Danbury Branch - History, Electrification, Studies

[Arlington]

Discussion of MNRR improvments/extension in CT

For years, the Danbury Line has been on the faster track for improvements over the Waterbury branch, including a $70 million signal upgrade. After months of problems with that signal system, which caused crossing gates to drop at the wrong time, Metro-North fixed it last year.

Now officials are looking at adding a station in Georgetown -- between Cannondale and Branchville -- and extending the line northward, with stations in northern Danbury, Brookfield and New Milford. Passenger rail service was last operated in 1971 north of Danbury to New Milford and on to Pittsfield, Mass.

[DutchRailnut]

Just another newspaper article rehashing nothing new, what is there to discuss ??

[Backshophoss]

Untill ConnDOT takes control of the track away from HRRC,this is a lost cause
Bringing wire back to Danbury is also a lost cause,Georgetown might be possible over time.

[NH2060]

An update on Danbury Branch improvements, including expansion of service to points north of Danbury. Here are a few of the highlights (fair use quotes below):

Many officials believe electrifying the Danbury Line is long overdue, and when it is finally done, it will decrease road congestion and make it easier to bring workers to employment centers.

The study also proposed adding a station in Georgetown -- between Cannondale and Branchville -- and extending the line northward, with stations in northern Danbury, Brookfield and New Milford. Passenger rail service was last operated in 1971 north of Danbury to New Milford and on to Pittsfield, Mass.

For State Rep. Cecilia Buck-Taylor, R-New Milford, extending passenger service past New Milford and to the town of Kent makes sense.

"One of the bills I plan to present this session is to extend commuter rail line service at least as far as Kent," Buck-Taylor said. "I think extending service to Kent would be a good start."

Everhart said the Danbury brand study did not drop off the DOT radar.

"The project is ongoing and several of the improvements identified as needs early in the study are already completed or underway," he said.

http://www.newstimes.com/local/article/ ... php#page-2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The article has a fair amount of information packed in about proposed stations, near and long term plans, etc. so it is well worth the read.

[DutchRailnut]

I hardly call rehashing a 2006 study with no new information as update, despite Connecticut Commuter Council pushing it as such.

[DutchRailnut]

Georgetown in 2006 was hot , with former Georgetown wire mill being developed.
forward to 2015 Georgetown wire mill project is on hold (read bankrupt) and there would be no need for a station.

[Backshophoss]

The northern part of the Pittsfield line is now under MassDOT control with HRRC retaining dispatch and freight rights
from the state line south to Danbury,HRRC owns,dispatches,maintains(?)the Pittsfield line,Untill ConnDOT can
take control of the track away from HRRC,passenger service is a lost cause.
Wire from sono to Danbury is a lost cause,Georgetown station might happen over time.
With Walk moveable bridge getting needed attention and funding for replacement,
all of the ideas for service north of Danbury wind up back in the fridge.
Waterbury branch might get funding for prep work needed for signals/ctc.

[AlphaOneSix]

I think it was a great read. Thanks for posting it NH2060.

[Trainer]

"Many officials believe electrifying the Danbury Line is long overdue, and when it is finally done, it will decrease road congestion and make it easier to bring workers to employment centers."

Translate that as "Many officials smell huge pork-barrel projects in the air that they can award to their friends".

If you want to reduce operational efficiency on the Danbury branch, make it dependent again upon overhead wires that those tree branches will knock down twice on Sunday.

I'd love to take the choo-choo up to Kent, but that meets no service demands that the public actually has even expressed, let alone been validated. What a boondoggle.

[Ridgefielder]

I don't think the electrification thing is so much pork as it is ignorance on the part of politicians (and voters) about what makes trains faster. You're in Ridgefield, you look west to the Harlem Division and see quick trains & lots of service, you look south to the New Canaan Branch and see quick trains & lots of service, you think "Aha! If the Danbury Branch gets electrified like the other lines, Branchville too will have quick trains and lots of service!" And the fact that the line was, in fact, electrified back in the day (for reasons that had nothing to do with train speed), and the cat poles are still there for all to see, makes it seem even more obvious.

Extension to New Milford makes sense given the congestion on 7 and 84 at rush hour. Kent, on the other hand, makes no sense whatsoever. Among other things, its about the closest town in all of Connecticut to the Harlem Division- the center of town is probably a 15min drive to Tenmile River.

[Ridgefielder]

Georgetown in 2006 was hot , with former Georgetown wire mill being developed.
forward to 2015 Georgetown wire mill project is on hold (read bankrupt) and there would be no need for a station.

Only one reason Georgetown might happen. The station would, physically, be in the Town of Redding. Now that the Town of Ridgefield has started requiring parking permits for Branchville, I could see there being (eventually) support on the part of Redding voters for having a second station in the southwest corner of town where they could park.

[F-line to Dudley via Park]

Connecticut pols have a longstanding fascination for electrification-for-electrification's sake. That makes its way into every study even when it brings absolutely nothing to the table. (See also Springfield Line and talking electrification before elimination of the grade crossing clusters that have the most impact on performance of the line).

[runningwithscalpels]

It's not only politicians, I went to another one of those Waterbury service is awful, let's rally meetings last night in Naugatuck and 5 people were screaming for electrification of the branch because they think that because they got charged the fare hike for the M8's, they should get to ride them here - and they think that M8's would solve all the problems....and they think that this should happen before passing sidings OR signalization. I get that their prime concern is "my commute sucks now, the train breaks down, the crews complain about the diesels, so why doesn't the railroad string wires so we can use the shiny new stuff because everyone else gets to use them too." but people in general who have zero idea how a railroad works seem to think that electrification is the cure-all.

Someone did bring up Danbury electrification last night too, I believe either the CDOT or MNRR representative's response (I forget which one gave it) was something to the effect of "You'll see passing sidings on the Waterbury before you see wires in Danbury"

[runningwithscalpels]

[Extension to New Milford makes sense given the congestion on 7 and 84 at rush hour. Kent, on the other hand, makes no sense whatsoever. Among other things, its about the closest town in all of Connecticut to the Harlem Division- the center of town is probably a 15min drive to Tenmile River.

I went to one of those Housy wants to bring back rail to the Northwest corner kool-aid meetings last winter up in Falls Village. Some politician (selectman perhaps?) from Kent flat out said that he could care less either way if passenger service makes it up to them because he and his constituents all drive to the Harlem line anyway.

[Backshophoss]

All the commuters and pols see are the remains of the orignal catenary to Dandury,NONE of the poles,
supports,etc can be reused,they are rusted remains.
To return wire to Danbury is a NEW BUILD from the ground up,requires a rebuild of the signal system,etc,
would be very $$$$ from the get go.
To make it to New Milford,get rid of HRRC 1st
You're right Waterbury will get signals and a passing siding or 2 long before Danbury gets wire.