[ansky]

Originally Posted by JayCT

I think Amtrak abandoned the second track about 25 years ago. They spent millions removing one of the two tracks that were there. The state tried to fight it because the line still had passenger and freight service on one track which made it difficult to improve service. If the tracks were kept they would not have needed to spend as much adding a second track and you would likely see service today instead of in two years. Jay

Why did they remove the tracks? It must have cost Amtrak money to remove the tracks, and what is the benefit to Amtrak? Wouldn't it have been cheaper just to leave them there?

25 years ago sounds about right. I used to travel between NYC and Berlin back in the mid-1990's and there was only 1 track at that time.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by ansky

Why did they remove the tracks? It must have cost Amtrak money to remove the tracks, and what is the benefit to Amtrak? Wouldn't it have been cheaper just to leave them there?

25 years ago sounds about right. I used to travel between NYC and Berlin back in the mid-1990's and there was only 1 track at that time.

If they left them, they would have had to maintain them and possibly upgrade them. They thought it was cheaper to remove them. Jay

[DonCarlodiCalatrava]

The Springfield--New Haven commuter line is a great idea.

Many people (including retirees like me, as well as families with children but modest incomes) want to use the Metroline from New Haven to New York for many purposes---recreational,educational, tourism, etc.--- not just commuting to work.

For children, trips to great New York institutions such as the American Museum of Natural History, Statue of Liberty, Met Museum of Art and many more may very well be life-changing. Given the crushing mediocrity of public schools, the educational impact on children of a visit to the Museum of Natural History and Hayden Planetarium may be electrifying

But Amtrak from Springfield to New Haven is expensive, and for many people and families the cost of Amtrak from Springfield to New York is prohibitive.

Especially for older citizens, in winter the one-hour drive from Springfield to New Haven is too dangerous to negotiate.
So a Springfield- New Haven commuter line would solve all these problems for many.

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by DonCarlodiCalatrava

The Springfield--New Haven commuter line is a great idea.

Many people (including retirees like me, as well as families with children but modest incomes) want to use the Metroline from New Haven to New York for many purposes---recreational,educational, tourism, etc.--- not just commuting to work.

For children, trips to great New York institutions such as the American Museum of Natural History, Statue of Liberty, Met Museum of Art and many more may very well be life-changing. Given the crushing mediocrity of public schools, the educational impact on children of a visit to the Museum of Natural History and Hayden Planetarium may be electrifying

But Amtrak from Springfield to New Haven is expensive, and for many people and families the cost of Amtrak from Springfield to New York is prohibitive.

Especially for older citizens, in winter the one-hour drive from Springfield to New Haven is too dangerous to negotiate.
So a Springfield- New Haven commuter line would solve all these problems for many.

Don't forget the great museums in Hartford and New Haven as well. It opens up a lot of great opportunities via train.

[jaydez]

It would be nice if they could have a single train plan from Hartford to Boston. The trains in CT are only concerned with getting people to and from NYC. They completely forget there is another amazing city Northeast of CT.

Right now to get to Boston you have to take Amtrak to New Haven then to Boston and its $$$$

[Mike 75]

Originally Posted by jaydez

It would be nice if they could have a single train plan from Hartford to Boston. The trains in CT are only concerned with getting people to and from NYC. They completely forget there is another amazing city Northeast of CT.

Right now to get to Boston you have to take Amtrak to New Haven then to Boston and its $$$$

There used to be one or two Amtrak trains a day that would run from Hartford to Boston via Springfield and Worcester. It was terribly slow - I think it took something like 3 hours. But the reality is that Boston is too far from the population centers of CT to justify commuter service.

[FutureTown]

Hartford to PVD honestly sounds better for Hartford County and Eastern CT folks. Boston is just too up north. I mean, living in FFC, I could be in Philly in the amount of time it takes me to be in Boston. x_x

[wtby4000]

The next-gen HSR alignment would bring high-speed service to northern Connecticut, but this is decades if not centuries away.



Amtrak Unveils Ambitious Northeast Corridor Plan, But It Would Take 30 Years to be Realized « The Transport Politic

[jxzz]

I have been following the news on the commuter train. I just noticed some dirt being shoveled at Wallingford new train station when I drove by Parker Street last week.

[jaydez]

Originally Posted by Mike 75

There used to be one or two Amtrak trains a day that would run from Hartford to Boston via Springfield and Worcester. It was terribly slow - I think it took something like 3 hours. But the reality is that Boston is too far from the population centers of CT to justify commuter service.

Hartford to Penn Station via Amtrak is about 3 hours. You could drive there in less than 2. Hartford to Boston in 3 hours is okay for a train. To drive its an about 2 hours from Hartford to Boston if there is light traffic.