Potential MBTA Southern NH Service

Correction, another win for the New Hampshire anti-sales-tax and anti-income tax crowds.

The feds can have Amtrak or any other entity go ahead build this rail line without funds from New Hampshire. But including just compensation to the owner of any land needed to be taken by eminent domain, per the Fifth Amendment.

New Hampshire is already facing other pressure and demands that will require funds. Like education for additional children moving in from other states or countries where the living is more difficult. Something else will have to give and today that something appears to be commuter rail.

Hmmmm. Would a rail line terminating at Pheasant Lane (to recap, just off Rte. 3 at the MA/NH border), complete with park and ride facilities, attract more riders than stations at Merrimack and downtown Nashua requiring scrounging for parking or requiring an intermediate bus ride not from your doorstep?

Actually if you go on the legislative text site and look at the amendments it appears the Senate amended this to target specifically the MBTA proposal - probably to leave the door open to the Amtrak proposal (which the governor apparently prefers.)

I don't think obtaining land or paying for construction of train stations will be a big problem, and certainly no eminent domain Disney Guy, [although I don't see the mall operator giving free parking permanently - maybe he will charge after 3 hours like they do at Assembly Row (with sensors under each parking spot!)] Stations and layover facilities are capital expenses, though whether they buy or lease the yard in Nashua is unknown. Station stops seem to have been thought out and studied, to divert traffic off 3/93, provide a "downtown" station for Nashua and an airport station.

Looks like the bill is out of the Senate Committee. Now it needs the senate vote and house needs to vote the amendment. Presumably almost done. I assume the committee includes "reconcilliation"??

It's a victory for people who like to start spending money on government projects, then ask for permission later, hoping "awe, they already started, might as well let them finish". It's very Massachusettsian of them. Corollary: "it's over budget, but we don't want to waste the money we've already spent". That's from every government from California to the New York Islands.

I notice that the bill has not been vetoed or signed into law yet, has Sununu chosen to let it sit on his desk, or has it not reached his desk yet?

The House of Reprehensibles has to agree to the Senate's amendment. I think it has passed the senate but am not 100% clear.

New Article supporting passenger rail on the Manchester Ink Link's website, written by Casey Holt
https://manchesterinklink.com/on-the-su ... -of-fancy/

UPDATE: As of May 5, apparently the House does not concur with the Senate amendment, and has requested a CofC. I am not sure what exactly this means, can somebody explain?
- Thanks

https://fastdemocracy.com/bill-search/n ... B00008521/

CofC is a Committee of Conference


Excerpt below from nh.gov:

The originating body nonconcurs, or does not agree, and requests a Committee of Conference between the two bodies. In this case, the Senate President and the House Speaker normally appoint a conference committee of members of both houses to work out a compromise.

So the house doesn't like that the senate decided to reword it to only block funding for the MBTA proposal? looks like they want to bar funding for all passenger rail, of course that could not be the case and it could instead be something else.

Also, what if no compromise is reached, does the bill die? That is what happens when no CofC is requested according to nh.gov

If they cannot agree, then nothing changes and NHDOT can, apparently, continue spending automobile toll money on Commuter Rail. The NHDOT guy that testified to the senate and said he was "neutral" but pointed out that they were part way through the study and abandoning it would be, like bad m'kay?, and they, the senate amended the bill in a couple of ways. It was interesting that they changed the name of the bill to match what was in the bill. Usually in Boston or DC the bill is named to obscure what it contains, this was refreshing to see.

I think the House's point is, why spend money on a study if we have already decided we are not going to build it?

They already know the route, and it is using existing track (which may need to be double tracked if it is not already). They already know where the preferred station locations and layover yard will go. Nashua has already agreed to grant money.

The elephants in the room are: High double-digit inflation for the last year and probably the next two. The study passenger numbers will be wildly inaccurate.

It is very common in legislation be it state or federal for a conference committee to get together and hash out the exact wording of the bill before it goes to the executive be it governor or president.

I think the House's point is, why spend money on a study if we have already decided we are not going to build it?

When exactly did they decide that they weren't going to build it?

They already know the route, and it is using existing track (which may need to be double tracked if it is not already).

The current design would incorporate double tracking from the Chelmsford wye to 3 miles north of Lowell, and from just south of Bedford/MHT to the end of the line at Manchester. (source: https://www.nh.gov/dot/projects/nashuam ... 172021.pdf)

Nashua has already agreed to grant money.

That sounds good, Nashua has been showing strong interest in getting Commuter Rail service for the past few years.

mbrproductions wrote: ↑Wed May 11, 2022 6:08 pm

I think the House's point is, why spend money on a study if we have already decided we are not going to build it?

When exactly did they decide that they weren't going to build it?

That's my interpretation of the original sponsors/republican reps, etc. I don't remember what the politicians said, you will have to look back at the public hearings

...Nashua has been showing strong interest in getting Commuter Rail service for the past few years.

Obviously beneficial to Nashua and Manchester and the Manchester Airport.

Theoretically NH could hire CSX, they will inherit the host rights in NH and have trackage rights in MA. But that would never happen due to liability & precedent. They could buy their own equipment like NC does and have Amtrak operate it like NC or the Hoosier Flyer. They could pool resources with NNEPRA. Have maintenance/inspection done by Keolis at Boston Engine Terminal instead of hauling it to Amtrak facilities elsewhere, and/or upgrade Brunswick indoor layover to light maintenance. Potential ways to shave costs.

Nothing would be more efficient to the state of NH than paying the T to extend their already operating trains to Nashua and Manchester. Cynical rhetoric is nothing more than just that, yes "ha ha the T sucks..." now that that's out of our system; a look at what has happened to the Commuter Rail from the time the private corporations abandoned it to now is a tremendous success story. From planned abandonments and RT conversions to a thriving system that couldn't keep up with capacity until a pandemic shut the world down (and it's the fastest rebounding system nationwide). Sure, the T has its issues, but someone's doing something right...

Now, try telling that to NH officials.