by F-line to Dudley via Park
newpylong wrote:Given their renewed interest in branchlines (New England Southern for example) it wouldn't surprise me to see Pan Am want it back, especially with a couple more possible customers. They could use another Nashua local...Yeah, but does that particular branchline have any meaningful upside for their current business model? They're going all-in on the passenger-shared (or future passenger-shared) lines where they reap the benefit of somebody else paying for the infrastructure, branches with obvious long-term strategic upside or intermodal potential, and branches with solid and/or growing anchor customers. At least booting NEGS off the NH Main fits that mold. I'm not sure where's the "there" there with M&B. Even if some passenger investment + future Ayer-east double stack could bring 286K and DS to Nashua Yard (I think all the highish highway bridges north of N. Chelmsford are already up-to-snuff on clearances because of the navigable river), is there really that much out there on the branch with potential to feast off growing mainline or Nashua traffic?
I'm not overly familiar with the area, but seems like it's got a pretty low natural ceiling that wouldn't be raised too much higher by booting out podunk little M&B for a carrier "upgrade".