28 replies to this topic

[Shortline Bus]

Also New Haven and Hartford are planning a BRT route that would run between both cities. The MNRR goes to New Haven. You can board an MNRR train and get off at New Haven before boarding a bus to Hartford. That is a cheaper way to travel than Amtrak.

Or even better if you going to/from NYC and Hartford is use Peter Pan/Greyhound as well.:eek:

[T to Dyre Avenue]

yea but doesnt Amtrak do that already?

But Amtrak's service is aimed more at intercity travel, than commuter/travel. The current Inland Route service doesn't run frequently enough for most commuters to, from and between New Haven, Hartford and Springfield to use. That's where the commuter rail service comes in.

Also New Haven and Hartford are planning a BRT route that would run between both cities. The MNRR goes to New Haven. You can board an MNRR train and get off at New Haven before boarding a bus to Hartford. That is a cheaper way to travel than Amtrak.

The BRT route is planned to run between Hartford and New Britain, not New Haven. The BRT route won't connect to Metro-North, because New Britain and New Haven are far from each other.

[Interested Rider]

Still a few years off before its up. All I know its a CON DOT project

I checked on the status of the project through the National Association of Railroad Passengers website and the latest information was from September 2011. There was a reference to money being given for the design and preliminary engineering for a 6 mile stretch of new double track from Hartford to Windsor and for an 8500' track for the Hartford yard.

[Roadcruiser1]

Then let's extend the MNRR to New Britain. I am all for it.

[nostalgia]

I go to Springfield at least once a year and the problem is that it is single track for most of the route. The shuttle trains from New Haven are two cars with an engine (push-pull) each way. If my memory serves me correctly, they are supposed to add a second track on the route beginning this year that would improve the service going up there.
What they should do is add a stop at the National Basketball Hall of Fame at Springfield which is on the route and would increase ridership.

The problem with the route is that it's S-L-O-W. It takes about 90 minutes to go 60 miles.. The MAS is 80 for most of the route. There's a slow stretch through Wallingford. The single track stretches are in CT. Schedules are designed for meets at the end of double track segments. It's double track in MA.

I don't think the speed can be increased without eliminating a lot of the grade crossings.

Traffic isn't evenly distributed during the day. There is more southbound traffic in the morning and more northbound traffic in the evening. I'm not sure a second track is necessary. Reducing travel time would have a greater impact on service.

[UTC Bus Roster]

The game plan (from what I understand) is for CDOT to take over operations on the Springfield line with the next few years. Amtrak would still run their long-distance trains (Vermonter) over this line. Windsor Locks station is schedeuled to be eliminated and replaced by a Bradley Airport station a few miles north. Windsor Locks is an Am-shack, with very poor parking facilities and no handicapped access.
Additional staions would be added (North Haven, Cheshire) once CDOT took over operations. The entire line needs to be double-tracked for any commuter service to be implemented.
We will just have to wait and see if this comes to fruition.
BTW, the last time passenger service was operated from Waterbury to Hartford was way back in 1955! There was a big flood that year that washed away one of the major bridges on that line. The bridge was eventually replaced, but passenger service was never restored on that line. The track would definitely need to be upgraded, as it sees sporadic freight service by the B&M. Passenger service on the Waterbury line is definitely not good for commuters. It has the worst service of any of Metro-North's lines. No through service (change at Bridgeport), first train arrives at GCT after 8 AM. For the evening commute, the train leaves just after 4 PM, and the next train isn't until just after 7 PM. You just can't use that line for commuting! I have a friend who lives near the Derby-Shelton station, and he drives to Fairfield station on the main line because the service is so pathetic!

[qjtransitmaster]

neither is the Waterbury trains.

If the question is can the locomotives physically use those tracks to go up there, the answer is yes, but legally no since Amtrak has trackage rights to their hartford and springfield line.

The track conditon is probably very poor since noone really goes up there

Then let's extend the MNRR to New Britain. I am all for it.

YOU BEAT ME TO IT IT WILL IMPROVE RIDERSHIP ON THAT BRANCH AND allow LTD stop service on the main new haven line upto bridgeport

[qjtransitmaster]

The game plan (from what I understand) is for CDOT to take over operations on the Springfield line with the next few years. Amtrak would still run their long-distance trains (Vermonter) over this line. Windsor Locks station is schedeuled to be eliminated and replaced by a Bradley Airport station a few miles north. Windsor Locks is an Am-shack, with very poor parking facilities and no handicapped access.
Additional staions would be added (North Haven, Cheshire) once CDOT took over operations. The entire line needs to be double-tracked for any commuter service to be implemented.
We will just have to wait and see if this comes to fruition.
BTW, the last time passenger service was operated from Waterbury to Hartford was way back in 1955! There was a big flood that year that washed away one of the major bridges on that line. The bridge was eventually replaced, but passenger service was never restored on that line. The track would definitely need to be upgraded, as it sees sporadic freight service by the B&M. Passenger service on the Waterbury line is definitely not good for commuters. It has the worst service of any of Metro-North's lines. No through service (change at Bridgeport), first train arrives at GCT after 8 AM. For the evening commute, the train leaves just after 4 PM, and the next train isn't until just after 7 PM. You just can't use that line for commuting! I have a friend who lives near the Derby-Shelton station, and he drives to Fairfield station on the main line because the service is so pathetic!

pathetic can not even begin to describe the waterbury branch AND RIDERSHIP IS STILL HIGH ON IT a waterbury train pulled in FULL!!!! noone can say there is no demand seriously waterbury service is basically like this here is what I think after seeing the schedule

THE SCHEDULE IS ONLY GOOD AT BLOWING!!!!

Edited by qjtransitmaster, 17 April 2012 - 01:04 AM.

[Q23 Central Terminal]

pathetic can not even begin to describe the waterbury branch AND RIDERSHIP IS STILL HIGH ON IT a waterbury train pulled in FULL!!!! noone can say there is no demand seriously waterbury service is basically like this here is what I think after seeing the schedule

THE SCHEDULE IS ONLY GOOD AT BLOWING!!!!

Well we'll just have to wait until all major projects are done.