Grand Junction Branch (The North/South Side Connection)

Dick H wrote:The detour trains do not go to Fitchburg. From Worcester, they travel to Ayer
and Lowell and on to Boston.

Why go across the ten mph Stony Brook to Lowell, can't they take the Fitchburg Route through Concord, Waltham, Cambridge etc.?

Boston-Worcester on MBTA Worcester Line
Worcester to Ayer on G&W/Pan Am Worcester Main
Ayer to Boston on MBTA Fitchburg Line

The Grand Junction is being prepared to re-open. Last weekend they repaired the grade crossing at Mass Ave that had been having some work done during the outage, and Tuesday night they put a new track panel in the crossing at Binney Street. As of this afternoon Keolis was on site doing some additional work at Binney Street, presumably to prepare for repaving (the crossing is covered with steel roadway plates at the moment).

The Grand Jct should be in service Sunday morning. Finishing up the Medford St crossing rehab today. Expect the first move
to be the Readville Switcher at some point.

Moves will be slow as all crossings on the branch are now "stop and protect".

D

And it also looks like they have the ladder for the Grand Junction done, or at least mostly done, near the BET. Does anyone know if those tracks are in their final position, or will they be moved again for the GLX work?

What ladder? It would be great if you--or someone--posted a diagram of the junction [Swift?].

For the interlocking, everything is in it's final place, minus one of the universal mainline crossovers that hasn't been put in yet.

Any word is CSX B721 is returning??

The Readville Switcher was supposed to be the first move today, but never materialized.

CSX is not due to start until next Sunday.

D

Has the MBTA ever considered rebuilding the former New Haven between Framingham and West Concord for shuttle moves between the north and south sides? While it is true that much would have to be done to make it happen, such as rebuilding three miles of track in Sudbury, a new bridge over the Assebet River and installing the diamond in West Concord, the rest of the old line is still in place physically. Using this line would be much shorter run between the two ends verses going to Worcester and Ayer and would be entirely under the T's control. Hopefully, the T will keep this line in place as an eventual rail line over turning it into a future bike trail.

The Bruce Freeman Rail Trail is open from Chelmsford to just north of Route 2. Construction on the next section from near the prison in West Concord to near the Sudbury line should be done late this year or early 2019.
More info here:. http://brucefreemanrailtrail.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I think it is really important to keep the Grand Junction open to Commuter Rail and freight (if any in the future), and to make it accessible from the east and from both Track 1 & Track 2 from the west. They can put a subway tunnel underneath if demand explodes. Your grandchildren will thank you if we do.

Remember that bike trails are really something called “land banking.” It’s still a railroad right of way and if the demand returns, the trains return.

CPF363 wrote:Has the MBTA ever considered rebuilding the former New Haven between Framingham and West Concord for shuttle moves between the north and south sides? While it is true that much would have to be done to make it happen, such as rebuilding three miles of track in Sudbury, a new bridge over the Assebet River and installing the diamond in West Concord, the rest of the old line is still in place physically. Using this line would be much shorter run between the two ends verses going to Worcester and Ayer and would be entirely under the T's control. Hopefully, the T will keep this line in place as an eventual rail line over turning it into a future bike trail.

They would never bother going through all of that hassle (if it was even feasible) for the handful of occasions they have to run out to Worcester.

CRail wrote:Remember that bike trails are really something called “land banking.” It’s still a railroad right of way and if the demand returns, the trains return.

Is there an example of a bike trail going back to rail? I am aware of a few examples when inactive and overgrown rights of way were returned to rail, but a bike trail going back to rail? I cannot imagine that being politically possible given the NIMBY attitudes prevalent everywhere.