Rhode Island Commuter Rail

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USrail21

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Does a commuter rail in Rhode Island sound like a good idea? To me, yes. The line will go from Providence to Westerly on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor. Stations are Providence, Providence Airport, Wickford Junction, Kingston, Kenyon, Wood River Junction, Bradford, then Westerly. Trains will use an AEM-7 locomotive and will have 6 cars with a locomotive at each end. Maximum speed is 78 MPH. End to end will take around an hour and twenty minutes.
 
USrail21 said:
Does a commuter rail in Rhode Island sound like a good idea? To me, yes. The line will go from Providence to Westerly on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor. Stations are Providence, Providence Airport, Wickford Junction, Kingston, Kenyon, Wood River Junction, Bradford, then Westerly. Trains will use an AEM-7 locomotive and will have 6 cars with a locomotive at each end. Maximum speed is 78 MPH. End to end will take around an hour and twenty minutes.
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Actually, I think you should use a GG1. I've always wanted to see those running again. And since they're just as likely to make new GG1s as they are to make new AEM-7s, we might as well go with the more antiquated technology.

Also, I think the trains should stop at Boston Back Bay, but not Boston South, because it's only 1-mile from Back Bay, and people won't mind walking.
 
MBTA's Providence/Stoughton line already provides quite a bit of service to the Providence airport, and improvements are underway to extend the line to Wickford Junction which should be open in 2012. Rhode Island is also funding an extension to this (which would probably be its own service called South County Commuter Rail) as far as Westerly which could connect to an extension of Connecticut's Shore line East commuter rail from New London which would provide continuous public transit from northern Massachusetts as far as Newark, Delaware, and if Maryland extends MARC up to Newark, you'll have non-Amtrak transit as far as Fredericksburg, VA.

Also, the existing MBTA equipment can already do 100mph I think with single diesels. This is also the segment of the Northeast Corridor that lets the Acela reach 150mph so excessively slower commuter trains would just slow it and the 125mph Regionals down more than they already do. Also, AEM-7s are no longer produced, you'd need with something based off of NJT's ALP-46a, or the new Amtrak locomotive, ACS-64 unless you want to buy used ALP-44s from NJT or used AEM-7s from Amtrak once they start retiring them.
 
There are a few planned lines and alot of infill stations for Rhode Island ,just no $$$ for it. The Commuter Rail lines would connect and serve the following large towns and cities.... Theres no $$$ to build these lines in one shot even though there small and cheap compared to neighboring states. My Friend estimates all the plans below to cost between 7 to 12 Billion $$$.

Newport

Middletown

Tiverton

Central Falls

East Greenwich

Kingston

Quonset

Woonsocket

Pawtucket

Cranston

Warwick

Light Rail would service these cities / towns

Providence

Pawtucket

East Providence

West Warwick

Cranston

Riverside

Warren

Streetcars would service these cities

Providence

East Providence

Cranston

North Providence
 
Tracktwentynine said:
USrail21 said:
Does a commuter rail in Rhode Island sound like a good idea? To me, yes. The line will go from Providence to Westerly on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor. Stations are Providence, Providence Airport, Wickford Junction, Kingston, Kenyon, Wood River Junction, Bradford, then Westerly. Trains will use an AEM-7 locomotive and will have 6 cars with a locomotive at each end. Maximum speed is 78 MPH. End to end will take around an hour and twenty minutes.
Click to expand...
Actually, I think you should use a GG1. I've always wanted to see those running again. And since they're just as likely to make new GG1s as they are to make new AEM-7s, we might as well go with the more antiquated technology.
Click to expand...
Are you kidding? I would like to see K-4s used. That would be so cool :rolleyes:
 
All I want is a rail line from my house to KIN, so I don't have to drive those 4 miles! I sometimes have to carry lunch with me for that trip!
laugh.gif
 
I want a commuter line powered by Big Boys! Alco could open shops in Rhode Island to build them!

I mean, since talk is cheap and we can present any wild thing that enters our minds like it is the best thing since sliced bread, why not? Practical? Realistic? Financially viable? Who cares!?! :giggle:
 
They are talking about adding streetcar service into Providence. I think that would be nice because currently the city is only served by RIPTA buses and then they have this weird "trolley" route. Except the trolley is a bus that looks like a trolley.

In regards to a commuter rail, they are making a station in wickford and I believe that the idea is to have the Providence line of the MBTA extend south to Wickford and just extend the route that now currently runs from Boston South Station to Providence and then continues on to TF Green airport.

In regards to public transit into the city center, sadly downtown Providence isn't that vibrant in terms of employers/businesses. I am not sure how many people would utilize a commuter rail into Providence from South County. But then again a native Rhode Islander thinks traveling from someplace like Newport to Providence is a very long trip - its all the way across the bay! :help: Back me up on this one Dave :)
 
AlanB said:
USrail21 said:
Ryan said:
Stop posting.
Click to expand...
What, and see Amtrak just keep on doing the same old? Don't you want to see more trains? What kind of rail fan are you?
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And yet you yourself want to keep using old technology in the form of an AEM-7.
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The AEM-7 is not old. It can operate at 125 MPH. That is the third fastest type of Amtrak locomotive, behind Acela locomotives and HHP-8s. It is also electric.
 
Newport already has "trolley" service - those buses that look like a trolley!
laugh.gif


And I will back up amamba on the RI thinking. When i was an IRS auditor, people from Little Compton didn't want to drive to Providence - all 25 miles - because it is such a long trip!
mosking.gif
Either that or they had to stay overnight!
ohmy.gif


BREAKING NEWS!!!!!!!! MBTA service serving TF Green (Providence airport) to Boston South Station begins today (11/14)!
smile.gif
 
MattW said:
MBTA's Providence/Stoughton line already provides quite a bit of service to the Providence airport, and improvements are underway to extend the line to Wickford Junction which should be open in 2012. Rhode Island is also funding an extension to this (which would probably be its own service called South County Commuter Rail) as far as Westerly which could connect to an extension of Connecticut's Shore line East commuter rail from New London which would provide continuous public transit from northern Massachusetts as far as Newark, Delaware, and if Maryland extends MARC up to Newark, you'll have non-Amtrak transit as far as Fredericksburg, VA.

Also, the existing MBTA equipment can already do 100mph I think with single diesels. This is also the segment of the Northeast Corridor that lets the Acela reach 150mph so excessively slower commuter trains would just slow it and the 125mph Regionals down more than they already do. Also, AEM-7s are no longer produced, you'd need with something based off of NJT's ALP-46a, or the new Amtrak locomotive, ACS-64 unless you want to buy used ALP-44s from NJT or used AEM-7s from Amtrak once they start retiring them.
Click to expand...
A better extension of MARC is to Wilmington and shorten Newark-bound SEPTA trains to that station. MARC will stop at Churchman's Crossing between Newark and Wilmington.
 
USrail21 said:
AlanB said:
USrail21 said:
Ryan said:
Stop posting.
Click to expand...
What, and see Amtrak just keep on doing the same old? Don't you want to see more trains? What kind of rail fan are you?
Click to expand...
And yet you yourself want to keep using old technology in the form of an AEM-7.
Click to expand...
The AEM-7 is not old. It can operate at 125 MPH. That is the third fastest type of Amtrak locomotive, behind Acela locomotives and HHP-8s. It is also electric.
Click to expand...
The AEM-7's were built between 1979 & 1988. That makes them as young as 23 years old and as old as 32 years old. Thirty years for a locomotive is getting old, especially for ones that have been run into the ground like the AEM-7's. They haven't been given tender loving care, like say the old steam locomotives that still pull excursion trains today in the US.

This is why Amtrak already has under construction the replacements for the AEM-7's. They'll begin arriving in 2013, perhaps 1 will even show up for testing late next year.
 
USrail21 said:
MattW said:
MBTA's Providence/Stoughton line already provides quite a bit of service to the Providence airport, and improvements are underway to extend the line to Wickford Junction which should be open in 2012. Rhode Island is also funding an extension to this (which would probably be its own service called South County Commuter Rail) as far as Westerly which could connect to an extension of Connecticut's Shore line East commuter rail from New London which would provide continuous public transit from northern Massachusetts as far as Newark, Delaware, and if Maryland extends MARC up to Newark, you'll have non-Amtrak transit as far as Fredericksburg, VA.

Also, the existing MBTA equipment can already do 100mph I think with single diesels. This is also the segment of the Northeast Corridor that lets the Acela reach 150mph so excessively slower commuter trains would just slow it and the 125mph Regionals down more than they already do. Also, AEM-7s are no longer produced, you'd need with something based off of NJT's ALP-46a, or the new Amtrak locomotive, ACS-64 unless you want to buy used ALP-44s from NJT or used AEM-7s from Amtrak once they start retiring them.
Click to expand...
A better extension of MARC is to Wilmington and shorten Newark-bound SEPTA trains to that station. MARC will stop at Churchman's Crossing between Newark and Wilmington.
Click to expand...
What a silly idea, make all those commuters from Philly to Newark changes trains now in Wilmington. Railfans are supposed to be advocating for things to make the trains better; not worse! Making people change trains when it isn't necessary makes things worse.
 
Newark to Baltimore and D.C. is already approaching the upper limit between commuter rail and regional rail (which I guess you could argue it is, just with mostly commuter-oriented service) whereas Newark to Philly is well within traditional commuting radius.
 
It is more likely that DelDOT will extend its contract service with SEPTA to Perryville than MARC extending its service to Newark DE. Newark is an absolute godawful place to try to turn trains of two different systems. Perryville has room to do so.
 

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