Repors are that Vermont rail upgrades are nearly complete including Irene damage ? Signal system upgrades as well ?
Now the state of Ma seems to be behind. Why can't the route be used once the track work is completed? Signal and station work can continue into 2013 with maybe temporary wooded platforms at the 2 stations listed below ? Anyone have access to work schedules for this route ?
http://www.wwlp.com/dpp/news/local/franklin/Amtrak-service-on-track-for-Greenfield
Signal systemtate
The original route of The Vermonter" ("Montrealer") was off the main in New Haven, north through Hartford, Springfield MA, Northhampton MA, Bellows Falls VT, and on to St. Albins and Montreal.
"Vermonter" service now takes Amtrak owned track to Springfield, east on the CSX to Palmer MA and a junction with New England Central. Then north on NECR tracks to Bellows Falls and the newly installed welded rails to St. Albins.
The line between Springfield, Northhampton, Greenfield, to Bellows Falls is owned by "Pan Am Railways" (AKA Gilford). It had deteriorated to a 9 mph freight line unsuited for passenger trains. Two years to upgrade the track for Amtrak standards and re-build stations is not unreasonable. Rebuilding "roadbed", checking "bridges", "tie" replacement, "welded rail" installation, and grade crossing protection all take time and money.
Don U. TCA 73-5735
DMU: When was the original track upgrade grant issued for the MA portion ?. Was it at the same time as Vermont got theirs ?
The money was allocated early last year. These things take time "in certain hands."
http://sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/news/?id=1b439aa2-a588-4fae-8eff-eb54c8a5a8d1
Editor Emeritus, This Week at Amtrak
Found this on MBTA web site. Appears to be MBTA is going to be Ma portion oversight agency. No wonder the project will proceed at a snails pace.
http://www.mbta.com/about_the_mbta/news_events/?id=22881&month=&year=
Ma DOT signed agreement and money grant on June 30,2011 and just now getting the project started. Should have IMHO started design, engineering, ROW acquisition, and negoitiations with Pan AM Southern immediately July 1.
Anyone have an idea of how many miles are involved in Ma from Vermont border (? may be somewhere soouth where present Vermonter goes off ) to Springfield ?
For the time being, the "Vermonter" makes a 15 mile backing move on the CSX main to pickup the NECR tracks at Palmer MA.
The "Central Vermont" (now known as "New England Central" RailAmerica) tracks run south out of St. Albans to Essex Jct. (Burlington), Montpelier Jct., White River Jct., Bellows Falls, and Brattleboro. At East Northfield MA the NECR tracks head south-east to Amherst (Univ.MA), Palmer MA where it meets the CSX (Boston & Albany), and on to New London CT.
The tracks north from Springfield MA to Northfield belong to a joint venture between " Pan Am Railway"(Guilford Transportation) and "Norfolk Southern". Under the "Patriot Corridor" agreement "Norfolk Southern" is rebuilding track while "Pan Am" supplys the motive power and crews. My railroad map shows an even 50 rail miles between East Northfield and Springfield. I would think it's roadbed and grade crossings that will hold up up construction.
South of Springfield MA the line is owned by Amtrak, the state of Connecticut is double tracking it for commuter service. Its 80mph service. Amtrak runs a "Push Pull" shuttle between Springfield, Hartford, to New Haven where you can transfer to the hourly Bullet Train Service for Boston, New York, or Washington.
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Don thanks: If NS (?) does the 50 miles track work ( & signals ) it would appear that lack of materials would be the only hold up once any engineering work is complete ? NS IMHO does not waste time on track work and certainly PAN AM could have long service suspensions with their lack of traffic on that route ?
Did I read somewhere that the route from Springfiel - to Northfield will be built with enough sidings for Ma to extend some of the New Haven - Springfield commuter trains to Northfield?. That would probably require sidings of 1 - 2 miles length every 8 - 10 miles ? Anyone any idea of number of siding, length, and spacing on the route now. That may require some engineering ? Of course a completely compatible PTC new signal system will take some engineering. Maybe approximately 28 - 30 blocks with 12 ( 6 sidings ) interlockings ?
D.Carleton The money was allocated early last year. These things take time "in certain hands."
Many of the HSIPR stimulus grant projects have only been obligated in the past 3-4 months. Nothing unusual or slow about Mass not able to get started until now. To get the funding obligated for a construction project takes time with engineering review, preparing EIS documents, detailed costing, contractor bid process, getting the agreements signed with the host railroads. The FRA also had to ramp up on staff and oversight capability to review and sign off on the projects. All that has taken time. Unfortunately a lot of these projects could not get signed off on and started before the end of construction season in the north. Next year will be very busy for construction work on a number of Amtrak corridors.
Mass plans for the Knowledge Corridor are to run up to 7 daily trains total to Northfield MA, one of those being the Vermonter. Most would be northward extension of the Springfield to New Haven shuttle service. Vermont wants a second daily train over the Vermonter route to St. Albans. That could be provided by a Boston to Montreal train going through Springfield which MA is looking at implementing. $71.2 million for the 49 mile Knowledge corridor will result in a lot of improvements.
With the funding in place for double tracking and speed increases on the New Haven to Springfield line (more funding I gather is needed for the 110 mph speed upgrades), new intermodal station in Springfield MA and 2 new stations in MA, rebuilt CT River line in central MA, upgrading the Vermonter route to St. Albans, and MA owning the BOS to Worcester tracks, central New England will see considerable improvements in passenger rail service in the coming years.
As speed goes up so does Grade Crossing Protection, you go:
From 9 mph to 150 mph it's a "Cross Buck", to "Flashers", to Gates, to Four Quadrant Gates, to No Grade Crossings allowed.
As speed goes up can you mix Freights or only run them in the middle of the night?
Alan F D.Carleton: The money was allocated early last year. These things take time "in certain hands." Many of the HSIPR stimulus grant projects have only been obligated in the past 3-4 months. Nothing unusual or slow about Mass not able to get started until now. To get the funding obligated for a construction project takes time with engineering review, preparing EIS documents, detailed costing, contractor bid process, getting the agreements signed with the host railroads. The FRA also had to ramp up on staff and oversight capability to review and sign off on the projects. All that has taken time. Unfortunately a lot of these projects could not get signed off on and started before the end of construction season in the north. Next year will be very busy for construction work on a number of Amtrak corridors.
D.Carleton: The money was allocated early last year. These things take time "in certain hands."
On the other hand perhaps waiting until next track work season is a blessing. With the storms in New England this past season extra work would have stressed things even thinner than it was. We shall see if Mother Nature is in a more cooperative mood next year.
Just another comment, you can not lay "Welded Rail" in the cold of Winter or the Heat of Summer.
D.Carleton No, “allocated” does not mean the same as “granted.” The monies for the second track between Rensselaer and Schenectady have been allocated so many times through the years that the total would now be enough to build a new transcontinental railroad. But Allen is right; because it is government money there are several more hoops to jump through to get anything done such as an EIS on an already existing ROW with an active track. And then someone in elected office has to “champion” the cause and shepherd the process through to a finish. On the other hand perhaps waiting until next track work season is a blessing. With the storms in New England this past season extra work would have stressed things even thinner than it was. We shall see if Mother Nature is in a more cooperative mood next year.
No, “allocated” does not mean the same as “granted.” The monies for the second track between Rensselaer and Schenectady have been allocated so many times through the years that the total would now be enough to build a new transcontinental railroad. But Allen is right; because it is government money there are several more hoops to jump through to get anything done such as an EIS on an already existing ROW with an active track. And then someone in elected office has to “champion” the cause and shepherd the process through to a finish.
As I wrote, the funding for many of the HSIPR projects has been OBLIGATED in the past 3-4 months. The obligated funds have been contractually committed and are available for the state agency and contractors to start drawing on. The $91.2 million for Albany to Schenectady track work was recently offiicially obligated with the lease agreement by Amtrak with CSX to take over the Poughkeepsie to Schenectady section of the Empire corridor.
The FRA list of obligated HSIPR projects now stand as of 130 and totals almost $8.1 billion as of Oct. 24. The list is available at http://www.fra.dot.gov/rpd/HSIPR/ProjectFunding.aspx and is updated as projects get the contracts signed and funds committed.
Monday Oct 24
Recently State and Federal officals went to Greenfield MA to announce $73 million for the rebuilding of the Connecticut River Line (Springfield, Northhampton, Greenfield to Brattleboro). Also Springfield got a boost with a $6 million award to rebuild and re-open Union Station. Work will get underway in 2012.
The planned re-installation of the second track from New Haven to Springfield is due to be complete by 2016 at a cost of$880 million. The second track had been removed when Amtrak took over the former New Haven Railroad line and installed welded rail.
So will all these new trains and the Vermonter have to pull east into Springfield Station and then back out and down the Pan Am line in order to go north? I know there are plans to rebuild the station, but were there ever platforms on the B&M or could platforms be built there?
Conn.River trains had to back in and out even in the
"good old days".
If Vermont is to run a second round trip, have they considered ending (turning) one of them in Burlington?
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