Fitchburg Line Upgrade Discussion

It looks like the switch and turnout to the "new" track just east of Littleton/495 station is completed. Up until late last week, panel track was directly "over" the switch. Now, it looks like it hadn't been connected to the existing track. It also looks like the rails were "shiny" on the "new track" from the point of the turnout all the way east to Martin Street in South Acton. Wonder if the MBTA ran a "test train" on this new section, or if the shiny rails are the result of MoW equipment traversing the line.

-Mike

The King St. crossing had a bunch of guys working there, and two coils of wires on the side.

This appears to be more related to the GLX project, but it does involve one bridge on the Fitchburg Line crossing Medford St. Contract estimate is $15M+.

Harvard Street and Medford Street Railroad Bridge Reconstruction and 21 Water Street Demolition

"Work consists of •The reconstruction and widening of the Harvard Street Railroad Bridge (New Hampshire Line), retaining wall/noise barrier construction, track relocation, ancillary utility and roadway improvements in Medford, Massachusetts •The widening of the Medford Street Railroad Bridge (Fitchburg Line) in Somerville, Massachusetts •The demolition of the MBTA-owned tire facility building at 21 Water Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts."

dth9269 wrote:This appears to be more related to the GLX project, but it does involve one bridge on the Fitchburg Line crossing Medford St. Contract estimate is $15M+.

Harvard Street and Medford Street Railroad Bridge Reconstruction and 21 Water Street Demolition

"Work consists of •The reconstruction and widening of the Harvard Street Railroad Bridge (New Hampshire Line), retaining wall/noise barrier construction, track relocation, ancillary utility and roadway improvements in Medford, Massachusetts •The widening of the Medford Street Railroad Bridge (Fitchburg Line) in Somerville, Massachusetts •The demolition of the MBTA-owned tire facility building at 21 Water Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts."

Yes. It's a 3-track bridge now (2 Fitchburg + 1 freight storage siding) that they've got to widen to 4. I don't think the decks for the thru tracks get touched at all with this project. They're either widening the freight track's deck or plopping down a 4th deck on the northerly side.

How come the Fitchburg line's crossing of Park St in Somerville MA is not (apparently) required to have the same kind of upgrade (like lane-keeper barriers) that the Lowell Line's crossing of Rt 60 in West Medford does?

Arlington wrote:How come the Fitchburg line's crossing of Park St in Somerville MA is not (apparently) required to have the same kind of upgrade (like lane-keeper barriers) that the Lowell Line's crossing of Rt 60 in West Medford does?

It's not a very high-traffic street. The light at Somerville Ave. is there because of the Market Basket parking lot, it isn't used like Washington and further-up Somerville Ave. are to reach Beacon St., and Scott St. past the intersection with Beacon is a one-way feeding only to Beacon and Park, not the other way. And little directly on Park except for fugly old factories and some new condos. It's never busy, and is positively quiet off-peak.


Surprised that has remained an officially- signed and maintained 3-track crossing for this long. The freight track has been disconnected at both ends for years and years.

The entire platform is in place, and construction is proceeding on the bridge. Second track is in place between the crossing and the old platform (about 100ft). One crossover east of Foster Street is in place; another is partially in place, with only one rail connecting to the active track.

More pictures soon.

I've seen Park Street in Somerville sometimes backed up to the tracks and beyond, going northbound. I used to live a few blocks from there, and still live in Somerville, and I disagree that this is not a busy street. It's less busy than Route 60 in Medford, but it has plenty of traffic, including MBTA bus #83.

Question about Littleton - If there are switches being installed there does this mean that the double track will end there for now? Or are they still planning to double track to Willows, and maybe have a crossover for turning trains there?

Jon

jonnhrr wrote:Question about Littleton - If there are switches being installed there does this mean that the double track will end there for now? Or are they still planning to double track to Willows, and maybe have a crossover for turning trains there?

Jon

It's a bit hard to see in the photo above, but there is already double-track installed west from Littleton (EDIT: Not in service yet). I think it's just a regular crossover.

Sorry TrainMan, but that ain't quite true. They are building the second track out to Ayer now - it isn't in service yet. Once that is done the only single-track section of the Fitchburg will be the half mile or so in Waltham. The new crossovers are there because trains that now turn at S. Acton will turn at Littleton. Good idea, given Littleton's proximity to I-495 (the bridges in the background of the picture above) and Rt 2.

I noticed on my ride this afternoon that they popped off one of the rails of the new track before Littleton station. Couldn't see what that was all about, but all the clips holding the rail to the tie-plates were removed and more than half the rail was off the tie plate.

They also removed the forms from the piers on the supports shown in the picture above. Looks like the steel will go up next.

agarturbo wrote:Sorry TrainMan, but that ain't quite true. They are building the second track out to Ayer now - it isn't in service yet.

Yes, thanks for clarifying.

Study: Westminster layover station's noise high -- or is it?

"The results for the noise study for the commuter-rail layover station predict the sounds of trains would exceed the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection's guidelines in some locations. But those may not be the standards used for the project."

"Rich Letty, a noise consultant from KM CHNG Environmental Inc., who worked on the study, said the noise does not violate the standards of the Federal Transit Administration, and it is currently unknown which standards -- state or federal -- will be used for the project. Letty said the noise measured more than 30 hours of background noises in 10 locations around the future station. By combining aerial photography and a computer model, the study predicted four of the 10 locations will experience 10 decibels or more in increased noise, which violates the DEP guidelines."

Town of Westminster regarding layover station...

http://www.telegram.com/article/2012083 ... 19774/1116

dth9269 wrote:Study: Westminster layover station's noise high -- or is it?

"The results for the noise study for the commuter-rail layover station predict the sounds of trains would exceed the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection's guidelines in some locations. But those may not be the standards used for the project."

"Rich Letty, a noise consultant from KM CHNG Environmental Inc., who worked on the study, said the noise does not violate the standards of the Federal Transit Administration, and it is currently unknown which standards -- state or federal -- will be used for the project. Letty said the noise measured more than 30 hours of background noises in 10 locations around the future station. By combining aerial photography and a computer model, the study predicted four of the 10 locations will experience 10 decibels or more in increased noise, which violates the DEP guidelines."

Maybe they'll put up a sound wall, as seen on Rt 128 and other major highways...