THAMES RIVER BRIDGE TO BE CLOSED TO RAIL TRAFFIC JUNE 14-17 FOR REPLACEMENT OF 90-YEAR OLD VERTICAL LIFT SPAN CONCURRENT MAINTENANCE “BLITZ” ON NORTHEAST CORRIDOR WILL UPGRADE INFRASTRUCTURE, REQUIRE SERVICE CANCELLATIONS AND ADJUSTMENTS BETWEEN NEW YORK AND BOSTON
NEW YORK – After more than two years of preparation and construction, Amtrak will replace the movable span of the 90-year-old Thames River Bridge that carries Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor tracks between Groton and New London, Conn., Saturday, June 14 through Tuesday, June 17. Amtrak rail service will be affected between New Haven and Boston on those dates. During the outage, Amtrak will install a new vertical lift span to replace the movable bascule portion of the bridge, marking the final stage of a multi-year, $83 million project designed to improve the reliability of the bridge, reduce the chance of operational failures and minimize train delays. “The aged drawbridge will be replaced by a more efficient vertical lift bridge that rises between two towers,” said Frank Vacca, Amtrak Chief Engineer. “Once this is complete, rail passengers will be able to depend on a reliably operating lift span for the better part of this century.” Over the years, more and more train travelers have crossed the bridge. The number of passengers taking Amtrak trains over the bridge rose from 1.4 million in 2002 to 2.2 million in 2007. Today, the bridge handles 36 passenger trains and two freight trains every weekday. Taking advantage of the train traffic outage occasioned by the bridge span replacement, Amtrak will conduct its first maintenance “blitz” over the same four-day period between New Haven, Conn. and Boston, Mass.. This major investment in the New England region will accomplish multiple major infrastructure repair and replacement projects that will result in smoother and more reliable rail service and reduce the need for future service disruptions due to maintenance work. Planned Production Tasks During the Four-Day Maintenance “Blitz”: · Replacement of 3,600 concrete and wood ties in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut · Remove switch at Canton Junction, Massachusetts · Surfacing of four interlockings (track switch combinations) and 11 miles of track in Connecticut and Rhode Island. · Install an ADA-compliant tactile edge surface on platforms at Providence station · Install concrete and wood ties at five interlockings and two wayside switches · Repairs to movable bridges at Connecticut River and Niantic River in Connecticut and to fixed bridges at Usquepaug River, Hunts River, Pawtucket River in Rhode Island and the Central Vermont Railroad Bridge in Connecticut. · To accommodate these projects, the following service cancellations and adjustments will be made for travel between Boston, New Haven and New York: · Acela Express service will be cancelled between New York and Boston. (Acela Express service between New York and Washington will continue to operate according to published schedules.) · All Regional trains will be cancelled between Boston and New Haven (by way of Providence) while some Regional trains will be cancelled between New Haven and New York. · A special northbound and southbound train will operate between Washington, New Haven and Boston (by way of Springfield) between Sunday June 15 and Tuesday June 17. For detailed schedule information, visit Amtrak.com or call 1-800-USA-RAIL. · On Wednesday June 18, Regional Trains 95 and 171 will be cancelled between Boston and New Haven. Otherwise, all other trains normally using the Thames River Bridge will resume service according to the published schedules, beginning June 18. · Shore Line East commuter rail service and MBTA service will not be affected during this outage.
Passengers wishing to travel between Boston and New Haven are urged to contact Peter Pan and Greyhound bus lines for information on scheduled intercity bus service available between points in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Amtrak has notified both Greyhound Lines, Inc. (www.greyhound.com) and Peter Pan Bus Lines (www.peterpanbus.com) and local commuter service companies about the rail outage. The public is urgently reminded that during the four-day maintenance blitz, it is still important to refrain from walking on or near the tracks, as work train equipment and local commuter trains will continue to operate. Trespassing on the tracks is not only dangerous, it is illegal. Cross tracks only at designated pedestrian or roadway crossings and observe and obey all warning signs and signals. About Amtrak
Amtrak provides intercity passenger rail service to more than 500 destinations in 46 states on a 22,000-mile route system.
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