MBTA Commuter Rail

The MBTA Commuter Rail system comprises several railway lines in the rail transport of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority ( MBTA ) in the states of Massachusetts and Rhode Iceland to the United States. In particular, the metropolitan area of ​​Greater Boston is covered. The operation is carried out since 1 July 2003 by the contractor Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company ( MBCR ), a merger of Veolia Transportation, Bombardier Transportation and Alternate Concepts, Inc. The consortium received in the past contracts with two to five years duration.

The trains of the MBTA Commuter Rail facing the Long Iceland Railroad (New York City ), METRA ( Chicago), Metro - North Railroad (New York City) and New Jersey Transit ( NJ ) - in terms of weekday ridership - with 133,900 passengers per day, the fifth highest utilization on in the United States. The lines run from Boston starting south to North Kingstown, north as Newburyport and west to Worcester. In Boston, the Boston North Station train stations and Boston South Station form the termini of the lines, connecting it to the Amtrak trains as well as local bus and subway lines.

• 3.1 improvements
• 3.2 Restrictions

• 4.1 locomotives
• 4.2 wagons
• 4.3 Discarded vehicles
• 4.4 Services

• 7.1 outgoing from the Boston South Station lines
• 7.2 outgoing from the Boston North Station lines
• 7.3 Connection between north and south route

• 8.1 Northern route network
• 8.2 Southern route network

Line operation

The following lines end at Boston South Station:

• Greenbush Line
• Old Colony Line consisting of Kingston / Plymouth Line
• Middleborough / Lakeville Line

The following lines end at Boston North Station:

• Fitchburg Line
• Lowell Line
• Haverhill Line
• Newburyport / Rockport Line

History

Consolidation under the control of the MBTA

Boston & Maine Railroad

The involvement of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the operation of public transport goes back to the year 1967, when the requested Boston & Maine Railroad (B & M) at the Interstate Commerce Commission to cease all passenger traffic. Then all connections north of the border have been set, but the bulk of the passenger traffic in Massachusetts had to be maintained under a bilateral agreement between the State and the railway company. Against this background, the Commonwealth and the MBTA began with the purchase of railway lines and lines of B & M, including the Lowell Line between Somerville and Wilmington. In 1970, the B & M finally applied for bankruptcy, and the remaining business assets were, with few exceptions - sold on December 14, 1976 to the State of Massachusetts - especially pure freight lines. The B & M, however, was contractually obligated to operate their lines with the existing diesel locomotives on.

New Haven Railroad

The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad ( NYNH & H), which had long operated the majority of the holding at Boston South Station commuter trains, had to file for bankruptcy in 1961 final. Two years earlier, she had set the passengers of the Old Colony lines in the southeastern part of the state. The remains of the NYNH & H were merged in 1968 with the Penn Central Transportation Company, but the 1970 had to file for bankruptcy yourself. 1973 bought the MBTA most of their lines, including the Providence / Stoughton Line, Franklin Line, Needham Line, Framingham / Worcester Line and Plymouth / Kingston Line. The Penn Central was in 1976 in Conrail, which took over the operational mode of the southern lines, the MBTA was the owner of the physical facilities. The MBTA purchased beyond the Fairmount Line to them as a passenger line to establish new and to bypass the former construction work on the Southwest Corridor.

New York Central

The Framingham / Worcester Line was originally part of the Boston & Albany Railroad (B & A), which was first imported into the New York Central Railroad, which was eventually turn simultaneously with the NYNH & H integrated into the Penn Central in 1968. As part of the extension of the Massachusetts Turnpike to Boston in the 1960s, the right of way of the line was on the section between the Massachusetts Route 128 and the City of Boston sold to the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority with the proviso that the New York Central control of the railway line retained. Conrail inherited the line as the legal successor to the Penn Central. In 1976, the section between Riverside and Framingham was sold to the MBTA.

In September 2009, CSX Transportation closed the successor to the Conrail with the state of a contract for a total of 100 million U.S. dollars for the sale of the track between Framingham and Worcester, and the entire Grand Junction Railroad, including all lines to the state. The aim is the implementation of the South Coast Rail project in order, inter alia, to improve the quality of service on the Framingham / Worcester Line also through shorter cycle times. After prolonged negotiations, the construction and ownership of the line was transferred on October 4, 2012, the State of Massachusetts.

Cooperation with subcontractors

With the Northeast Rail Service Act of 1981, Conrail was forced to leave the operative operation of their passenger transport to local traffic authorities. The southern lines went on the Boston & Maine on, so that for the first time in the history of the entire mass transit in the Boston environment by only a single company has been covered. Even after its bankruptcy, the B & M led continues its operation with government support in the hope of being able to return to profitability by restructuring. In 1983 bought the newly formed Guilford Transportation Industries ( GTI ), the remaining assets of B & M, let the contracts, however, end with the state in 1987, after a two-month strike had set in 1986, a large part of the northern lines out of service.

From 1987 to 2003, Amtrak operated the entire transportation to Boston. The Amtrak relations with the MBTA, however, were never very good, and they gave no new commandment, as the contracts expired in 2003. The only two bids came from the Guilford Rail System and the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company newly established ( MBCR ), of which the latter was awarded the contract in July 2003 and took over its operations operating from the Amtrak. The contract with the MBCR ran out in July 2008, but an existing option to extend for five years was pulled in two phases, so that the contract was first again extended until July 2011 to July 2013. With the recent extension of the penalty for delays from 100 to 300 U.S. dollars was tripled.

Other partners of the MBTA are the Bombardier Transportation as the manufacturer of rail vehicles and Waggongs and Alternate Concepts, as the operator of some bus lines as majority owner of Paul Revere Transportation on behalf of the MBTA.

Changes since the takeover by the MBTA

Improvements

Since the responsible operation of the transport system by the MBTA, there were many positive developments which led the previous continuing support of the state. Key points of both players are listed below.

• The state of Massachusetts was one of the first who supported the park and ride concept and appropriate funds for the construction of the Route 128 station ready presented at the Providence Line. The station was built on a spot where the radial line crosses the Massachusetts Route 128. It was inaugurated in 1953 by President of the New Haven Railroad Frederic C. Dumaine, Jr. and was after its completion not much more than a large car park next to the tracks.

• During construction on the Southwest Corridor in the 1980s, the trains of Amtrak between Boston and New York were diverted over the tracks of the Fairmount Line. As part of this measure, the MBTA allowed that was installed along this line Centralized traffic control (CTC ), which enlarged its signal capacity greatly. Even after completion of construction in 1987, the operation of the Fairmount Line due to the high popularity, the population was maintained from Dorchester and Roxbury. There are plans for the construction of additional intermediate stations along the route, the first of which ( Talbot Ave ) was opened already on November 12, 2012.

• The eastern section of the B & M originally led over the bridge on the Merrimack River and north to Portsmouth in New Hampshire along the former Eastern Railroad. After 1967, the timetable for the distance between the stations Ipswich and Newburyport, however, was reduced to only one trip per day and eventually discontinued completely in April 1976. Goods transport by rail reached Newbury until 1984, but the line was taken completely out of service in 1994. The operation of the line was resumed, with a stop at the station Rowley as early as 26 October 1998.

• As part of the Northeast Corridor Improvement Program II ( Necip II) was the Providence / Stoughton Line electrified in the 1990s, including government funding of Amtrak Acela Express were used for the project. The MBTA operates on this line, however, no electrically powered trains, as they rail vehicles on other lines could not drive and hence would not be interchangeable.

• Up to a certain point, a line of the MBTA filed only to Framingham, one of about 20 mi ( 32.2 km ) away from Boston, on Route 128 in the suburb. In the 1990s this line was expanded to Worcester and created today's Framingham / Worcester Line.

• Also in the 1990s, the MBTA invested heavily in the transport system by preparing the non-operative since 1959, Old Colony branch of the New Haven Railroad again for use. The two old lines of the Old Colony Line were put back into operation in 1997 and the Greenbush Line 2007.

• An agreement between the MBTA and the state of Rhode Iceland allowed her in the late 1990s to expand their line to Attleboro to Providence. Mid-2000s, the operation initially was only weekdays extended to the weekend. In December 2010, then followed the further expansion to the station TF Green Airport in Warwick, in April 2012 the line was again extended until the Station Wickford Junction in North Kingstown. Since 1981, this is the first connection to the rail transport in the region south of Provicence.

Limitations

Under the control of the MBTA in addition to the above improvements, various restrictions were put in place.

• All former line services of the B & M north of the border were set in 1967, however, it dated 28 January 1980 to 1 March 1981, once gave a short, experimental service. As a result, extensions of the Lowell Line to Nashua, Manchester and Concord and the Haverhill Line were discussed regularly to Portland. In 2001, Amtrak began under the auspices of the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority with the operation of the Downeaster between Boston North Station and Portland. For the extension to Nashua annexation to the intended expansion of Interstate 93 in New Hampshire is discussed.

• On 10 January 1977, the operation of the line Arlington - Lexington- Bedford has been set. The extension of the Red Line to Alewife at least could replace up West Cambridge line. The former track bed now forms the Minuteman Bikeway and a park near the Davis Square in Somerville.

• In operation, the B & M Fitchburg Line ended in Ayer and was expanded in 1981 to Gardner. In 1986 the line was, however, reduced as far as Fitchburg, after the parallel Massachusetts Route 2 was upgraded to motorway standards, what the travel times between the cities significantly reduced.

• The B & M offered a daily service to South Sudbury, located 19.7 mi ( 31.7 km ) away from Boston. This was set on 26 November 1971.

Rolling stock

All trains of the MBTA Commuter Rail operated as a shuttle train. It is driven by a diesel locomotive at the other end of the train there is a control car. The currently used fleet of locomotives consists of both custom products for passenger trains ( such as the EMD F40PH ) and from freight locomotives that have been converted for use with passenger trains ( such as the GMD GP40MC or EMD GP40 -2). All locomotives of passenger trains have connections for head end power ( HEP ). The locomotives of the MBTA - with the exception of a built in the late 1950s, EMD GP9 - built 1978-2009, with the two most recent are of type NRE 3GS21B and are used alternately.

A total of 420 passenger carriages are used, which were built in the years 1978 to 2005. 75 more cars were ordered from Hyundai Rotem 2008. The manufacturer Kawasaki Heavy Industries wagons - as well as new orders - double-deck cars.

Locomotives

In February 2012, the MBTA maintained a fleet of 90 diesel locomotives, including five of MARC Train leased, located in an overhaul in repair and three. Though further two locomotives were available, but were not used in the operation. 20 new locomotives were ordered.

Wagons

In January 2013, the MBTA entertained 410 wagons and had ordered 75 new ones. The wagons, their identification begins with "BTC ", conventional car, while the indicator " CTC " indicates a control car.

Discarded vehicles

With the acquisition of railway passenger services by the state of Massachusetts in the 1970s, various vehicles came into the possession of the new owner, which corresponded to no standards. Among them were:

• More than 86 railcars of the type Budd Rail Diesel Car of the Budd Company mainly from the holdings of the B & M, New Haven Railroad and SEPTA. The railcars were rebuilt in the 1970s by the company Morrison Knudsen in conventional cars, which had to be pulled by locomotives. In the 1980s, the entire fleet was then replaced by conventional car. Some of these units are still used today by the Grand Canyon Railway and the Hobo Railroad. Two abandoned cars standing on a disused track near the Boston North Station.
• Between 1978 and 1980, the MBTA acquired 19 reconditioned locomotives of the type EMD FP10, which were passed in the 1990s to the Metro North Railroad. Likewise, six locomotives of the type EMD GP -9 were used, which were acquired in 1987 by the SEMTA and of which the No. 904 is still considered Arbeitslok in use.
• Former cars of the GO Transit have been used to bridge the period until delivery of CTC-1/BTC-1-Bestellung.
• From 2002 to 2004, the MBTA leased some discarded from the Amtrak F40PH for the period of the overhaul of the company's own F40PHM -2C locomotives.

Services

• In all trains since 2008 is free Wi-Fi.
• The train to the ski resort at Mount Wachusett has special equipment for transporting skis and snowboards.
• Toilets are located in the MBB cars, which are usually attached directly behind the engine, as well as in the BTC -4C Kawasaki car.

The charging of the MBTA Commuter Rail is based on a zone system, which is constructed in terms of the distance to Boston town center. In total there are ten areas with the numbers 1 to 10 and adds the zone 1A. The zone 1A is located on the city center, while the 10 zone maps the extreme limits of the commuter rail system. The pricing starts from the assumption that the passenger wants to go to either the city center or out in more remote areas, as this is particularly important for commuters the rule. Therefore, the price increases with the number of affected zones continuously, so that a drive from 1A represents the most expensive option to 10. In the event that neither the start nor the destination of the journey are located in the city center, have been introduced so-called " Interzone Fares", the amount of which is also based on the number of extended zones.

Tickets can be purchased at vending machines at major stations and corresponding to smaller breakpoints in nearby shops. Carriage charges can also be paid directly to the train crew. Carriage by devious is indeed explicitly illegal, but not criminal.

Driving

Like most transit agencies of northeastern states of the USA is one of the MBTA to the Northeast Operating Rules Advisory Committee ( NORAC ) and works on the basis of the developed by this committee guidelines. Most of the stretching of the MBTA commuter rail falls below the NORAC control 251, that is, the signals are carried out such that only one direction is possible. During the 1990s, parts of the network such as the Framingham / Worcester Line were upgraded so that they can be driven in accordance with Rule 261 NORAC on both tracks in both directions and thus used during rush hour both tracks in the same direction.

Each train is designed so that the control car pointing in the direction of the respective Boston terminal station and the locomotive is at the opposite end of the train. Each train has a " ADA " cars (named after the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990), which is specially equipped for disabled persons. This is located at the outgoing of the Boston North Station trains directly behind the locomotive, allowing a same-level access at all stations. At the outgoing of the Boston South Station serves trains instead of driving car as " ADA " cars.

Depending on the station, the passengers can get off the ground or have extension end steps of the cars use.

Planned extensions

From the Boston South Station outgoing lines

One known as South Coast Rail extension of the Stoughton Line MBTA to extend the network to the cities of Taunton, Fall River and New Bedford. But critics question the cost-effectiveness of the upgraded line.

In September 2010, the MBTA released a feasibility analysis to a regular expansion of the Franklin Line to Foxborough, which is currently only served during special events at Gillette Stadium.

On 23 April 2012, the extension of the Providence Line to Wickford Junction in North Kingstown (Rhode Iceland ) was put into operation. The Rhode Iceland Department of Transportation discusses further the feasibility of the integration of existing Amtrak stations in Kingston and Westerly as well as constructing new stations in Cranston, East Greenwich and Davisville. Have already been granted federal funding for the initial planning of a new station in Pawtucket.

1 July 2013, two new breakpoints ( Four Corners / Geneva Avenue and Newmarket ) were put into operation on the Fairmount Line. They serve for better traffic-related development of Boston's Dorchester neighborhood. In addition, the fares for the line where the subways were matched in this course.

In addition, there are proposals to expand the Old Colony Lines to Wareham and Buzzards Bay.

From the Boston North Station outgoing lines

On 18 October 2010, the MBTA began with the construction of the extension of the Fitchburg Line to 4.5 mi ( 7.2 km ) to the new station Wachusett. The expansion is part of a larger project, which also includes the expansion of existing stations and the expansion of a single-track section on two tracks heard. This is the driving time between Boston and Fitchburg are reduced to about one hour. The work was financed by funds from the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery ( TIGER ) program in the amount of 55.5 million U.S. dollars.

It is contemplated to build another station in the southern Salem to improve the connection to the Salem State University. Furthermore, expansion, are provided by Peabody and Danvers.

Former Secretary of Transportation James Aloisi spoke in favor of expanding the network of Worcester via Clinton and Ayer to Boston North Station. For this, the old route of the Worcester, Nashua and Rochester Railroad could be used on the Railways was in 2009 owned by the Pan.

The State of New Hampshire established the New Hampshire Rail Transit Authority and provided funding for the construction of platforms in Nashua and Manchester are available.

According to a newspaper article in the state of Massachusetts is negotiating the purchase of land to extend the Haverhill Line to Plaistow by.

Connection between the northern and southern route

There is currently no direct connection between the Boston North Station and the Boston South Station. In order to get from one station to another, the passengers either have to take the subway or in the street dodging traffic. While passengers of the lines Providence / Stoughton, Framingham / Worcester, Franklin and Needham can North reach station from the Station Back Bay from the Orange Line and passengers of the line Fitchburg the South Station from the Station Porter from the Red Line directly, to the passengers of the other lines either change at the station Park Street or Downtown Crossing in each goal leading underground.

The planned North - South Rail Link will connect both halves of the commuter rail system each other, but the state of Massachusetts has withdrawn its financial contribution to the project in 2006, given the high costs. The MBTA and Amtrak use the tracks of the railway line East Boston Allston for the transfer of rail cars between the two areas.

Freight traffic

Northern route network

Under the contract terms, the Pan Am Railways got one as a successor to the B & M " without fristes and exclusive " right of use of rail infrastructure for freight, which perceives them as well.

The company Boston Sand & Gravel has concluded with the Pan Am an agreement to allow trains of New Hampshire North Coast the tracks can be used from Conway to North of Boston North Station, where there is a plant of the company at the boundary between Boston and Cambridge. Every now and then also the route of the Fitchburg Line is used by a train of the Norfolk Southern Railway to supply a power plant in Bow with coal.

Southern route network

The CSX Transportation ( CSXT ) has the rights over a large part of the former New Haven Railroad area. To a limited extent, the Providence & Worcester Railroad offers services on the Providence Line, the result mainly of Central Falls by Providence to New Haven. In addition, the Bay Colony Railroad uses some lines for limited freight.

The CSXT provides on the Worcester Line Offers for intermodal transport, car and cargo transportation.