Reactivitating lines in Connecticut

http://www.newstimes.com/news/story.php?id=1028189

Moderator, feel free to move this topic as you think fit - I couldn't find another forum, and since it pertains to CDOT tangentially and possible revived commuter service on reopened freight lines, I thought it would go here.

Nice to see CDOT putting action behind words for a change. How will this revived NH connection affect MNRR or SLE? Or the potential for Springfield - NH service?

Also, what potential is there for service on the Willimantic line? I believe CDOT may have rail-banked it, something they have done a good job of doing. Whereabouts does this run, i.e related to the Worcester - New London line that's also been talked about for passenger service.

The above news story doesn't have anything to do with Metro-North or SLE, but it more about reactivating old freight lines (primarily Housatonic, it sounds like). I am moving this to the New England Railfan forum...

Otto Vondrak wrote:The above news story doesn't have anything to do with Metro-North or SLE, but it more about reactivating old freight lines (primarily Housatonic, it sounds like). I am moving this to the New England Railfan forum...

Fair enough, Otto, thanks.

Which line is the Willimantic line? If I recall the map correctly, the North-South line through town is NEC, still in service. Are they talking about the P&W line up from Versailles?

Leave it to the media to get a railroad line incorrect (back in 1993, I believe it was the Courant which called Penn Central the Pennsylvania Central Transportation Company - who has ever called it that?).....

The "Willimantic Line" is indeed the line from Willimantic to Plainfield via Versailles, which is currently being reactivated by the P&W.

The Hartford-Willimantic line is abandoned from a point in Manchester, east to Willimantic. It is land-banked by the state, meaning the state owns the ROW but the rails have been removed. In continuing CDOT's short-sighted thinking, when a bridge was replaced carrying Suicide 6 over the former ROW, it was replaced with a large tube, rather than a standard bridge. If service is ever reactivated, that'll have to come out.

Outside of these two lines, and the lower half of the Conn Valley Line from Saybrook up to Middletown, I cannot see any other abandoned lines in the state being reactivated. I think you'd get farther with getting trucks off the road by having different companies operate the lines. By this of course I mean the Pan-Am (B&M) cluster in Waterbury-Berlin. Provide lousy service and the customers will turn to trucks. Provide specialized local service (such as P&W) and you could lure them back. Problem there though is I believe Pan-Am/B&M own the rails.

Quoting from WPTZ...
"That's our opinion... What's Yours"

-Jay

Here is a map of the P&W:

http://www.pwrr.com/PWmap2.html

shadyjay wrote:Leave it to the media to get a railroad line incorrect (back in 1993, I believe it was the Courant which called Penn Central the Pennsylvania Central Transportation Company - who has ever called it that?).....

The "Willimantic Line" is indeed the line from Willimantic to Plainfield via Versailles, which is currently being reactivated by the P&W.

The Hartford-Willimantic line is abandoned from a point in Manchester, east to Willimantic. It is land-banked by the state, meaning the state owns the ROW but the rails have been removed. In continuing CDOT's short-sighted thinking, when a bridge was replaced carrying Suicide 6 over the former ROW, it was replaced with a large tube, rather than a standard bridge. If service is ever reactivated, that'll have to come out.

Outside of these two lines, and the lower half of the Conn Valley Line from Saybrook up to Middletown, I cannot see any other abandoned lines in the state being reactivated. I think you'd get farther with getting trucks off the road by having different companies operate the lines. By this of course I mean the Pan-Am (B&M) cluster in Waterbury-Berlin. Provide lousy service and the customers will turn to trucks. Provide specialized local service (such as P&W) and you could lure them back. Problem there though is I believe Pan-Am/B&M own the rails.

Quoting from WPTZ...
"That's our opinion... What's Yours"

-Jay

Thanks.

What about the line from Portland (outside of Middletown) to Willimantic? Are the rails still there?

And from Willimantic to Putnam?

Thanks,

Chris

Portland to Willi-- A rail trail. Won't EVER return to a rail use.

Willi to Putnam-- also a rail trail. And, no bridge over the river at Putnam-- that's why the route was severed after the 1955 flood took out the bridge.

There's no justification for either of those two routes anymore. Walk 'em and enjoy 'em that way.

And, yes, the Big G does own the Berlin-New Britain-Waterbury line, so the state can not bring in a different operator, even if it wanted to. CT would have to buy the lines from Big G. And the price tag would be a continously-moving target....won't happen.

Thanks, Malone.

Chris

Isn't the Big G now Pan Am ?
Isn't the line to Willimantic the line that had the Ghost train run on it ?
Wasn't this the Air Line ?

gawlikfj wrote:Isn't the Big G now Pan Am ?
Isn't the line to Willimantic the line that had the Ghost train run on it ?
Wasn't this the Air Line ?

Big G is now Pan Am Railways, but the B&M "name" is still there on paper. Pan-Am operates B&M.

The Air Line ran from New Haven to Willimantic via Middletown. This is the line the Ghost Train/White Train ran on. It continued northeast to Boston via the abandoned line towards Putnam and beyond. The Air Line exists up to the RT 66/17 crossing in Portland, but not beyond that - it's a public rail-trail.

Only way I can see part of this line ever reactivated is if the Conn Eastern RR Museum operates excursions someday and maybe they can lay some track on the Air Line west. Other than that, no chance of a full scale reactivation.

-JH

It's still Big G to me.

H.F.Malone wrote:It's still Big G to me.

Me too.

- Rail connection to Port of NH: Those new tracks go to the Port ... kind of sort of The tracks go accross a lift bridge to the Port area, but not far enough to service anything They built a very small yard there.

- Willimantic:
a. Portland to ... nothing to add
b. Hartford to ... nothing to add
c. Plainfield to, P&W is about to resume service to that city

- Middletown to Saybrook ... nothing to add

- Also add Middletown to Hartford that was re-activated several years ago. P&W makes an almost weekly trip up that line with a trash train from Portland. There is also a Poo Poo Cho Cho just North of Middletown that makes a short trip south. P&W had promised the State that they would develop interest in freight business along the Hartford to Middletown line if the State re-opened it ... they haven't to my knowledge signed on one new customer

P.S. there is a P&W site with lots of chatter & photos about their service.

P.P.S.

For more information about freight doings in CT check out threads related to N.E. Central & CT Southern RxRs (both owned by same Co.)