Vermonter Reroute: Any updates?

[afigg]

News update on the Knowledge Corridor re-route project: Countdown begins for return of passenger rail service to region, Confirms that the track work and station construction is expected to be completed by late 2014 which implies an early or Spring 2015 re-route. While state agreed to buy the 49 miles of track last year, MA and Pan Am Railways are still negotiating over the sale. The writer of the article appears to be confused between adding additional Vermonters and extending the Springfield shuttles northward, but MA plans to have multiple daily frequencies to Greenfield are in the State Rail Plan.

Saw these links on rr.net to photos of the track work posted by the MassDOT which show the improved track bed and new CWR tracks.

 

[edjbox]

Any new updates on when this service on this line will come??

Also, trains would still have to back out of Springfield, MA, in order to go north, based on the railroad maps I've looked at

 

[neroden]

MassDOT is impressively silent on matters of project schedules. We've seen this with several other projects including most MBTA projects. Stuff happens when it happens and there's no prior announcement. It can be kind of irritating.

 

[afigg]

Any new updates on when this service on this line will come??

Also, trains would still have to back out of Springfield, MA, in order to go north, based on the railroad maps I've looked at

There was a post a few days ago in the commuter rail form about a newspaper article on commuter service in Pioneer Valley to Greenfield MA with 5 to 6 (!) daily trains by the end or 2016. I thought the sources for the newspaper article are way too optimistic on the timeframe for extending commuter trains north of Springfield when CT is not planning to complete the upgrades for the funded portion of the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield corridor until early to mid 2017.

However, the article said that the CT River line will open in January with 1 train a day to Holyoke, Northampton, Greenfield. In short, the Vermonter. So, that is the current target month.

As for MassDOT and the MBTA, yes, they are not the most transparent or open of transportation and transit agencies. Unless it is a major high profile project, the MBTA does not appear to put much effort into maintaining up to date status info on their website.

 

[battalion51]

Trains will likely have to back out/in to Springfield if they're going to go up the "Knowledge Corridor," I haven't seen any plans to create a loop of any sort. However, that short backup move will be far more efficient than the Palmer shuffle since you're dealing with dispatcher controlled switches, not having to switch ends, and not being in the middle of a freight yard.