benboston wrote:BandA wrote:Traingeek3629 wrote:lordsigma12345 wrote:
As for inland route I don't think they'd run dedicated trains. They'd either use the current Shuttle method or return to a practice of having a combined train run NHV-WAS and split it for shore/inland routes.
I disagree. It is much easier to dedicate two shuttle sets that just run between Boston and Springfield along with the LSL. New stops should be constructed at East Springfield, Palmer, and West Brookfield. (also serving Warren, Ware, and Brookfield) Although the line runs through Charlton, I think that is just a waste of time to stop at Charlton since that is so close to the regular commuter rail. Ideally the runtime should be reduced to around two hours instead of 2.5 hours. Springfield-Boston is also only a 90 minute drive, still in commuting range.
Here is my proposed schedule:
Springfield-Boston Boston-Springfield
6:20 AM-8:27 AM | 6:45 AM-8:52 AM
11:35 AM-1:42 PM | 12:50 PM-3:01 PM (LSL)
5:33 PM-7:51 PM (LSL) | 5:25 PM-7:32 PM
P.S. Why is that line so loopy after Palmer? If I had built the line it would have gone through Spencer and Leicester instead of Charlton.
I'm thinking the ideal location for an Inland Regional Amtrak station between Palmer and Worcester would be the former site of South Spencer (Depot?), but accessed from the 55 MPH MA-49 instead of South Spencer Rd. It's unclear from the satellite if that is swampland, conservation land or state forest. There are about 3 houses on Depot Rd. It's a quick 11 miles from the yuge I-84 / I-90 / US-20 Interchange in Sturbridge & right off of MA-9, across the highway from the automobile unloading facility. Or you could build a station at Charlton Depot, but that would require a new Mass Pike / MA-31 interchange and that ain't happening anytime soon. Charlton is far enough from Worcester (~~>25 min) to have it's own train station, but it's pretty rural, US-20 & MA-31 are far from ideal. Warren train station is so darn perfect you want it to be reopened, but for Amtrak it would be too near Palmer, and again you would need a new I-90 interchange at MA-19 - which I believe has actually been talked about in the past.
I-90 Interchange would be there except that they didn't want to build a toll-booth, but with electronic payment that isn't necessary anymore.
Warren I-90 & MA-19 interchange? The problem with toll roads is the interchange has to be paid for by the toll road, not reimbursable with feddybucks. So it is like CR & mass-transit, lots of stuff never gets built unless it is subsidized with Somebody Elses' Money
Warren would be an excellent but quiet stop on an MBTA/MassDOT BOS-SPG CR Line, whether or not an I-90 interchange is built. Palmer already has an I-90 interchange, and could become a union station again if the "central corridor" service were built. Warren & Palmer are 16 min apart via pretty uncongested roads that go over a mountain pass. I just read that Palmer hasn't had service since A-day. Palmer is closer to its' I-90 interchange and probably a cheaper place to build commuter parking than Springfield. Palmer & SPG are 20-30 min apart by road, is that enough to justify an Amtrak stop?