Shore Line East or Metro North to Rhode Island Green Airport

Amen. On behalf of foamers everywhere, I'm embarassed.

-Off topic-
Instead of creating this unrealistic super commuter rail agency all ran my the New York State MTA/MNCR why can't "C-DOT" become a state funded transportation agency similar to that of the MTA but running commuter trains,buses and possibly LRT in the state of Connecticut?
Under this new version of C-DOT instead of paying the MTA it's operating it's own service and own equipment with it's own crews and employees. This new rendition of C-DOT would therefore have trackage rights from the State line with N.Y. into GCT. No C-DOT trains stop between 125st and the first station of the NH line after it splits from the Harlem line.
It would be almost the same thing that NJT and LIRR do when operating over Amtrak tracks in Penn Station.
It's not a vision or a dream, the above scenario could if the right people and politicians push it could become a reality. In short, C-DOT runs it's self just like New Jersey Transit runs NJ based commuter operations.
*Relation to original topic*
In the event the above ever materializes at that point extending service to R.I. and Springfield/Boston could then be brought up in a much more realistic setting.
This would alleviate Amtrak from running regional service and permit Acela Express service only.
This is the only way the dream and or vision of "Metro North to Rhode Island" could become a reality. Until then I don't see it happening - and Amtrak is the only game in town.

It's quite obvious that you did not read my last sentence. "I don't see it happening - and Amtrak is the only game in town".
I know it's not a reality and probably will never happen, But it's the only logical approach to what this topic is about. This topic has clearly rubbed many of the users of this forum the wrong way. We have already covered that dreamers, and visionaries of 2008 have absolutely no place in 2008 society and clearly cannot come up with ides better then that of the inexperienced (when it come to rail)politicians. I was implying that before this wild and highly not plausible scheme could even happen C-DOT would need to be it's own agency and not pay off Amtrak/MNCR to do it's work.
I KNOW IT WILL MOST LIKELY NEVER HAPPEN
Please lock this if a discussion cannot be had.
PS what's said on this forum is not the final word, it's a place for this type of discussion amongst many other topics relating to rail transport.

You forget CDOT is not a railroad, and neither is SLE, for CDOT to run their own trains, there is not enough money in Connecticut to cover the inept people who run CDOT, its a department of perpetuing study of things not worth studying.
If they had to run a train a 07:30 from New Haven to GCT thy would need a commision to study at what time the train should leave.
CDOT should stick to what they know best, how to blacktop as much of connecticut as possible.
If you think they could run a railroad , I got a deal for you, wanne buy a bridge ??

Dutch, Thanks for pointing that out. I am not very familiar with C-DOT and how they run. I decided to imply that for the topic to become a reality that's the only way to do it. I thought C-DOT was their MTA since it pays for NH line service. Instead of saying lock the thread all you needed to do was point that out to me.
Thanks.

workextra wrote:I am not very familiar with C-DOT and how they run...

That's the problem with all these recent threads everyone has ideas about something they do not know about. If you ask how something works before you post outlandish ideas about it you wouldn't be flamed. Nobody minds answering your questions usually even if it has been discussed before. Just don't come on here out of the blue posting crazy stuff because you never took time to do a little reSEARCH. If you still can't find it go ahead and post.

If you ask nicely it will be answered; and you won't tick everybody off. Besides these, post away!!

As for this thread: KILL IT!!!

I think we have exhausted and annoyed our members enough.

If you want fantasy railroading, go to Disneyland.

If you have specific questions about how railroads operate, we'd be glad to discuss.

-otto-

A limited "preview" schedule to/from Westerly could be coming in the not too distant future:

Connecticut's next mass transit project should be extending Shore Line East service from New London to Westerly, R.I., a state panel recommended Monday. The panel says the state should start planning how to run a limited schedule of trains and then begin operations "as soon as practical."

http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut ... story.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Not a bad idea considering how much it will cost to build new platforms, sidings, electrification, etc. in Mystic and Westerly (and Groton if a stop is added there) plus the cost of additional EMUs.

nice but idea's cost money and Ct is flat broke, add to that the restriction on train pairs on shore line and you realize its pipe dream.
As Amtrak is not giving up Regionals or Acela's for SLE.

and it is not bridge openings, but bridge closures as bridges on shoreline are normally open for boats.

"That's the only part of the Northeast Corridor where there's nothing but Amtrak service," Cameron said.

Sigh... why must the media quote people who clearly don't know what they're talking about?

Considering the limited schedule to New London itself, a limited schedule east of there should be a-okay. I really wonder where they're going to lay up trainsets, though; realistically you need to have a set or two on the east end so you don't need to deadhead from New Haven to Westerly daily.

You'd very much want to have a stop in Stonington (Borough), as well. The population is dense in that area, easily within walking or biking distance. Later on you might want to have one in between Noank and Groton Long Point, as well. Dunno where you'd put a stop in Groton (City), though, the terrain the Shore Line cuts through there isn't exactly what you'd call "flat". The connections to the lower half of the City of Groton is abysmal from coming from New London via public transportation, though; when I tried commuting in to UCONN @ Avery Point for a couple of days via SLE and the busses, and it took me about an hour flat to get between there and New London Union Station.

But yeah, the devil is in the bridges... it's always the bridges, and that's what it all rests on. SLE has turned out incredibly well for demand for service, much better than could be asked for ( basically 25 years of non-negligible growth in ridership). I don't know how the ratio of dollars-in from the State to dollars-out (revenue), but it has to be pretty good. But it's going to be a hell of a job trying to court all of the parties on the bridges is going to be a hell of a job; Amtrak, USCG, Maritime Trade Association... maybe the U.S. Navy for the Thames River Bridge?

The Navy shouldn't be too awful to work with for the Thames River bridge. They only use need openings on a pretty limited basis to get subs in and out (which is usually scheduled to not conflict with trains), and there's not much else upriver except for a few shipyards. Mystic is the real issue - there's a lot of boat traffic.

all bridges are open all time, they close for each train, not other way around, and thames river has lots of commercial traffic other than Navy.

I kinda of wish they offered a cannonball like service NH or GCT to new london in the summer. the trains on friday afternoons get packed with those heading to block island