A Question About The MBTA

[Myke Romeo Angel]

I was just wondering, does Conn Dot & the MBTA meet up anywhere?..

If not how far apart are the two from one another. i don't have a map in front of me, so I'm just wondering how far is the gap between the two commuter lines.


Also what MBTA line runs strictly on the NEC, does it turn off somewhere or does it stay remain on the entire stretch until the end. Reason I'm asking, it would be interesting to see an AEM-7 or HHP-8 pulling a MBTA set, kind of hard 2 picture the colors however...


Also have they started the work yet connecting the North & South Stations yet. When they happens while they combine the lines or keep them as they are currently...

[CS]

Well, there has always been talk of a "North - South Rail link" and as I understand there was a tunnel made for the rail link to happen, thanks to the big dig.

As for Connecticut's CR and MBTA's CR meeting, the furthest south MBTA's CR goes is Providence and the furthest west it goes is Worcester and I'm pretty sure that the Connecticut CR doesn't reach up to those points.

[Myke Romeo Angel]

Well, there has always been talk of a "North - South Rail link" and as I understand there was a tunnel made for the rail link to happen, thanks to the big dig.

As for Connecticut's CR and MBTA's CR meeting, the furthest south MBTA's CR goes is Providence and the furthest west it goes is Worcester and I'm pretty sure that the Connecticut CR doesn't reach up to those points.

The reason i was asking because in my February 2001 Railpace magazine on page 35 there is a photo of a Conn Dott GP40H-2 with cab control 1695 that was testing in Providence RI, so i was wondering if maybe they were going 2 expand in the future...

That would be sweet if they did, because commuter railfans could travel from Philadelphia to Boston

SEPTA to NJT to Metro North to MBTA

you'd have to leave really early in the morning, however they would be a fun trip to take... :D

[MBTAFan]

Well, there has always been talk of a "North - South Rail link" and as I understand there was a tunnel made for the rail link to happen, thanks to the big dig.

Close. They didn't actually didn't build a tunnel, but they created a provision for a tunnel by creating slurry walls deep enough that they could excavate between in the future to make a tunnel. They N-S rail link is still projected to be at least a billion dollar project despite the close proximity of the two stations.

There is a ton of background information available on the MBTA website, including cost estimates for different build configurations (2 track or 4 track, etc.) - http://www.mbta.com/projects_underway/n ... tation.asp

I sincerely doubt this will be built anytime soon. The DEIR mentions the year 2020 in the report.

[Ron Newman]

MBTA service to Providence runs entirely on the Amtrak NEC.

This service is supposedly to be extended south from Providence to Warwick, RI where people can transfer to shuttle buses for TF Green Airport. I don't know the current status of this project.

[efin98]

I was just wondering, does Conn Dot & the MBTA meet up anywhere?..If not how far apart are the two from one another. i don't have a map in front of me, so I'm just wondering how far is the gap between the two commuter lines.

MBTA ends in Providence and Conn DOT ends in New London. There is a large gap there, Amtrak fills it but only at certain times.

Also what MBTA line runs strictly on the NEC, does it turn off somewhere or does it stay remain on the entire stretch until the end. Reason I'm asking, it would be interesting to see an AEM-7 or HHP-8 pulling a MBTA set, kind of hard 2 picture the colors however...

The Attleborough/Providence Line runs on the NEC entirely, the Stoughton, Franklin, and Needham Lines run on the NEC for part of their runs.
If you want to see an AEM-7 or an HHP-8 pulling an MBTA train your only chance anytime soon would be around the hollidays when MBTA trainsets are used for extra trains when AMTRAK needs more cars on the NEC.

Also have they started the work yet connecting the North & South Stations yet. When they happens while they combine the lines or keep them as they are currently...

No work has started and won't likely happen for a long time, but some preliminary structural work at key points along I93 has been done to help in building should that ever start. And from what I have seen MBTA lines might look like SEPTA lines, with conjoined lines only officially ending in the tunnel but actually not ending at all until at one of the terminals.[/quote]

[shadyjay]

There was a time during the Thanksgiving weekend in 1997 IIRC when a ConnDOT Shore Line East trainset ran as an Amtrak extra from New Haven to Boston. I was on the train and remember disembarking and seeing the New Haven RR-painted engine sitting at the end of track. I wish I had my camera. It was a flashback to the 1960s when the NHRR ran into South Station.

-Jay Hogan

[CSX Conductor]

Actually Ron, I believe that there were plans to install a people mover from the proposed train station at TF Greene to the airport terminal.

Also, the MBTA was considering the possibilty of heading further than TF Greene in Warwick, as far as Wickford Jct. RI

[MBTA F40PH-2C 1050]

i have taken a picture when an Amtrak F40 was used to pull/push an MBTA consist, here is the link

http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?20040 ... n&BOOL=ALL

[Cotuit]

Actually Ron, I believe that there were plans to install a people mover from the proposed train station at TF Greene to the airport terminal.

The original plan for T.F. Green Station called for a people mover connection to the airport terminal. However, a good portion of the budget for that came from moving the car rental companies from the airport to the train station. The car rental companies have balked at that and current plans call for shuttle service with future expansion for a people mover.

The location of the train station and the airport terminals are so close, they could simply build an elevated walkway. If (when) built, the T.F. Green station would be the closest Amtrak station to an airport.

The area around the station is a special mixed use development zone for the city of Warwick.

Also, the MBTA was considering the possibilty of heading further than TF Greene in Warwick, as far as Wickford Jct. RI

In addition to the Wickford Junction Station, the town of East Greenwich has tentative plans for a commuter rail station and mixed use development downtown. There are also murmerings of reopening the Pawtucket/Central Falls Station.

I haven't seen or heard a peep in several months about any of this, but Rhode Island Monthly had a very informative (and pro) article about it a few months ago.

[claytor]

The schedules for MBTA service to South County and crew assigments were finished last year. Just waiting for trhe beancounters to work out the $$$.

[RailBus63]

i have taken a picture when an Amtrak F40 was used to pull/push an MBTA consist

Nice shot. I also caught an Amtrak F40 pushing an MBTA train at Framingham once, and one of their ex-GO Transit GP40's pulling a T train at Shirley.

And on the flip side, I have several photos taken in the 1990's of MBTA F40's pulling Amtrak Inland Route trains along Conrail's Boston Line between Worcester and Springfield.

JD