Shore Line Relocation Project?

[Engineer Spike]

One of my friends was talking to someone who read about a planned relocation project on the Shore Line. He said that the land was finally sold to the state of CT for I95, by old man Dumaine. Was this true? Was it part of the planned electriifcation?

[eddiebear]

I never heard of that.

However, I have heard almost the reverse of that.

I worked in the Amtrak Finance Dept. from 1987 to 2003 and when the electfication from New Haven to Boston was in the planning and design stages, one scenario that was being pushed was that the project would be incorporated into a highway bill which would fund a relocated I-95 which would be wider and otherwise improved over the 1950s era highway. The old I-95 location, specifically the eastbound side, would then become the Amtrak right-of-way.

[TomNelligan]

I-95 in eastern Connecticut is hardly flat and straight -- the expense of regrading that right-of-way for a New Haven line that would be faster than the Shore Line would have been phenomenal. The concept of relocating I-95 along the Shore Line makes more sense, at least topographically, although there the cost of acquiring additional waterfront land at today's prices would have been a killer.

[eddiebear]

First, it was only discussed. Second, the highways of the 1990s era would have been far superior in design than one designed 4-5 decades earlier. And it was to be a highway project. The political people who find the funds for these jobs are far more accepting of overruns and dislocations and all the other messes these projects create, immediate and long term, than they are about funding Amtrak and transit projects.
Hills wouldn't bother a virtually all passenger electric mainline too much. And the curvature probably would have been addressed.
I don't know how far into the planning stage this idea got.

[johnpbarlow]

Alternatively, maybe a road/rail tunnel between Old Saybrook and LI should have been considered to speed up New England to NYC/LI rail and car traffic. LI has a kinder/gentler terrain. Could the LIRR RoW to Greenport be adapted for 150mph running? Do any NIMBYs live "out east?"

[njtmnrrbuff]

It would have been nice for the Amtrak shore line right of way to not do all those turns east of New Haven. That would really save a lot of time. I will be going to Boston in a few weeks on the Acela. The main objective to get as close as three hours bet NYC and Boston, is working along Metro North wherever you can. I could see higher speeds between Peck and the western limits of New Haven.