Lake Shore Limited

Thanks for the explanations and details. I feel like I really know what's going on, instead of the vague idea I had before.

Still seems like a sweet piece of good news for the Lake Shore Ltd and Amtrak. And however much it cost, MBTA paid for it for its own reasons and Amtrak gets a free ride. LOL.

Wonder how many other Amtrak segments (besides Worcester-Springfield) could get faster timetables if more of the basic stuff (like destressing) was done right, by Amtrak and the host freights.

This is really just putting liptsick on a pig.

If you look at the WB numbers, all they've done is remove the padding on CSX trackage
EB, yes, the removal is in the MBTA trackage, but there's no actual improvements just the paper saying it'll be faster.
Since the EB LSL doesn't seem to leave ALB on time, this doesn't mean much.


Heck, if anything, the actual times on the MBTA trackage is worse than it was before.

Considering the importance of endpoint on-time, the padding is going to be disproportionate for the last few legs.

Cross-posting my reply to observant user "twropr" who noticed a problem with the new MBTA Commuter Rail schedule:

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viewtopic.php?f=65&t=161520&start=270#p1386783" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The MBTA screwed up their new Framingham-Worcester line schedule: Details:

MBTA / Keolis P511 arrives Worcester 1:24 PM
Westbound Lake Shore Limited departs Framingham 1:25 PM and Worcester should be 2:03 PM departure.
But the P511 is sitting at Worcester and isn't scheduled to depart back inbound as P518 until 2:15 PM.

Normally any MBTA Worcester "turns" have the equipment remain on the station 'siding' track. With only 12 minutes between departure times of the LSL and inbound P518, I seriously doubt that the MBTA intended to have the P511 / P518 equipment pull off the station track into the MBTA yard to allow the LSL to go through. Smells like a bust on the schedule.

This is a new problem. The old schedule did not have a conflict:
P515 arrived Worcester at 1:26 PM and that equipment departed Worcester as P522 at 1:50 PM.

The more I hear about little things like this, the more I'm convinced we'll see a Labor Day MBTA schedule revision. Just my complete speculation / guess.

Until then, looks like the westbound LSL will have an everyday ~15 to 20 min delay before it even gets to Worcester.

Ya can't make this stuff up.

Are there any passing opportunities between Springfield and Pittsfield? One reason for the WB padding heading into ALB on the old schedule was that 449 had to pull over on the line to the Selkirk bridge to wait for 448 to pass EB (yes, that meant that 449 was clogging the primary freight rail route in and out of New England), but this new schedule has the meet scheduled somewhere in the Berkshires.

(Also: I've sat on 449 waiting for 448 exactly as I described; that isn't something I made up.)

There are three areas of double track between Springfield and where Amtrak's Post Rd line splits off for A/R station at CP-187:
- CP-92 (6 miles east of Springfield passenger station) to CP-109 west of Westfield. There are several crossovers in this 17 mile stretch at the station and around W Springfield yard.
- CP-123 (3 miles east of Chester) to CP-150 west of Pittsfield. There are two sets of universal crossovers in this 27 mile stretch: CP-140 and CP-147.
- CP-171 (former gantlet track bridge over NYS Thruway) and CP-176 west of Chatham.

It would be helpful to both CXS and Amtrak if there were a siding between Pittfield and Chatham. That's 20+ miles of single track, a long way and a long time to wait for an opposing movement.

So what's the deal with the shuttle set and can we expect to see viewliner sleeper cars return to the Boston and Albany anytime soon?

Untill all the trackwork is done,and all the platform construction is finished at Albany,
you're stuck will the "shuttle set" .
Switching 448/449 in/out 48/49 is not possible for now,don't think a date has been set
for the return of the "true" Boston section .

Balerion wrote:There's a new timetable effective April 24 that shaved a little time off of the ALB-BOS run, mostly due to removing padding from ALB-PIT. BOS-ALB is now 5:10 (down from 5:40). ALB-BOS is now 4:56 (down from 5:45).

Is that actually a new timetable?

April 24, 2016 timetable

Dp BOS: 1250
BBY: 1257
FRA: 1325
WOR: 1403
Ar SPG: 1518
Dp SPG: 1523
PIT: 1639
Ar ALB: 1800

January 11, 2016 shows the same times
April 6, 2015 also shows those times

June 9, 2014 does show the previous timings you mention:

Dp BOS: 1155
BBY: 1200
FRA: 1228
WOR: 1258
Ar SPG: 1410
Dp SPG: 1415
PIT: 1536
Ar ALB: 1735

That does not get rid of the Amtrak/MBTA conflict at Worcester.

I read on one of the MBTA forums that after a day or two of the new schedule conflict, the "T" train was arriving, then being stashed somewhere (presumably the other main) so that the Amtrak could platform without delay.

Hopefully some good news...

http://m.timesunion.com/local/article/W ... 965620.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Amtrak spokesman Craig S. Schulz said laying the track would take about four weeks, with ballast and other work to follow

Uh, "Earth to Times Union Cub Reporter"; don't we complete ballast and ties before we lay the rail?

What is this "eleven railroad years in the CV" missing?