 20 fixed bridges and 2 moveable bridges in four separate phases, utilizing track outages to concurrently work on both the catenary and bridge components of the project in each phase. CTDOT has restructured the catenary program to expedite the catenary replacement with an anticipated completion date of 2015.
Today, of the 172 miles of catenary on the NHL main line in the State of Connecticut, 63% is the new constant tension system and 37% is either the original antiquated system or out of service for repair. The NHL's operation is particularly vulnerable in the 7-mile stretch between Southport and Bridgeport where catenary replacement and 5 bridge projects are underway. Of the four tracks in that area, 2 tracks are normally out of service for catenary replacement and bridge work; all trains, therefore, must operate on the other two tracks under old catenary which hampers MNR's operational flexibility in this area. However, to alleviate this problem and to combat potential service disruptions, work has been suspended on one of these two tracks this winter, which will increase MNR's operating options, particularly during weather events.
This system is decades past its useful life and the condition of the system is susceptible to failures, significantly impacting service reliability. As a result, customers may experience delays during this critical ongoing infrastructure improvement.
Miles:
172 (total) 108 (done) 7 (4%) (OOS) 57 (33%) (Remaining) 12/9/11 (as of)
*excludes yards, sidings and New Canaan main track
Next stop, Willoughby
~el Jefe :: RAILROAD.NET Site Administrator/Co-Owner; Carman at Naugatuck Railroad
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~el Jefe :: RAILROAD.NET Site Administrator/Co-Owner; Carman at Naugatuck Railroad
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