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I read an article in the rail news section stating that the Downeaster's ridership is down compared to its first year of service. To increase ridership Amtrak wants to increase the train's speed. That's a good thing. BUT why didn't anyone include a rail link from Boston's South Station to its North Station when they planned the big dig for highways. Or, it would have dovetailed nicely with a stop at Boston's Logan Int'l airport, and then continue north to Portland. It would've been prudent to have continuous train service from New York's Penn Sta. to destinations in Maine. That would have been a factor to consider to maintain patronage of this train.
Posts: 498 | From: New Hope, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2003
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I believe some transit folks wanted a rail link also, but didn't have the political clout to get it (the North-South connection) in the Big Dig plan.
Posts: 874 | From: South Bay (LA County), Calif, USA | Registered: Aug 2000
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There are two remaining possibilities for NYP-Maine points, IIRC.
1) There was a railroad bridge from the Allston freight yards into Cambridge. I don't know if it still stands or its status. I am not even sure if it connects with the ex-B&M lines north or to North Station. But maybe it does, and could be put to use (A rail link between North and South Stations was proposed. Who knows why it wasn't included the plan, but its ommission seems foolish to most people I've discussed the topic with).
2) I believe there are still fairly good rails linking Worcestor with either Haverhill or Exeter on The Downeaster's Route. A train could be operated from NYP on the Inland Route through Springfield and Worcestor into Maine. I always thought this would make a nice overnight ride, like the old State of Maine. There could be a section for South Station too.The train could leave NYC around 11:45 PM and get into Portland around 730AM. The Boston section would get into South Station around 5AM (or 6AM, if the schedule was padded just a bit). This would fill a service gap of sorts, since there's no service leaving NYC for Boston between 8PM and 315AM. The last flights leave at 9PM. Greyhound, with several late departures during the night, essentially has no competition at all.
Posts: 284 | From: Ithaca, NY USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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I had been planning a side trip from NYPenn to Portland, Maine this Fall but the inconvenient connect service from Boston (south) to Boston North made it a bit, well, inconvenient. Just the fact that I would have had to get off Amtrak, then take the city's metro tube from one end of town to the other, rather than a direct connect from NYPenn station to Portland made it undesirable. So I cancelled the trip and just stayed inn NYC.
Posts: 497 | From: Clarksburg, West Virginia | Registered: Oct 2003
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Oh, the connection isn't that bad. Amtrak provides a dedicated minivan from Back Bay Station to North station. No Metro ride is necessary. "Carpe Diem De Amtrak!" ("Seize the Day of the Amtrak Ride!")
Posts: 284 | From: Ithaca, NY USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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1) There was a railroad bridge from the Allston freight yards into Cambridge. I don't know if it still stands or its status. [/B]
As far as I know it is still there. This was/is used by B&A/NYC/Conrail [NS or CSX?] to interchange with the B&M yard near North Station. The line continued further east as there are also some B&A heritage spurs north and east of Boston.
This would be an awkward move for Amtrak, as it would be a large "saw" move and I think the track speed limits are low.
Posts: 874 | From: South Bay (LA County), Calif, USA | Registered: Aug 2000
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The railroad bridge is still used; in fact by the Downeaster to access the car shops which are over by the South Station. Speed is pretty slow - fast walk might beat it.
Posts: 518 | From: Maynard, MA, USA | Registered: Sep 2000
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I liked Dave Sommer's #2 suggestion above, but it would require cooperation from Guilford Transportation which owns the right-of-way. Dave Fink runs that company and he just does not want passenger trains on his system. Amtrak had the devil of a time getting issues of speed and liability on the Boston to Portland route ironed out with him and I don't see Dave being particularly overjoyed at having another passenger train to worry about.
Posts: 518 | From: Maynard, MA, USA | Registered: Sep 2000
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Thanks people! It sure is nice to know that there is a possibility of track linkage to points in Maine. Still think the best route for Amtrak would be through Boston.
Posts: 498 | From: New Hope, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2003
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