Potential MBTA Southern NH Service

"Craig vows to bring MBTA commuter rail to Nashua and Manchester"
https://manchesterinklink.com/craig-vow ... anchester/

“This would boost the economy, bring in tax money,” said [Nashua Mayor James] Donchess.

What kind of tax revenue? Retail property tax? If it's residential property tax it's a wash at best and could lead to higher costs for NH cities & towns

“The state has projected that thousands of jobs would be added.”

What kind of jobs, where?

We've discussed NH commuter service involving Nashua, Manchester, and (to a lesser extent) Concord.

Does it make any sense to have commuter rail extended from Haverhill to Portsmouth? I'm not saying rebuild the Eastern via Newburyport and through Seabrook, Hampton, etc, but what about an upgraded Rockingham Jct-Portsmouth branch and then double-track the B&M from Rockingham Jct down to Plaistow? Exeter may cry foul about extra trains blocking town, with limited room to expand the station there, so something a little closer to NH 101 may be better/capture some P&R/cross traffic.

I believe several years ago the MBTA was ready to extend the commuter rail to Plaistow, but Plaistow cried about it IIRC. So maybe an infill in Plaistow would have to wait, though there seems to be plenty of space for one.

The way to Portsmouth is via the Eastern Rte. The Newburyport extension was built with provisions for it. The biggest hurdle at this point is repairing or replacing the swinging bridge over the Merrimack. Besides that and a few overpass spans that were taken out for the bike trail the only thing preventing restoration is New Hampshire's refusal to fund passenger rail. Once the scales have tipped enough to get Manchester service going momentum might be such that Plaistow and Portsmouth could become politically feasible.

CRail wrote: ↑Sun Dec 10, 2023 5:35 pm Once the scales have tipped enough to get Manchester service going momentum might be such that Plaistow and Portsmouth could become politically feasible.

And if/when that happens, going to Portsmouth via Plaistow/Rockingham Jct may be the way to go. The bike path people are anxious to get their hands on the Eastern, and unless something stops them, its going to be gone. I would think a logical backup plan would be via the branch to the mainline at Rockingham Jct.

Would Portsmouth service be blocked by the Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant? Looks like a good segment of rail-trail would have to be converted back?

I don't believe any of the Eastern north of Newburyport is a rail-trail, but its proposed as one. As far as Seabrook is concerned, I'm not sure what the problem is. The NEC passes within close proximity to Millstone in CT.

Have the tracks been removed from Portsmouth south to Hampton yet?

Sure, hitting the destinations along the coast would be the ideal way (Hampton, Salisbury, etc), but there is currently an active track to Portsmouth (via the branch, that would need upgrading). Plus, you're looking at almost double track the entire way.

I guess its a moot point if NH doesn't want it. But the thing about Portsmouth/Seacoast service is that its more of a "two-way street" for NH... its not just for people to go to jobs in Boston, its for those in the Hub to hit up the Seacoast, which is more of a destination than Nashua/Manchester.

It's a bike trail from the river to the NH border.

Hence

CRail wrote:a few overpass spans that were taken out for the bike trail

Bike trails are land banking. The MBTA and Commonwealth of MA own the ROW the trail sits on, if the demand and New Hampshire funding were such that service were to resume, trail advocacy would hold the weight of helium.

In theory this is true, but the politicians who would make the decision to convert it back to rail are definitely going to see the trail advocates as part of their constituency, and will give less or more weight to their arguments. The trail advocates wouldn't have a legal basis for challenging reversion, but that doesn't mean such things simply happen without a process.

And let's not forget the trail people who are trying to rip up active rails to extend bike paths. The Falmouth Line in Mass is fighting this battle. And in NY, two railroads (albeit scenic railroads, but still active railroads) have lost mileage due to trail people "wanting more".

Falmouth trail folks don't stand a chance. MADOT has been putting quite a bit of money into the Falmouth Line, there's no way it would ever fly.

I digress though, we're veering off-topic. CRail's got a point, and though I agree trail advocates push hard against rail rehabilitation (most, anyways. I've had some conversations with very rail-supportive trail organizations), there'll come a time when even their voice won't be enough to prevent restoration. Not soon enough, in my opinion, but eventually.

Re-establishing the Eastern to Portsmouth would take a new Merrimack River bridge, high-level or draw. Plus two road underpasses and two overpasses in MA, road underpasses in Seabrook and Hampton, a marsh culvert in Hampton Falls and some way of getting trains around or through the Seabrook nuke site. The RoW is all 2 tracks wide but while rail trails that share with active rail exist I've never seen one, and I'm not sure there are any in New England. There would be a lot of NIMBYs in Newburyport, somewhat fewer in Salisbury because the housing along the RoW is recent and low density.

It's a good RoW, very few grade crossings south of Breakfast Hill. Almost zero curvature, flat as far as passenger train power-to-weight ratios are concerned. NH has been actively constructing rail trail on it since maybe 2022. It's progressed south from Portsmouth into North Hampton. It won't go any farther than Hampton because of the washed out marsh culvert and the nuke site. MA's rail trail is paved to just S of the Rt. 286 bridge at the Seabrook/Salisbury line.

Why would any new service to Portsmouth not go via the Western route as far as Rockingham Junction and then via the Portsmouth Branch? That track is all in place.

By the time Seabrook's license expires in 3/15/2050 the T and NH should be ready to do something about Portsmouth service. Actually since it is less than 30 years the T better get started with a study.