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Massachusetts to consider high speed rail study for Boston to Springfield line
Two-and-a-half hours for the 98 miles between Boston and Springfield is ridiculous. Hopefully this will lead to something someday.
“faster and more frequent passenger trains” Sounds like higher speed rail not high speed.
High speed or higher speed, it is still an improvement. I hope the trains will continue their runs, at least to New Haven or Albany.
FWIW, MBTA currently operates very frequent commuter rail service with 20 trains each way per weekday between Worcester and Boston (1.5 hr trip time @ $10.50 one way), the most populous segment of the Springfield - Boston route. MBTA is investing $ to improve the track since taking over the line from CSX and is planning to introduce express trains so transit time should be reduced significantly going forward (LSL is schedule for 1 hr 13 min between BOS and Worcester). Worcester Union Station also happens to be an intercity bus station and Peter Pan runs about 7 weekday buses each way that take an hour to go between WUS and Springfield. Alternatively, if one wanted a single seat, 1.5 hr to 2 hr ride between Boston and Springfield, Peter Pan currently operates approximately 9 buses each way daily at $20 or less depending upon time of day.
Net: it’s not obvious to me that (1) there is that much unmet demand for faster transit time between Springfield and Boston, nor (2) will spending $1B on Higher Speed Rail for the 55 miles between WUS and Springfield produce any better short haul transit options than those that currently exist.
The Boston & Albany ceased to be competitive Boston-Hartford/Springfield 60 years ago when Peter Pan started using the Mass Pike. Don’t know what Amtrak could do to bring the customers back.
The pols just don’t understand that high speed rail is for LONG distances, not little trips down to the corner grocer.
It’s the Mass way. Never properly complete a project, but jump into the next one, with massive debt, never to be paid back, but always to be skimmed.
Fewer delays gains more than “high-speed”, but that’s boring.