It doesn’t make sense to me to commute people out of state for jobs, but this rail service will serve many other purposes, including service to Bradley Airport. I still believe we need to reconnect Western MA to Boston. I feel like I live in Western MA, Connecticut.
But this may just be the first step, I’m not giving up yet. : )
This MassLive link is really slow.
Please share widely!
that will almost certainly create new growth and jobs in Springfield. So, while yes, some Springfield area citizens may use it to get to Hartford for jobs, it can work the other way around too. In a few years with the train and a concerted around Springfield, this is exactly the type of project that can help resuscitate that region.
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p>The Hartford > Springfield & NB > Boston train projects are probably the two most important things this state can do to make sure that our state’s relative prosperity is a shared one.
And, it seems to me, perhaps getting Springfield – Hartford working will help add pressure to get Springfield – Worcester working, linking as much as possible. There currently is Springfield-Hartford-New Haven service, but that’s on Amtrak proper, for travelers and not commuters.
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p>I wonder: given that far more track is in CT, and given that the jobs are in CT, what would the state level breakdown in payment for the project be? 50:50? Something else?
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p>I wonder: in light of the supahtrain reference above, will they spend the extra money to allow for higher speed trains at a future date? It means high tension electrification, it means no at-grade crossings, it means wide and possibly banked turns, it means that all platforms are elevated, it means the right-of-ways are sufficiently wide, it means the tracks are far enough apart from each other to allow tilting cars, it means that there’s enough space entering stations to allow trains to bypass if necessary. It’s more expensive, but once you build a bridge it’s hard to justify building another one right away (see: East Lyme’s 102 year old swing bridge finally getting replaced).
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p>I wonder: will the commuter rail extend north of Springfield, so folks in Chicopee et al can ride the rail to work in Springfield?
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p>I wonder: will towns with commuter rail stations change zoning to encourage denser, mixed use growth near the train stations, which will allow for more jobs within walking distance of the train station and more people to live within walking distance of the train station? Will the states lean on communities to do just that?
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p>I wonder: will this help increase political support for the gas tax increase in the Springfield area? Will the gas tax whiners in Western MA increase their whining because they don’t have a choo-choo [written wearing asbestos gloves]?
choo choo and taxes. Hmmmmm. Yes, it just might help! I don’t know if whining will actually increase if we don’t get a choo choo, because I think most people are aware that the New Haven/Springfield proposal has been talked about for years. I do believe that it will open the doors to expanding rail service to the North, and East/West.
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p>I think ethics reform is pretty important as well to encourage people to stop whining about a gas tax increase.
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p>I have read that proration of the cost of the rail project has been considered, don’t remember where I read it, or the details.
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p>Thanks for the chuckle : )
I think it’s worth noting that the overwhelming majority of the gains in the “timetable speed” (the distance between two stations divided by the difference in scheduled arrival/departure times) of the northeast corridor was accomplished by eliminating the enormous number of segments where speed was restricted to 5-15 MPH.
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p>While high-speed trains, super-elevated curves, tilting cars, and so on are way cool (I love them too), the simple expedient of finding a way to let a conventional locomotive pull a conventional train at, say, 80-90 mph for most of its trip will work wonders for intermediate distance intercity rail travel.
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p>This, in itself, is still a significant undertaking. It requires major changes in signaling, track rights (freight vs passenger and all that), and perhaps even infrastructure ownership.
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p>I think it’s important that we not allow “the best” to become the enemy of “the better”.
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p>I call your attention to a 1907 New Haven RR Timetable, showing departures from Hartford at 5:05a, 8:30a, and 10:56a and 4.5 hour travel times.
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p>A first step, might be to resurrect timetables from a century ago and suggest that we meet those schedules — especially regarding train frequency and timetable speeds.
Since there are many commuters already traveling from Springfield and points north to jobs in and around Hartford, adding commuter rail service along this corridor would be a great way to both reduce the amount of automobile traffic and pollution and, as Ryan suggests, promote job creation in Springfield.
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p>I am with you on the need, too, for east-west trains. It is astounding that I can’t get to Boston by train for a morning meeting, and I hope that changes, too.
It will help to reduce traffic and pollution. Two much needed benefits.
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p>I do hope we get the East/West rail service, with a stop at Palmer Union Station. Even if it’s just on a limited basis to start. That alone would bring life back to this area, we need it.
I had a feeling the Knowledge Corridor would win over the
Population Corridor. The Knowledge Corridor will not help our South/Central MA area much.
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p>Looks like East/West Palmer service is taking a back seat, too. Pretty disappointing. The project is ready to go, and would have a huge impact. We’ll see.
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p>http://www.masslive.com/republ…
Low Cost…High Value…Reopen Palmer Union Station, it just makes sense!
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p>Palmer Wants Rail Service from http://www.abc40tv.com
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