Connecticut River Line (Pan Am)

newpylong wrote:

gokeefe wrote:

newpylong wrote:It also has to do with being a change of the guard...

I always wonder about that and largely believe it to be the case. Is this something that you've been able to confirm or simply a very well-informed conjecture?

No one has ever been able to come out and conclusively say, "Mr. Fink, Jr. has a different philosophy about railroading than Mr. Fink, Sr. did and that's why things are different now."

In my mind the other alternative is that being cut from the same cloth they both had the same approach but Mr. Fink, Jr.'s ideas have been shaped by more recent lessons, to include the litigation and success (for PAR especially) of the Downeaster.

Yes it can be confirmed. Fink Sr., Culliford, Ferguson, and Silk are all gone = changing of the guard. In talking to current employees it is very apparent David Fink Jr. has a different philosophy than his precessors. He is still frugal as is any businessman but is not penny wise pound foolish as the others were.

Very interesting and thank you for posting that.

Any indication who the other succeeding partners are? (if any?)

Does anyone have any idea what caused the one year delay for moving the Vermonter back onto the Conn River Line between Springfield and East Northfield?

The press release (posted a few days ago) issued after the ceremonial ground breaking last week said that they are [now] looking at a Fall 2013 date.

But MassDot, in this announcement, on 3/23/2010 said that they were planning for the re-route to take place in late 2012.
http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/Portals/ ... 100323.pdf

I could guess a few of the reasons -- Hurricane Irene and delays getting agreements ironed out. Maybe Pan Am needs this spread out over 2 years so as to not impact their other planned MOW projects. (these are all just guesses).

That would be Door #2!

See earlier discussion in this thread.

I had speculated regarding the possibility of Door #3 (manpower issues) but that seems somewhat unlikely.

The intriguing factor in all of this which to my knowledge was never answered is whether or not NS's partial ownership of the line may have been a factor in the delays (See NS/NC agreement issues w/Piedmont improvements) as NS seems to take a somewhat harder line about these matters than PAR.

I am wondering Just what the MBTA has to do with the upgrades to this line??? I may have missed something along the way, but .... it just seems a little far out of the way for the MBTA.... after all its amtraks project not the T's.....

MassDOT appears to be using the MBTA for their administrative and engineering oversight capabilities to provide the required level of government oversight for the implementation of the federal grant.

In short they don't have their own railroad engineering department that can do this so they're using the MBTA.

Arlington wrote:

MBTA Press Release wrote:The improvements to the Knowledge Corridor will occur on the Connecticut River mainline of the Pan Am Southern railroad, a joint venture between Pan Am Railways and Norfolk Southern to improve freight service for customers along the line and within western Massachusetts. MassDOT has designated the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s Design and Construction Department to oversee the implementation of the project through final design and construction and entered into a Construction Agreement with Pan Am Southern, LLC to construct the project.

MBTA press release found here: http://www.mbta.com/about_the_mbta/news ... nth=&year=

gokeefe wrote:MassDOT appears to be using the MBTA for their administrative and engineering oversight capabilities to provide the required level of government oversight for the implementation of the federal grant.

In short they don't have their own railroad engineering department that can do this so they're using the MBTA.

Arlington wrote:

MBTA Press Release wrote:The improvements to the Knowledge Corridor will occur on the Connecticut River mainline of the Pan Am Southern railroad, a joint venture between Pan Am Railways and Norfolk Southern to improve freight service for customers along the line and within western Massachusetts. MassDOT has designated the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s Design and Construction Department to oversee the implementation of the project through final design and construction and entered into a Construction Agreement with Pan Am Southern, LLC to construct the project.

MBTA press release found here: http://www.mbta.com/about_the_mbta/news ... nth=&year=

Correct. And the line item in the MBTA budget for this work is filed under "State-sponsored Projects" with them being reimbursed for it by the state EOT.

ok thanks, Kind of like using the Steamship Authorty to help them manage there boats...... ( Harbor express)

Frugal can be a good thing, but saving a penny by spending a pound is never a key for success.

I hope that when the line is rebuilt, in addition to passenger trains, businesses on the line can get better service, and even attract new business. I know there are several abandoned buildings near the tracks, and others with old spurs.

Looks like PAR or NS did some sucking up because there were 4 box cars at PCA as of this morning. I guess they did away with the transload.

I watched PCA get switched out last week too. They took about 5 box cars.

Glad to see PCA is back as a customer. Business seems to picking up elsewhere on the Conn River and in CT. The interchange with the Central New England RR (CNZR) at Hartford has become more active - 3 cars were received yesterday from EDPL. Coiled steel shipments to Bristol CT have also increased since last year.
Sid Culliford, a veteran B&M-GRS-PAR management employee, is still involved in some capacity as he was seen on a hi-rail inspection trip in CT a few weeks ago.

My understanding as the reason the finish date was pushed out is that the federal funding was not released when the planners had expected, hence the 1 year set back.
Remember this is an Amtrak project not a PAS project. PAR will get the contract for the work, PAS will get the faster run times for thier freight, the MBTA will provide the oversite and Amtrak will get a shorter route.

Did I miss anyone ???????

Peter

arcadia terminal wrote:My understanding as the reason the finish date was pushed out is that the federal funding was not released when the planners had expected, hence the 1 year set back.
Remember this is an Amtrak project not a PAS project. PAR will get the contract for the work, PAS will get the faster run times for thier freight, the MBTA will provide the oversite and Amtrak will get a shorter route.

Did I miss anyone ???????

Peter

Outside of the regional MPO for the stations, pretty much. VTTrans of course involved in Vermont, but that's only on NECR's track.

The delay is largely due to the PAR track gangs being spread too thin. But unless slipped schedules start jeopardizing the Fed grant deadlines they won't get yelled at because they are making good time on the higher-priority Downeaster upgrades. Next year should be a lot better progress-wise with the Downeaster work wrapping up and the other time-suck project, reconfiguring the Lawrence Yard interlockings for the Downeaster/MBTA double-tracking, also done. The latter turned out to be way more complicated than intended because of utility lines.

F-line,
One other thought, as this track is in the PAS part of the family there is nothing to say NS may bring up a production track gang and just get the work done. PAR maybe still spread thin with as they are still upgrading a lot of track up in Maine and getting a shot in the arm from NS may not be out of the question.

Peter

At what rate is the passenger-related upgrades unfolding?