Schedule change effective May 20, 2024

MBTA schedule changes coming into effect next month
https://www.mbta.com/news/2024-04-25/mb ... e=homepage

TLDR: Worcester Express train returning, CapeFLYER returning, Fairmount Line trains will run every 30 min INCLUDING WEEKENDS, South Attleboro reopening for 3 round trips a day and "The Readville lower platform will also reopen to riders" (most likely meaning some Providence/Stoughton trains will stop here).

CapeFLYER doesn't return, it just starts it season.

Why did we even need a new forum for this?

MBTAVideoClips wrote: ↑Thu Apr 25, 2024 1:17 pm"The Readville lower platform will also reopen to riders" (most likely meaning some Providence/Stoughton trains will stop here).

When was the last time, if ever, the lower platform was open for regular service? I always thought it was for emergency purposes only.

A handful of peak-hour Providence and Stoughton locals still stopped as late as 1957: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File ... etable.pdf

I believe by 1964, it was just Franklin locals plus the 1967-discontinued Dedham round trip. Since the station was rebuilt in 1992, the lower platforms have only been used for service disruptions. There's been at least once that Hyde Park was closed for maintenance work on the bridge, so they stopped those scheduled trains at Readville instead.

Anybody know if they're installing those modern departure screens on the lower level at Readville? They have them on the upper level tracks.

MBTAVideoClips wrote: ↑Thu Apr 25, 2024 1:17 pm MBTA schedule changes coming into effect next month
https://www.mbta.com/news/2024-04-25/mb ... e=homepage

TLDR: Worcester Express train returning, CapeFLYER returning, Fairmount Line trains will run every 30 min INCLUDING WEEKENDS, South Attleboro reopening for 3 round trips a day and "The Readville lower platform will also reopen to riders" (most likely meaning some Providence/Stoughton trains will stop here).

My understanding is that six inbound and five outbound weekday Prov/Sto trains will stop at Readville; on weekends it's all inbound and outbound Providence trains.

In my opinion, they should have reopened Readville as a transfer stop between Shore Line trains and Midland Division trains a long time ago - this is long overdue, and should add a decent amount of flexibility into the system, particularly for people who are trying to get from one suburb to another or from a location along the Midland Division to the Providence area.

With the increased Fairmount service, I’m wondering if that’ll be accompanied by increase in train sets on the route? I think they currently do two train sets with 45-minute frequencies. Keeping at only two might lead to delays when changing ends, etc.

Most likely an increase in sets. Maybe from Readville Yd if they leave sets there midday.

They often interchange sets between other lines too, not just getting sets from the yard. Plus at every 30 mins, it would have to be more than 2 sets. More like 3-4 at least.

They might be able to get away with two of them if everything worked perfectly on turn-arounds, etc. I agree they need more than two to do it properly.

It takes 30 minutes for a full trip to Readville. Assuming 30 min frequencies and a 15 minute turnaround, one set can go from Boston to Readville and back (including 15 min layover at both read and bos) in 1 hour 30 min, with 3 sets required. You could do 2 sets, but that would require instant turnarounds.

3 sets for the shuttles, at least on the weekends (not counting any fuel swaps during the day, since it is the MBTA's fuel at S&I but Keolis paid fuel at the outlying yards).

The pre COVID weekend: 60 minute clock-face schedule used 2 sets, with a ~55 minute layover in Boston and even then would generally not be stolen to protect other service throughout the days.

The current weekend 90 minute clock-face schedule is a sole set, and would be be best suited under the same pretenses (except for a fuel run).

Where are they getting these locomotives from? By the time this F40 joke rebuild is done, they will have to rebuild the HSP. The GP40MC rebuilds are not *as* reliable as they should be, and there are still lots of out of service locomotives.

They only need like 1-2 extra sets. The T hasn't had a major service increase in a while, and with the new 3C overhaul deliveries they have more than enough to be able to increase service.