Commuter Rail Feasibility Study - Any Updates?

[crossroad]

Hey... I found this on the Internet... Any updates? If the commuter rail becomes reality, I hope that it can link Woonsocket - Highland Industrial Park with Providence. Any thoughts? Thanks for reading this!

==================

City of Woonsocket

Commuter Rail Feasibility Study

Project Grant: $40,000

This project will study the feasibility of establishing commuter rail service along the Blackstone Valley freight line

between Worcester and Providence and also look at re-establishing a rail connection between Woonsocket and

Franklin, MA to the MBTA

[urbie]

Hey... I found this on the Internet... Any updates? If the commuter rail becomes reality, I hope that it can link Woonsocket - Highland Industrial Park with Providence. Any thoughts? Thanks for reading this!

==================

City of Woonsocket

Commuter Rail Feasibility Study

Project Grant: $40,000

This project will study the feasibility of establishing commuter rail service along the Blackstone Valley freight line

between Worcester and Providence and also look at re-establishing a rail connection between Woonsocket and

Franklin, MA to the MBTA

[crossroad]

The study is to be completed by June 30 according to Wiki

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bellingham,_Massachusetts:

A study is being conducted and should be complete by June 30, 2007 on whether or not the MBTA finds it feasible to expand its Franklin line westward, which would require rehabilitating abandoned rail lines running through each town.

[Frankie811]

Hey... I found this on the Internet... Any updates? If the commuter rail becomes reality, I hope that it can link Woonsocket - Highland Industrial Park with Providence. Any thoughts? Thanks for reading this!

==================

City of Woonsocket

Commuter Rail Feasibility Study

Project Grant: $40,000

This project will study the feasibility of establishing commuter rail service along the Blackstone Valley freight line

between Worcester and Providence and also look at re-establishing a rail connection between Woonsocket and

Franklin, MA to the MBTA

[crossroad]

Is anyone on for this? Any update?

Commuter rail plans subject of Monday hearing

By: JOSEPH FITZGERALD, Staff Writer

07/08/2007

Email to a friendPost a CommentPrinter-friendly

WOONSOCKET - Officials are encouraging residents and other interested parties to join them for a public hearing Monday to discuss the future of commuter rail services in the city, says Catherine Ady, city planner.

The transportation consulting firm Jacobs Edwards & Kelcey of Providence will take center stage at the hearing, set for 6 p.m. in Harris Hall. The company has just completed a study to determine whether Providence, Worcester or Boston is the most feasible destination for a commuter rail link with Woonsocket and will elaborate on its findings and recommendations during the gathering.

Citing projected ridership, environmental obstacles and other factors, JEK has determined that a Woonsocket-to-Providence link stands the best chance of succeeding in the competition for grants and government funding for the project.

"Many people have been following this project and we want to let them know what the findings and recommendations are," said Ady.

The company's findings have so far been compiled in a draft report which will be finalized and made available to the general public after the hearing, said Ady, who is coordinating the work.

[mental757]

Woonsocket Call: "Next stop on rail journey: who wants it?"

http://www.woonsocketcall.com/site/news.cf...24361&rfi=6

[Cotuit]

28 trips? I'm assuming that's round trips, but even so, 7am to 7pm that's better than hourly!

[mental757]

i think that is the study's "recommended" amount of trips - we'll be lucky to see half that when it starts.

should this thread be merged into the RI commuter rail thread???

[urbie]

Do people actually commute from Woonsocket to Providence? This one has me scratching my head -- nice to have, maybe, for a few CVS employees -- but worth the investment? How many people would use it, to go 13 miles?

Urb

[Mij]

Do people actually commute from Woonsocket to Providence? This one has me scratching my head -- nice to have, maybe, for a few CVS employees -- but worth the investment? How many people would use it, to go 13 miles?

Urb

[mental757]

not to mention that establishing this line would be much less expensive than anyhting on the NEC. P&W own the line and I'd bet they will use thier recently purchased passenger cars to run this route. I'd expect a moderate schedule at first and well timed for commuters in both directions as well as connecting rail service to AMTRAK (to NYC), MBTA to Boston and either a continuation or connecting service to TF Green.

maybe like this (only 1 train needed plus a spare for maintenance):

WOON TO PROV: 0600 - 0630

PROV TO TFG: 0640 - 0650

TFG TO PROV: 0700 - 0710

PROV TO WOON: 0720 - 0750

WOON TO PROV: 0800 - 0830

PROV TO TFG: 0840 - 0850

TFG TO PROV: 0900 - 0910

PROV TO WOON: 0920 - 0950

LAYOVER TIME

WOON TO PROV: 1100 - 1130

PROV TO TFG: 1140 - 1150

TFG TO PROV: 1200 - 1210

PROV TO WOON: 1220 - 1250

LAYOVER TIME

WOON TO PROV: 1400 - 1430

PROV TO TFG: 1440 - 1450

TFG TO PROV: 1500 - 1510

PROV TO WOON: 1520 - 1550

WOON TO PROV: 1600 - 1630

PROV TO TFG: 1640 - 1650

TFG TO PROV: 1700 - 1710

PROV TO WOON: 1720 - 1750

WOON TO PROV: 1800 - 1830

PROV TO TFG: 1840 - 1850

TFG TO PROV: 1900 - 1910

PROV TO WOON: 1920 - 1950

OVERNIGHT

[urbie]

Woonsocket is more then CVS. A good amount of people live in this city, actually almost 50,000 of these potential commuters. The bigger number to look at would be the service labor 230,000 people work in this general area according to the city website.

Woonsocket is also a deal to live in. Much like the surrounding areas of Providence, rents are out of out of reach. I would like to see as much of the state with rail lines as possible. Starting with here is not my first choice but considering the proximity with the Franklin Station, This would help to better connect the triangle area of Boston, Providence, and Worcester.