MBTA Commuter Rail Service to Cape Cod Discussion

mbrproductions wrote: ↑Tue May 03, 2022 8:07 pm I agree, that's why I believe the MBTA should try to get out of those environmental agreements, whether by challenging them in court or by making further negotiations. As of now, those environmental mitigation requirements are working with Phase I to completely kill any positive impact this project (South Coast Rail) could have.

I don't get the shortsigtedness, there's greater environmental damage from not having phase 2,even as diesel, then the possibility of an oil leak from an accident. It's not like freight trains would be using it.

Maybe its’s worth considering during Phase 1, a SCR-Cape Cod dinky bouncing back and forth for picking up off-peak frequencies.

As an example, you would have Fall River - South Station service, and a New Bedford - Cape cod shuttle that can cross-platform at Middleboro for various departures.

By rehabbing that Middleborough Secondary thingy, they could be almost ready for Providence to Cape Cod service.

Cape Codder 2.0?

I don't get the shortsigtedness, there's greater environmental damage from not having phase 2,even as diesel, then the possibility of an oil leak from an accident. It's not like freight trains would be using it.

Wait, they're afraid of an oil leak? what oil leak? the only portion of the Full Build route that will host Freight trains is after Weir Junction, hence why all the stations after Weir Junction (heading outbound) will have passing sidings for Freight and all the ones before Weir Junction will not.
What is the logic behind this? It's almost as if they are trying to make excuses for all of this "environmental mitigation" to further drown the project.

I don't under stand why they have to build a few miles long concrete bridge (which is very resource intensive), instead of a fill with tunnels for wild life under it. Raising off the ground, due to flooding (as it's a wetlands), sure makes sense. But I'm not seeing how trucking in dirt (from elsewhere in region) , with booms to prevent spillage, like they do in the EU, is more of an issue.

nomis wrote: ↑Tue May 03, 2022 10:30 pm Maybe its’s worth considering during Phase 1, a SCR-Cape Cod dinky bouncing back and forth for picking up off-peak frequencies.

As an example, you would have Fall River - South Station service, and a New Bedford - Cape cod shuttle that can cross-platform at Middleboro for various departures.

Perfect place for a RDC/DMU/BMU .

Simple enough answer: that’s no commuter rail. It was built as a freight line. Overengineered up the wazoo at every weight bearing aerial point and culvert, but retrofitted Old Colony tracks south of Weavers Cove. All about Canadians’ yen for liquified natural gas and our English and Aussie handlers in the scrap metal trade. On both the FR and NB branches, look to the toxic-metal dealers who own the joint construction ventures’ HQs, both the FR branch depots, and at least 1 of NB’s 2 bona fide stations. Skanska USA’s So Coal Rail offc was @ Assonet Village’s Excel Recycling before there even was a FR JV. And we’re the brilliant state, ranked 50 for transparency every year for decades, that completely deregulated scrap metal handling & importation in around 2019. BTW, guess which kind of sham redeveloper owns each layover yards?
Why’s Fall River’s miles before brand-new terminus? Why has a city of 87,000 got no station, but just a roof-free handicap ramp to hike three ways to 22’ in all weathers? Picture Granny tackling that in snow at 4 PM, with her Christmas swag. If she even scored a parking spot, w 210 for everybody. No staff, security, but a ticket machine and trash cans. Oh, tack on the bus pullout lane.
And don’t even bother to ask why CoVid might make people less eager to blow 50% more minutes riding herky-jerky to Boston: 3 stops in first 10 miles, then Middleborough with its shiny and WAY better replacement station proper.

Talk about a slap in the face! Waited 30 years linger than all other urban centers 50 miles from Boston City Limits to see our federal taxes reallocated for Enbridge Energy’s Atlantic Bridge scam? Let those Canadians drill and import their own gas like we do. Weymouth’s Algonquin Compressor Station was the pilot hole. Gov, Mass DOT, MBTA and MassPORTs, MassDEVT, Mass. Clean Energy Center and rest of all their queasy public orgs sold us and Salem down and up the river, and back again.

All rigged to flop in a huge way. Then they’ll make sympathetic noises, ram Phase 2 and 3 past Horizon Dr. in Tiverton, and laugh themselves silly. At our expense.

I was not suggesting BB-Braintree short turns as a permanent solution. The fact is that there’s little to no capacity north of Braintree. Points made here or on the Cape thread mention that the service won’t be increased south of Middleborough without PTC. Don’t some LIRR trains only go to Jamaica, not into NYP? Someone better versed than me in the LIRR can say if that’s based on capacity issues at NYP or there is genuine demand to only go to Jamaica.

And yes, as a rule riders hate transfers. I hate them too. But if there is no other option …

A transfer at Braintree is a lot better than a transfer at Middleborough.