Commuter Rail to Rhode Island Discussion

[MBTA F40PH-2C 1050]

i have an idea, i wonder if the MBTA could strick a deal w/ the P&W and use their 3rd rail track, or Running Track 7, for the commuter run to Green so that the K's can fit .

[CSX Conductor]

Good idea, but probably won't happen. I would assume they will have that track as far from the station platforms as possible as well.

[Cotuit]

Groundbreaking for the Warwick/T.F. Green Station is set for July 17th with a scheduled completion date in October 2009. This will be the closest commuter station to an airport. A deal to move the airport car rental agencies to the new station has been reached. The station will be connected to the airport by a 1,200 foot skybridge with moving sidewalks. Original plans called for a people mover (like the one at Wellington Station on the orange line), but the current plan calls for the sidewalks to run in two parts so that there can be a stop of sorts halfway, allowing for future development along Post Road to tie into the skybridge.

An agreement has not been reached yet to run MBTA service to the station, but it is hoped that there will be 8 daily roundtrips between Boston and Warwick (not clear if that includes weekend service). The MBTA platform will be built to allow trains to stop on the new freight track and room will be left for a future Amtrak platform.

Read more in the Warwick Beacon.

[mental757]

From the above article:

"As of last year, Capaldi was looking to settle the Amtrak rental agreement at $1.5 million annually and for the MBTA to offer eight daily runs serving Warwick as well as Wickford Junction."

This is still the plan last I heard - 8 daily runs to the Airport & Wickford.

I'm sure the proposed train schedule will be confrmed at next week's event...

[Cotuit]

This is still the plan last I heard - 8 daily runs to the Airport & Wickford.

The goal is 14 roundtrips to Providence from Boston with 8 of those continuing to Warwick and Wickford.

[mental757]

This is still the plan last I heard - 8 daily runs to the Airport & Wickford.

The goal is 14 roundtrips to Providence from Boston with 8 of those continuing to Warwick and Wickford.

sounds good to me - perhaps that is what the person in the other thread was hearing about. To my understanding, the Pilgrim Partnership II agreement between RI & MA ironed out what levels of service we would see in return for building the layover yeard next to 95N and buying the cars and locomotives, etc.

[mental757]

This is still the plan last I heard - 8 daily runs to the Airport & Wickford.

The goal is 14 roundtrips to Providence from Boston with 8 of those continuing to Warwick and Wickford.

sounds good to me - perhaps that is what the person in the other thread was hearing about. To my understanding, the Pilgrim Partnership II agreement between RI & MA ironed out what levels of service we would see in return for building the layover yeard next to 95N and buying the cars and locomotives, etc.

[Cotuit]

In case anyone out-of-state missed it:

Ground broken for $222.5-million Warwick station [Providence Journal]

There's also loud chatter, but nothing official yet, of Connecticut's Shore Line East service being extended from New London all the way through to Providence.

[Robert Paniagua]

Wow, SLE to PVD? To me, that's just a pipe dream, I don't think that could be pulled off.. I'd rather be in the comfort of Amtrak, although I'd take the MBTA to TFGreen.

[mental757]

its much more than a pipe dream - its already being looked at and is specifically mentioned in RIDOT's South County Commuter Rail Phase 2 expansion to Westerly and Kingston. There is great 2 way traffic between New London/Groton and Westerly and Providence (and will only increase as time moves forward and the Warwick Intermodal opens). Throw in all the college kids at Kingston and the numbers might be just good enough.

[paulrail]

It would be nice to see SLE trains at least to Wickford to meet with MBTA trains until the T starts to run to Kingston. Then SLE could meet the T there. Although SLE runs GP40-2s, they are painted in the old New Haven R R "McGinnis" red-orange, white and black classic paint scheme (No,.. the New Haven never ran GP40-2s!....it was a "heritage thing" )

I think SLE did paint an F-7 or two in the same scheme, but I'm not sure if they are still running.

Anyone know about that?

Paul

[dcmessier]

Groundbreaking for the Warwick/T.F. Green Station is set for July 17th with a scheduled completion date in October 2009. This will be the closest commuter station to an airport.

You know, I saw a similar claim in yesterday's Boston Globe. I'm not sure what exactly qualifies this as "the closest commuter station to an airport," but SEPTA has had a rail line directly to each of the 5 terminals at Philadelphia International since the early 80s.

Why tout this new service (similiar to the Silver Line to Logan, but that's a topic for a different thread) as the greatest thing since sliced bread, as opposed to a service that truly forward-thinking transportation officials should have implemented decades ago?

[Cotuit]

Groundbreaking for the Warwick/T.F. Green Station is set for July 17th with a scheduled completion date in October 2009. This will be the closest commuter station to an airport.

You know, I saw a similar claim in yesterday's Boston Globe. I'm not sure what exactly qualifies this as "the closest commuter station to an airport," but SEPTA has had a rail line directly to each of the 5 terminals at Philadelphia International since the early 80s.

Why tout this new service (similiar to the Silver Line to Logan, but that's a topic for a different thread) as the greatest thing since sliced bread, as opposed to a service that truly forward-thinking transportation officials should have implemented decades ago?

It's the closest railroad, not mass transit line, a number of cities have subway lines going righ to the terminals. This is an intercity long distance line to transport people to the airport from around the region.

And I think it's nothing similar to the Silver Line, it actually runs on rails for one thing.

[octr202]

Groundbreaking for the Warwick/T.F. Green Station is set for July 17th with a scheduled completion date in October 2009. This will be the closest commuter station to an airport.

You know, I saw a similar claim in yesterday's Boston Globe. I'm not sure what exactly qualifies this as "the closest commuter station to an airport," but SEPTA has had a rail line directly to each of the 5 terminals at Philadelphia International since the early 80s.

Why tout this new service (similiar to the Silver Line to Logan, but that's a topic for a different thread) as the greatest thing since sliced bread, as opposed to a service that truly forward-thinking transportation officials should have implemented decades ago?

It's the closest railroad, not mass transit line, a number of cities have subway lines going righ to the terminals. This is an intercity long distance line to transport people to the airport from around the region.

And I think it's nothing similar to the Silver Line, it actually runs on rails for one thing.

No, Philadelphia Int'l. has the commuter rail stations at the airport terminals located between the security checkpoints and the baggage claims. Its actually less of a walk to the train station than it is to baggage claim. Not sure how Green/Warwick can be considered closer....

Sorry for the nitpick.

[mental757]

it is the CLOSEST commercial air terminal to an AMTRAK rail line in the country (just under 1500 feet) that will have a direct (under 1 'roof') connection to each other (courtesy of the skywalk with moving sidewalks). No Bus (BWI) or subway/other (PHL, BOS).