AMTRAK NEC: Springfield Shuttle/Regional/Valley Flyer/Inland Routing

[benboston]

Well there could be different things at play here...

It's an interesting equipment rotation, which doesn't leave sets solely captive in Virginia service, like the way 65-66-67 is semi captive to SHSY, unless some tinkering happens with the WAS engine change. Springfield is ill equipped to handle a Regional or two's consists for more than the overnight turn and calendar inspection happening in Springfield (this is exaggerated with a platform track OOS for the HLP work happening there). Sending it out of town or continuing it on the B&A would be more ideal to keep the wheels moving and revenue flowing, but alas Virginia service

The Saturday addition of 2249 (and semi-counterpart 2290) are showing the growth of the staying over business crowd, and with 2251 departing roughly in the same slot that a 147 from BOS would look like (aka 171 M-F). You are moving your core service from BOS to NYP & WAS 45+ mins quicker on the AX than the Lynchburger. 147 still plays cleanup on the MN after the engine change from NHV all the way to WAS. Both 195 and 99 have healthy ridership on the weekends, and 2249 and 2251 help take the load off of the Regionals on the Shoreline portion.

Can the New England market truly bear two Regionals on the shoreline on a Sunday within 30 minutes of each other? The second of which departing NYP an hour later and making 2 additional stops. You also got 99 batting cleanup both days within 2 hours later. 99 is quite crowded BOS-NHV on a Sunday, but not to a sell-out point. Is it worth taking a well performing train and making it into two ok performing trains over that Segment.

From the times I rode this year: 94 and 194 feature anemic ridership east of NHV, so doubling down on another Virginan set to BOS at that time-frame wouldn't help bolster ridership on the Shoreline.

They should try sending some more regionals on the inland route so it can go through Worcester, Springfield, and Harvard. The only problem is that it isn't electrified. Yet...

[Train60]

They should try sending some more regionals on the inland route so it can go through Worcester, Springfield, and Harvard. The only problem is that it isn't electrified. Yet...

Not going to happen anytime soon. MassDOT has to study the Inland Route option (again) before they would even think about doing that.

In the meantime CDOT, on their dime apparently, is sending another daily CTrail train to Springfield from the south starting next Monday. Since the press release came from Newington we should thank our friends to the south rather than our friends to the east for this increase in service.

[east point]

They should try sending some more regionals on the inland route so it can go through Worcester, Springfield, and Harvard. The only problem is that it isn't electrified. Yet...

Can we really expect more service on this segment until CSX sells that portion? / MBTA and ultimately the state just does not have the funds for how many years ?

Electrification certainly ay happen sooner since the traffic seems to be meeting and exceeding forecasts ? Again can CT find the funds as Amtrak probably cannot get the money from congress ?

[njtmnrrbuff]

Don't count on any more inland NE Regional trains to Boston anytime soon. There are capacity issues on the New Haven Line, especially with the trackwork and impending replacement of the Walk Bridge. Other bridges will have to be replaced as well.

Maybe down the road, MBTA will extend from Worcester to Springfield which would be a great idea! One factor to consider with that is are there any towns between Worcester and Springfield that are worth adding stations in. This question should be asked for any return of Amtrak inland route trains if they ever run. It's been years since I have traveled on 90 between Worcester and Springfield. I know that Palmer is a large enough town that a station could probably be built there.

[benboston]

I mean that's not a bad thing. Fewer stops = faster trains

[benboston]

In order to achieve 50 trains per day. What infrastructural requires are there? For example, what stations will become over capacity? Tripled tracked mainline? Electrification? What else?

[Arlington]

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50tpd = 25 each way = every 30 minutes for 12 hours = roughly a good 2-track, 110mph diesel setup that they've mostly got.

Big missing element is having a modern 2 track station at Hartford (assuming SPG platform is done soon(

[east point]

Every 30 minutes ? That means opposite direction trains thru Hartford will have to clear the single track + station stop in minimum of ~ 13 minutes . That is accounting for acceleratioon from the Double track CP onto the single track. Doable yes with good attention to details at HFD station having passengers waiting on platform at assigned door locations and many doors open. Now if there are some trains every 20 - 25 minutes at rush hours ? ? ?

[Arlington]

^I was doodling 30 mins as the the shortest headway in a hypothetical 2030 schedule, in order to answer BostonBen's question about what is needed for 50 tpd (25tpdew):

In order to achieve 50 trains per day. What infrastructural requires are there? For example, what stations will become over capacity? Tripled tracked mainline? Electrification? What else?

and so far the answer seems to be that Hartford's single-track station itself is the main (and perhaps only) impediment to getting to a full, reliable 50 trains per day (25 per day each way), and that nothing else in the way of station capacity, 3rd track, or electrification is needed to get there.

[And completion of 2nd track Winsor-Enfield shorter term]

Another "25 tpdew" doodle, that also never gets more intense than every :30 would

- Start with hourly service mixing Amtrak & CT from 5a to 10p--which is 18 trains per day each way.
- Then intersperse trains on the :30 in 7 rush hours (6:30, 7:30, 8:30, 3:30, 4:30p, 5:30p,6:30p) and you've got 25 each way and never quite the moment to grapple with :20 or :25

I'm trying to remember where the Hartford station rebuild falls in the 25-year timeline (2018 ~ 2040s) for rebuilding I-84, but I think the idea was that they'd move the trains first (in the 2020s?)

[jp1822]

Amtrak needs to figure out how they are going to deal with the Vermonter through the Springfield and New Haven Corridor. Somehow they have to figure out the "receive/discharge" only so you don't have local traffic taking up seats that should be for longer travel.

For example, more often than note, you can book business class from say Burlington, VT to Springfield, MA, and then New Haven to NYP. But there's a missing link. In between on the Springfield/New Haven Corridor - business class is sold out. Not being able to book this through would spike the cost too. I am sure this could pour over into coach too and then you have passengers getting blocked to/from Vermont, the State that's supporting this train!

Amtrak's got a similiar problem with the Ethan Allen Express on Friday and Sundays, but I think this issue with the Vermonter is getting more problematic at present!

Good problem to have, but Amtrak has to deal with it.

[Traingeek3629]

I took a ride on 460 and 6455 on Sunday. I noticed that the CTrail trains now run with 3 cars instead of two.

You mean the Amtrak Shuttles, right? The CTrail trains run with four cars each.

The CTrail trains now run with 3 cars instead of 4, or at least the one I was on did. The shuttles are still two cars although the set for 475 uses 3 due to overcrowding.

[Jeff Smith]

Two quick observations:

1. Big hurdle for 50 TPD is not only Hartford but freight interference. I used to hang out at Hot Tomatoes in HUS and some of those freights were LONG.
2. Perhaps the Vermonter should only stop NHV - HFD - SPG.

[jp1822]

Amtrak needs to do something - and quick - cause this is becoming a BIG problem! If the State of Vermont is to be paying for this train, they better be getting on Amtrak's case because you have passengers getting bumped (one of them being right here), because the New Haven to Springfield section is blocking THROUGH passage between NEC and Vermont.

[gregorygrice]

None of this traffic increase affects the Vermonter though. The Vermonter is usually late before it even hits the MRS Line.

[gokeefe]

I will be curious to see if the new enhanced service to/from SPG results in a noticeable ridership increase on the Northeast Regional service.

Trains headed to NYP are often close to capacity by the time they reach New Haven. Hard to imagine a lot of inventory available to split between riders originating from SPG south and riders from NHV west.