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Now that the new Pawtucket train station is open, it will be interesting to see if that has a genuine impact. I still don't understand why the S Attleboro line was closed so early even if it was in anticipation of Pawt.
Now that the new Pawtucket train station is open, it will be interesting to see if that has a genuine impact. I still don't understand why the S Attleboro line was closed so early even if it was in anticipation of Pawt.
The South Attleboro station was forced to close due to the footbridge being rusted out and the stairs crumbling in. There are still plans to reopen it, it's been discussed many times in this forum.
As far as "genuine impact", that is already being seen in the way of longer/slower trips.
The South Attleboro station was forced to close due to the footbridge being rusted out and the stairs crumbling in. There are still plans to reopen it, it's been discussed many times in this forum.
As far as "genuine impact", that is already being seen in the way of longer/slower trips.
I haven't seen any work at all being done on the SA station so I doubt it will reopen any time soon.
Not sure exactly what you mean by your second sentence. I believe the idea was to impact Pawt's
economy.
I haven't seen any work at all being done on the SA station so I doubt it will reopen any time soon.
It's the MBTA so don't hold your breath. Remember it's mostly RI residents who utilize that station, so it's probably an even lower priority to MA than needs affecting its own residents (we're already around level NIL there).
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Originally Posted by Hollytree
Not sure exactly what you mean by your second sentence.
I meant exactly what I said. About three minutes just got added to the Providence-South Station travel time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hollytree
I believe the idea was to impact Pawt's economy.
That was the selling point, yes. Same bill of goods they sold Brockton back in the mid-late 90s, with their THREE commuter rail stations. Need I say more.
The South Attleboro station was forced to close due to the footbridge being rusted out and the stairs crumbling in. There are still plans to reopen it, it's been discussed many times in this forum.
As far as "genuine impact", that is already being seen in the way of longer/slower trips.
You say the train ride is 3 minutes longer, but you're comparing to a schedule that had no Pawtucket/South Attleboro stop, and disregarding the longer commute RI'ers had to make to Attleboro station, with the So. Attleboro station closed.
Now that the new Pawtucket train station is open, it will be interesting to see if that has a genuine impact. I still don't understand why the S Attleboro line was closed so early even if it was in anticipation of Pawt.
The South Attleboro station was condemned as it was deemed no longer safe due to the corrosion of the steel stair structure that went over the road and tracks. It had been in bad shape for a long time with one set of stairs being boarded up and closed many years before the 2021 station closing. The closing of S Attleboro had no connection to the Pawtucket station. The Pawtucket station had been in the planning stages for many years. Furthermore S Attleboro closed two full years before Pawtucket even opened.
There had been new design plan meetings scheduled for the S Attleboro station in and around its closing. There are supposedly still plans to rebuild it. It however does not yet have the funding. There is much speculation that the onset of Covid and the WFH model that followed have had a big impact on commuter rail ridership and that may be why the MBTA is dragging its feet. I think with the old passenger levels, there was no question that S Attleboro would be rebuilt, even with the addition of Pawtucket. It has far more parking and easier access right off Rte 95 on/off ramps than Pawtucket. I however now think the MBTA is taking a slow approach to S Attleboro to determine whether it is now needed with lower passenger demand and the new option of nearby Pawtucket.
You say the train ride is 3 minutes longer, but you're comparing to a schedule that had no Pawtucket/South Attleboro stop, and disregarding the longer commute RI'ers had to make to Attleboro station, with the So. Attleboro station closed.
Pretty disingenuous
A valid argument only were South Attleboro to remain permanently closed, which to our knowledge is not yet a consideration. Pawtucket/C.F. was not intended as a replacement for S Attleboro, but as an additional stop on the line. That is evident by the lack of parking at Pawtucket, as the motorists heading up 95 were still expected to park at S Attleboro.
The South Attleboro station was condemned as it was deemed no longer safe due to the corrosion of the steel stair structure that went over the road and tracks. It had been in bad shape for a long time with one set of stairs being boarded up and closed many years before the 2021 station closing. The closing of S Attleboro had no connection to the Pawtucket station. The Pawtucket station had been in the planning stages for many years. Furthermore S Attleboro closed two full years before Pawtucket even opened.
There had been new design plan meetings scheduled for the S Attleboro station in and around its closing. There are supposedly still plans to rebuild it. It however does not yet have the funding. There is much speculation that the onset of Covid and the WFH model that followed have had a big impact on commuter rail ridership and that may be why the MBTA is dragging its feet. I think with the old passenger levels, there was no question that S Attleboro would be rebuilt, even with the addition of Pawtucket. It has far more parking and easier access right off Rte 95 on/off ramps than Pawtucket. I however now think the MBTA is taking a slow approach to S Attleboro to determine whether it is now needed with lower passenger demand and the new option of nearby Pawtucket.
The So. Attleboro location has the advantage of being in a shopping area. Market Basket, Home Depot, etc allow a quick visit and then home. Pawtucket/CF does not have this. The MBTA has talked of electric engines in the past which would take up to 25 minutes off of their Wickford departures to Boston and 15 minutes off of their Providence departures with every stop being made. Will it happen in real time or MBTA time?
The So. Attleboro location has the advantage of being in a shopping area. Market Basket, Home Depot, etc allow a quick visit and then home. Pawtucket/CF does not have this. The MBTA has talked of electric engines in the past which would take up to 25 minutes off of their Wickford departures to Boston and 15 minutes off of their Providence departures with every stop being made. Will it happen in real time or MBTA time?
On the Providence Line, the infrastructure is already in place (Amtrak utilizes the same track and runs electrified trains using overhead wires). So of all of the commuter rail lines, Providence/Wickford would be the easiest to convert from an infrastructure standpoint. However, it would require the T to get new commuter rail trains as the current diesel trains cannot be converted to electric. In addition to the fact that the T has a bad recent track record of procuring new vehicles, there's the the issue of fleet management with multiple vehicle types. Wickford/Providence is equipped to run electric already, but the rest of the lines need to have overhead wire installed (which will be a lengthy process). So do they wait until the infrastructure is in place everywhere? Or do they run a mixed fleet (electric on Providence, diesel everywhere else) which is tricky from a maintenance standpoint?
On top of that, there's the political squabbling between the MBTA and Amtrak over access to the overhead lines, maintenance, etc. which can also grind things to a halt. So my money is on MBTA time.
I think it would be worthwhile to rebuild the SA train station, especially as Mr said, it has the advantage of being in a shopping area. Corroded steel steps doesn't sound like an impossible fix.
I have read that new apt complexes are in the planning/building stages for Pawt. but I'm not convinced that new apts for Boston commuters is going to benefit Pawt residents that much, since they're more likely to be priced out Bostonians looking for housing and not the other way round.
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