cb@mitre-bedford.ARPA (Christopher Byrnes) (01/22/86)
During the recent reconstruction of the SouthEast Distressway the Cape Cod and Hyannis tried running a commuter train from Buzzards Bay to Braintree, where the Red Line ends. The weekday communter loadings were disappointing, so the weekday train was dropped after one summer. Since there was no operating subsidy (the State did pay for some track upgrading), the CC&H wasn't going to run trains that didn't make any money. I'm told that subsidized trains might be tried in a year or two. The Bay Colony Railroad operates the freight trains on some of the old Conrail (nee Penn Central, nee New Haven, nee Old Colony) lines around Cape Cod. Occasionaly the CC&H will borrow a BCRR diesel for their longer trains. Despite the disappointing try at commuter rail, I've heard that the CC&H is doing well with weekend service between Braintree and Hyannis (on the Cape). Various Federal and State monies have been set aside for running express trains between Hyannis and Attleboro (where the Cape Cod line meets the NEC) I assume that connection to New York (a la the NH's Neptune) will be made. Who operates all this is anyone's guess. As you noticed, the CC&H's rolling stock is NOT equiped for NEC operations. Christopher Byrnes cb@Mitre-Bedford.ARPA ...decvax!linus!bccvax!cb.UUCP
cb@hlwpc.UUCP (Carl Blesch) (01/24/86)
> Various Federal and State monies have been set aside for running > express trains between Hyannis and Attleboro (where the Cape Cod line meets > the NEC) I assume that connection to New York (a la the NH's Neptune) will > be made. Who operates all this is anyone's guess. As you noticed, the > CC&H's rolling stock is NOT equiped for NEC operations. > > Christopher Byrnes > cb@Mitre-Bedford.ARPA > ...decvax!linus!bccvax!cb.UUCP According to the New York Times on Sunday, 1/19/86, this indeed is the plan. Amtrak could do it various ways, like a thru train from NY to Hyannis, a cross-platform transfer at the new Providence, RI station, or cutting out/adding in coaches at Attleboro. Carl Blesch