Increase Worcester service start-up date.

The EGE wrote: New locomotives and coaches in the next year or so will make a big difference, as will getting Yawkey rebuilt with two platforms (and the second track reopened). So will removing the ridiculous speed restrictions near Worcester. But they really need the expensive fixes - raising those 7 low platforms, 2nd track through Beacon Park, and more space someday at South Station.

At least the second track through Beacon Park is funded, IIRC (correct me if I'm wrong). This is such a significant obstacle to running trains that perhaps the schedules will improve after it's done.

As for the low platforms, they must be made high platforms during any future alterations to the station (the new ADA rule from the FRA should apply now that these tracks are not owned by CSX); so they'll probably be relatively high priority.

I haven't heard about the 2nd track through Beacon Park. Can anyone confirm it being funded?



I just realized as a result of thinking about this that previously, the MBTA has shown little interest in adding full-length high-levels to existing stations. Those currently on the system are:

Lowell
Anderson RTC
(Oak Grove)
Malden Center
Newburyport
Rowley
Lynn
North Station

South Station
Back Bay (NEC only)
Worcester
Uphams Corner
Morton Street
Ruggles
Forest Hills
Route 128
Providence
T.F. Green Airport
Wickford Junction
Old Colony and Greenbush Line stations

Terminal stations, Amtrak stations, and a handful of oddballs. 1997 (Old Colony), 1998 (Newburyport), 2007 (Greenbush), and 2010-2012 (Rhode Island) extensions got full-highs, but a lot of rebuilds only got mini-highs - even those not on freight lines. Most of the crazy-high ridership stations - Mansfield, Attleboro, South Attleboro, Beverly, Salem - only have mini-highs. Sharon, with the 4th highest ridership on the system (2,275 daily, or 3% of the system's riders), is still inaccessible.

But that's starting to change. The Uphams Corner and Morton Street rebuilds featured full-high platforms. So do Yawkey, Littleton, and South Acton which are all under construction. Those all indicate that the MBTA is now willing to rebuild with full-highs unless there is an essential freight reason not to. Littleton and South Acton are obvious political ploys, but a start is a start.

All of that bodes well for an actual push to get full-highs wherever possible across the system - and the inner Worcester Line is as good a target as any. There's no reason everything out to Framingham can't be full-highs, which would greatly speed operations on those locals. (Framingham would require a freight bypass to be laid across the wye, but that's a minor issue.)

The EGE wrote:I just realized as a result of thinking about this that previously, the MBTA has shown little interest in adding full-length high-levels to existing stations. Those currently on the system are:

Lowell
Anderson RTC
Newburyport
Lynn
North Station

South Station
Back Bay (NEC only)
Worcester
Uphams Corner
Morton Street
Ruggles
Forest Hills
Route 128
Providence
T.F. Green Airport
Wickford Junction
Old Colony and Greenbush Line stations

Terminal stations, Amtrak stations, and a handful of oddballs. 1997 (Old Colony), 1998 (Newburyport), 2007 (Greenbush), and 2010-2012 (Rhode Island) extensions got full-highs, but a lot of rebuilds only got mini-highs - even those not on freight lines. Most of the crazy-high ridership stations - Mansfield, Attleboro, South Attleboro, Beverly, Salem - only have mini-highs. Sharon, with the 4th highest ridership on the system (2,275 daily, or 3% of the system's riders), is still inaccessible.

Going a little off topic, but I found this article about new platforms at Sharon coming soon.
http://www.wickedlocal.com/sharon/news/ ... z29kWcki28

Rowley is also a full-length high-level, dating to the same time as Newburyport.

Malden also has a full high platform (the first on the CR, as it was intended to be a 3rd Orange Line platform before construction stopped at Oak Grove).

I assume that the 2nd track through Beacon would just be the yard track adjacent to the existing single track. Is that not the case?

MBTA3247 wrote:Rowley is also a full-length high-level, dating to the same time as Newburyport.

blackcap wrote:Malden also has a full high platform (the first on the CR, as it was intended to be a 3rd Orange Line platform before construction stopped at Oak Grove).

Thank you both; I've updated the list along with the unused Oak Grove platform.

Komarovsky wrote:I assume that the 2nd track through Beacon would just be the yard track adjacent to the existing single track. Is that not the case?

More or less, but there's a reasonable amount of work. Right now the line is single-tracked from near the BU Bridge to a few hundred yards west of Everett Street. The curve on the eastern end of the yard will need to be completely rebuilt for the second track, including an improved connection to the Grand Junction. If they're really smart, they'll redo the tracks for New Brighton Landing at the same time.

The curve doesn't need to be redone...much. The second track would go where that adjacent yard track is located. They might have to realign to get around the pike bridge supports though.

Lowell does not have a full high level. It only gets 3 sets of doors on. We are off topic discussing this... Back to the topic at hand now Please!

News article : A weekday win for Worcester commuters,
'' You may remember, back in August, when I mentioned that the MBCR was getting close to striking a deal with CSX to provide extra commuter rail service to the Worcester area.

Well, good news! That deal has gone through and the extra service on weekdays is now a reality. The six extra trains will start running in just about a week and a half -- on Monday, October 29th, according to Rhiannon D'Angelo of the MBCR. There will be no changes to weekend service, FYI.

The new outbound trips from South Station include:

- Train 511 will leave South Station at 10:30 AM, arrive in Framingham at 11:27, and end up in Worcester at 12:05 PM.
- Train 515 will leave South Station at 1:15 PM, arrive in Framingham by 2:08, and arrive in Worcester at 2:48.
- Train 539 will leave South Station at 11:25 PM, stop in Framingham at 12:21 AM, and arrive in Worcester at 1:01.

The new inbound trips to South Station include:

- Train 520 will leave Worcester at 12:20 PM and arrive at South Station at 1:55. This train will not stop at Auburndale or Newton stations.
- Train 522 will leave Worcester at 2:10 PM and arrive at South Station at 3:45.
- Train 538 will leave Worcester at 9:30 PM and arrive at South Station at 11 PM. This train also will not stop at Auburndale or Newton stations.

You can download a schedule here, or grab a printed schedule at Back Bay or South Station starting Monday the 29th.''
http://www.boston.com/community/blogs/r ... iners.html

It appears that Worcester service changed to the new schedule once service resumed this week.

Komarovsky wrote:I assume that the 2nd track through Beacon would just be the yard track adjacent to the existing single track.

That is correct. It's going to be signalled as a mainline, that's the only difference.

Is that not the case?

That is the case.

I was just taking a look at some Metra schedules. Their Union Pacific - Northwest Line is exactly how the Worcester Line should be run. Lots of skip-stop expresses serving the outer stations during rush hour, getting their travel times down.

There are 90-minute runs to Harvard, which is 63 miles from downtown. That's an average speed over 40mph, with a half-dozen stops.

Locals alternate with expresses; except for the three stations over 50mph, there's never more than a 20 minute wait for a train. After rush hour is over, then the all-stops locals take over - but there's still one every half hour to hour, all day.

http://metrarail.com/metra/en/home/maps ... .full.html

Looking at the new schedule, all OB trains have had 2-3 minuted added to their schedule. Even so the four OB pm trains I take are have been at least 5-10 minuted late all week(especially p523). I know it's only the first week of the new schedule, but it's hard to understand how even with the schedule padding the trains are still equally late as they were with the old schedule.

Komarovsky wrote:Looking at the new schedule, all OB trains have had 2-3 minuted added to their schedule. Even so the four OB pm trains I take are have been at least 5-10 minuted late all week(especially p523). I know it's only the first week of the new schedule, but it's hard to understand how even with the schedule padding the trains are still equally late as they were with the old schedule.

It may be due to the slippery rail. Engineers are accelerating more slowly and braking more gently. Most trains I've been on this week have lost 5-10 minutes for this reason, and there have been many T-alerts the this week for much longer delays on some trains.