Commuter service between Worcester (MA) and Providence (RI) proposed

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CHamilton

CHamilton

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Privately-funded US commuter service planned



USA: Plans for the USA’s ‘first privately-funded passenger rail service in almost 100 years’ have been announced by Boston Surface Commuter Railroad Co.

This would operate over the Providence & Worcester Railroad between the eponymous cities in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, offering a reliable alternative to unpredictable road journey times. A launch in 18 months to two years is envisaged.
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Of course, it's not really the first privately funded passenger in 100 years since All Aboard Florida is well on its way to beginning operations. Is there enough traffic between Worcester and Providence to operate commuter trains? It's seems a strange choice for an investor.
 
It is really odd that people keep talking about first privately funded passenger in 100 years, when we know that most of the passenger service before 1971 was privately funded.

A privately funded service between Saratoga and North Creek in NY State has been running for a couple of years now too, as have a few others here and there.
 
They might be referring to the first new service...but even then, I think there were oddball expansions of service through the 40s as some major cities sprawled. I know there were definitely long-haul commuter ops expanding at least through the late 20s (particularly out west). The best claim might be the first new private-sector commuter operator in that long...and that might be fair insofar as you didn't tend to have many full-blown new operators after a certain point.

My best guess is that this is a side-effect of the actual profitability of the Cape Flyer project. Focused though it has been thus far, it did turn a rather substantial profit if I'm not mistaken...and that seems to be getting some folks' attention.
 
MikefromCrete said:
Of course, it's not really the first privately funded passenger in 100 years since All Aboard Florida is well on its way to beginning operations. Is there enough traffic between Worcester and Providence to operate commuter trains? It's seems a strange choice for an investor.
Click to expand...
I gather there are a fair number of commuters from Worcester area who work in Providence (and maybe vice versa), but enough to support a fully privately funded service? I seriously doubt it. It is a very odd choice for a privately commuter corridor service. Not talking NYC, downtown Boston, Chicago here for large downtown business district with robust local transit connections. This would be a commuter service, which will have to keep prices down to compete. Which will make for thin operating margins at best.

Maybe this is actually an effort to prod the MBTA into looking at a Worcester to Providence service by raising the prospects of private competition?
 
afigg said:
MikefromCrete said:
Of course, it's not really the first privately funded passenger in 100 years since All Aboard Florida is well on its way to beginning operations. Is there enough traffic between Worcester and Providence to operate commuter trains? It's seems a strange choice for an investor.
Click to expand...
I gather there are a fair number of commuters from Worcester area who work in Providence (and maybe vice versa), but enough to support a fully privately funded service? I seriously doubt it. It is a very odd choice for a privately commuter corridor service. Not talking NYC, downtown Boston, Chicago here for large downtown business district with robust local transit connections. This would be a commuter service, which will have to keep prices down to compete. Which will make for thin operating margins at best.
Maybe this is actually an effort to prod the MBTA into looking at a Worcester to Providence service by raising the prospects of private competition?
Click to expand...
Interesting, it does seem like MBTA could possibly get into the mix here. It would be great to have Worcester-Springfield and Worcester-Providence service. But with the change in Massachusetts's governor's office to Republican and subsidies needed for this it sseems like a looooooong long shot.
 
There are questions floating around about this venture, such as:

Do they have occupancy rights at the MBTA/Amtrak stations in Worcester and Providence?

Do they have trackage rights at the same locations?

Where is the equipment coming from and what is it?

Normally a proposed schedule is published; one hasn't been for this service.

In short, I really have my doubts about whether this operation is for real or just a scam. Time will tell!
 
I'd love to be proven wrong, but I can't see this going anywhere.

The state of RI has been studying commuter rail between Providence and Woonsocket, with a possible later extension to Worcester. Providence-Worcester is not an unreasonable market for commuter/regional rail service, especially if MBTA service is improved/expanded/upgraded. But privately-operated/not subsidized? I just can't see it.
 

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