New Haven - Springfield Shuttle Third Car

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One of the Springfield Shuttle train sets is now operating with a third car. This is due to an increase In ridership lately and some instances where some CTrail riders got kicked off because the train was completely full. This set is known to run on weekday trains 495, 470, 475, and 494. Picture below, next to train you can see the ongoing high level platform construction: /monthly_2018_11/IMG_4577.thumb.JPG.ef0754a1ad11121d61d9518eb026f44d.JPG
 

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It’s actually west looking east as this is Springfield station but once the train pulls out of the station and turns the big curve it’s heading south so your looking at the south end of the train.
 
Thanks for the location direction.  That helps since its been years since  visited that station.  Now one more question can you number the tracks in view ?
 
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The closest to the camera is a temporary shoo-fly track that was constructed as a go around for trains when they had to do some excavation to waterproof the tunnel for the new intermodal center in the historic station which required temporarily closing some tracks and demolishing the canopies and stairwell houses for two of the platforms. After that is unused platform A also known as platform 1. Next is track 1 followed by track 2 which are the former Boston and Albany mainline tracks now part of CSX. Track 1 is used mainly by freight trains and is no longer used for any passenger boarding. Amtrak only really uses it when they have to turn trains around using the Springfield wye. Track 2 is where all Lake Shore Limited boardings happen from the platform just beyond it (platform 2/B) which is where Amtrak's property starts. The remaining tracks are owned by Amtrak and mainly serve the Amtrak services on the Springfield line plus the Vermonter and the CTrail commuter trains. The first one track 2A is connected to the CSX tracks but also can connect to the New Haven - Springfield line via a switch from CSX track 2 just west of the station. It is normally only used for laying over Springfield Shuttle trainsets, but with the platform C construction ongoing they use it for some Shuttle boardings. After track 2A is track 4, which is the closed one that's covered over for construction. Just past it is the platform C Construction site. On the other side of that is track 6, followed by track 8, and finally platform 4/D and the Amtrak station. Someday the Amtrak station is supposed to move into the new intermodal center but it is unclear when that is happening. I would assume it would be upon platform completion at the latest. Tracks 4, 6, and 8 are the main tracks normally used for boardings for north-south service.
 
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The closest to the camera is a temporary shoo-fly track that was constructed as a go around for trains when they had to do some excavation to waterproof the tunnel for the new intermodal center in the historic station which required temporarily closing some tracks and demolishing the canopies and stairwell houses for two of the platforms. After that is unused platform A also known as platform 1. Next is track 1 followed by track 2 which are the former Boston and Albany mainline tracks now part of CSX. Track 1 is used mainly by freight trains and is no longer used for any passenger boarding. Amtrak only really uses it when they have to turn trains around using the Springfield wye. Track 2 is where all Lake Shore Limited boardings happen from the platform just beyond it (platform 2/B) which is where Amtrak's property starts. The remaining tracks are owned by Amtrak and mainly serve the Amtrak services on the Springfield line plus the Vermonter and the CTrail commuter trains. The first one track 2A is connected to the CSX tracks but also can connect to the New Haven - Springfield line via a switch from CSX track 2 just west of the station. It is normally only used for laying over Springfield Shuttle trainsets, but with the platform C construction ongoing they use it for some Shuttle boardings. After track 2A is track 4, which is the closed one that's covered over for construction. Just past it is the platform C Construction site. On the other side of that is track 6, followed by track 8, and finally platform 4/D and the Amtrak station. Someday the Amtrak station is supposed to move into the new intermodal center but it is unclear when that is happening. I would assume it would be upon platform completion at the latest. Tracks 4, 6, and 8 are the main tracks normally used for boardings for north-south service.
Whoah, you really know Springfield well. Kudos on that.  :)
 
Whoah, you really know Springfield well. Kudos on that.  :)
It's my home station so I've learned everything there is to know. There's some nifty historical photos I've seen but dont have any of them. Apparently there were other tracks back in its heyday. I think there may have been a track 3 at one time in the spot where the shoo-fly is.
 
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Cab Cars are not set on the North or South end on the Shuttles. This is more unpredictable then First Class car location on Acela trains. 
You're right on that account! 

3 times in the past 6 weeks, I've taken Acela #2172 to NHV then shuttle #412 toward SPG (I get off one stop short at WNL).   Each time, the loco was on the Springfield end, not the Hartford end.  Coincidence?  Company plan?  But then, with a 2 car train, who cares which end the loco is on?   And each time, the conductors had the rear car blocked off and everyone in the first car.  The car was about 20% full, as not every pair of seats on each side of the aisle had someone in them.   Compare that to standing room only on some 2 car shuttles reported by the media a couple weeks ago.

And not to return to or start another discussion, at 8AM this morning, at NHV, #2153 to WAS (on track 2) had the First Class car at the Boston end (rear of train),  and #2190 to Boston (on track 1) had the First Class car at the Washington end (also the rear of the train).  I've concluded that the only 'safe bet' when boarding First Class Acela (or the quiet car) is to wait in the middle of the platform.  If you see the FC or quiet car pass you as the train slows to a stop, head to the front.  Otherwise, head to the rear.   Now that I've finished my Acela joyrides to make it to AGR Select Executive level (I used 2 upgrades to FC today), it's back to business class on the regionals that I know are ALWAYS at the rear of the train and I'll wait at the appropriate location on the platform.  I've done it enough that one of the BC doors ends up within 10 feet from where I"m standing.
 
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I have taken that combo myself. That one is always fairly quiet. Not all that surprising as it connects to an Acela and not a NE Reg so most passengers on it are CTrail riders and its not a particularly high volume commuting time. It is nice to have the Acela option north of New Haven now though.

By the way you're welcome for that combo being available as an official connection from Amtrak. :)  

It may very well be that one three car set is all that is needed as there are certainly busy train times and dead train times on the line.
 
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It appears that Amtrak will be subbing some of the Shuttle equipment for Shore Line East equipment during the Thanksgiving holiday period. Beginning tomorrow until Sunday after Thanksgiving, certain shuttles have been replaced in the Arrow reservation system with "Holiday Commuter." This designation also appears for some extras running along the NEC. Amtrak's thanksgiving timetables describe that this terminology means that borrowed commuter equipment will be used.
 
There should be an alert on the Amtrak Alerts page and one on the Hartford Line page about that!
It's in the reservation system so hopefully people that hold tickets will get notified. Not all that surprising news given some of the busier train times and the recent kicking people off episode.
 
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It's in the reservation system so hopefully people that hold tickets will get notified. Not all that surprising news given some of the busier train times and the recent kicking people off episode.
I know. I just wish Amtrak was better about getting information out about things like this. The NEC timetables changed two days ago and they still aren't updated on the website.
 
I know. I just wish Amtrak was better about getting information out about things like this. The NEC timetables changed two days ago and they still aren't updated on the website.
Ill be interested to see if any local press report on it as the original "kicking people off" story made news. I'm sure some people will probably be annoyed when they board.
 
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It appears that Amtrak will be subbing some of the Shuttle equipment for Shore Line East equipment during the Thanksgiving holiday period. Beginning tomorrow until Sunday after Thanksgiving, certain shuttles have been replaced in the Arrow reservation system with "Holiday Commuter." This designation also appears for some extras running along the NEC. Amtrak's thanksgiving timetables describe that this terminology means that borrowed commuter equipment will be used.
Is it correct that Shore Line East equipment frequently runs on the Hartford Line, just not the Shuttle?
 
cpotisch said:
Is it correct that Shore Line East equipment frequently runs on the Hartford Line, just not the Shuttle?
They are frequently secondary equipment used on the CTrail operated Hartford Line trains. They primarily use MBB coaches leased from the MBTA but the SLE equipment is used also as needed. They have been doing ADA renovations on some of the MBB car restrooms so that the restrooms can be fully opened and there have also been some mechanical issues with the MBB sets. Hopefully they’ll get the bugs worked out of the CTrail MBB equipment before SLE returns to a full train schedule. When that happens presumably there will not be as much spare equipment lying around for CTDOT.

On the premier weekend for the Hartford Line service when they were offering free rides they did use SLE equipment for some of the Shuttles then with Amtrak crew due to the large turnout for the free rides and it might have been done in the past though I’m not sure. That weekend had great weather and many people rode. I have noticed that the CTrail crews still do not exceed 80 mph (their normal equipment is limited to that) when they use the SLE equipment but the Amtrak crews will when they are using it, at least the times I rode on it anyway.
 
Well hopefully Amtrak will get its act together and finish the catenary work on the remaining sidings so that the SLE can use the M8s.

Not sure how the Amtrak crews exceed 80 mph with the Mafersa coaches, as both those and the MBB coaches are limited to 80 as far as I know.
 
Well hopefully Amtrak will get its act together and finish the catenary work on the remaining sidings so that the SLE can use the M8s.

Not sure how the Amtrak crews exceed 80 mph with the Mafersa coaches, as both those and the MBB coaches are limited to 80 as far as I know.
I see that too in the max specs I actually wasn't aware of that. They were going over 90 when I rode on it opening weekend unless my GPS was reading wrong.
 
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