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modernhomeowner t1_iz2m0rh wrote

Is this just an ideal path or is there existing rail along any of this?

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potus1001 t1_iz2m8kv wrote

Curious what the end-to-end time is.

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Legal-Replacement983 OP t1_iz2nv7r wrote

Replying to potus1001 (#867,994)

I literally just made it lol... But if we estimate by multiplying me amount of miles by 1.5 based on my experience riding the Lowell line to visit UMass Lowell I'm guessing the end-to-end time would be somewhere around 290 minutes, maybe 280 because this line would probably be electrified and be more efficient.

All in all, you could expect somewhere around 4 to 5 hours to get around the whole thing, but it's not meant to take people all the way from Brockton to Gloucester; it's meant to carry people short distances that require stupidly long journeys into Boston and out of Boston again, such as Fitchburg to Worcester, or Foxboro to Brockton.

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moxie-maniac t1_iz2puzt wrote

I can’t see people taking a train from Gloucester to Newburyport or vice versa, but a line from Newburyport, via Haverhill and Lawrence, to Lowell might make sense. Call it the Merrimack Valley line.

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blup12 t1_iz2qruv wrote

Great. Even better if I knew what circumnavigatory meant

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modernhomeowner t1_iz2r191 wrote

Replying to Legal-Replacement983 (#868,086)

I think as a "wouldn't it be nice" it's fine. If you want something in the realm of possibility, it should be a center lane of 495. There is no possible way to buy enough land and build a track along any other random path connecting existing stops in anyway that would make the rides affordable.

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dante50 t1_iz2r31s wrote

Reopen the Plymouth station and connect it to Providence (with a connection to the Middleborouh/ soon-to-be Fall River line.) And then Providence to Worcester.

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dell828 t1_iz2r92y wrote

If it’s set up for short distances only, isn’t that best covered through buses?

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modernhomeowner t1_iz2ry1t wrote

Replying to UserNameNotOnList (#868,251)

197 miles times $3 billion per mile for underground trains in the US (much much less in other countries) is 10 years of the entire state of MA budget. Basically if you want to know how much that is per taxpayer, multiply your refund this month by 60, that's how much you'd have to come up with, and everyone in the state, for a train they'd never take and probably won't have enough riders to cover the operation expenses.

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scotchplaid87 t1_iz2t146 wrote

I'm all for creating stuff like this, but yeah I think the reality is that this particular rail would have no reason to exist whatsoever.

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Legal-Replacement983 OP t1_iz2tqfm wrote

Replying to dell828 (#868,229)

In the long term trans have much cheaper maintenance than buses. But also, this is designed to allow people to travel farther distances if they wanted to.

Also, reliable buses usually only exist on relatively short paths that are within their own city, not intercity trips like this even if they are relatively close to each other.

But I suppose it would be possible. Still not as exciting though, and something being exciting is more important than it sounds because exciting news hypes up local economies.

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steve329 t1_iz2tyin wrote

Replying to Legal-Replacement983 (#868,319)

Maybe give us your reasoning on why it should exist instead? Otherwise it's literally just a line on a map. Btw I'm sure at least somewhere it runs through a redditor's front yard so they'll take some extra special convincing.

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dell828 t1_iz2tzxt wrote

Replying to Legal-Replacement983 (#868,347)

I mean, possibly more we travel from Worcester to Gloucester or Worcester to Plymouth on a day trip, But do you have any idea how many people would commute back-and-forth on this line if it was built?

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fncw t1_iz2up2n wrote

Sorry, but I just can't see traveling from Lowell to Worcester by way of Gardner.

As it happens, Ayer was historically a major rail hub. It was the epicenter between several cities and even had a line direct to Nashua.

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3720-To-One t1_iz2uyb0 wrote

Would probably be much more useful and realistic along or inside of 495

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Quiet-Ad-12 t1_iz30jle wrote

Illogical. People in Salem do not need to commute to Worcester or even to Lowell. They are commuting to Boston or maybe NH.

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Ilikereddit15 t1_iz334qr wrote

This is the anti-commuter commuter rail

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Curmudgeon8888 t1_iz33z6q wrote

I'm still waiting for the Green line extension after about 6 years of construction and a few billion$.

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DUIguy87 t1_iz34hta wrote

This is just plain goofy.

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SabersSoberMom t1_iz36rox wrote

Yes. It excludes one third of the state. I mean, we're ok being excluded but like most "plans" there's no effort to include anything west of Worcester.

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fakeuser888 t1_iz3c0bm wrote

Post this in r/boston. They love these fantasy transit maps for some weird reason.

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OccupiedOsprey t1_iz3ckgx wrote

I just want a rail line that's connects Boston and New Bedford.

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modernhomeowner t1_iz3dd8z wrote

Replying to OccupiedOsprey (#869,177)

The Middleboro extension is costing something like $40 per passenger each way every trip for 30years to build - just building, operating expenses are on top of that. And that's a short expansion distance and going to Boston, where people work. Imagine how much this outskirts to outskirts would cost to build and divide it by it's few passengers.....

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malrosen t1_iz3dvgk wrote

Replying to moxie-maniac (#868,169)

I (knowing I’m only one person) would fully ride between Gloucester and Newburyport, have it run via 133 to link with current commuter rail and then over through the rest of the Merrimack valley would be fantastic! Edit:typo

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Dizzy_De_De t1_iz3gwi8 wrote

Can we get affordable high speed rail from Springfield to South Station first, please? And then a Penn Station style hub under the old City Hall connecting the blue, orange, red & green lines in one freaking place, before anything else?

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Bobbydadude01 t1_iz3hkzm wrote

Eh. There's higher priority lines that need to be created. I also don't really see there being high demand for these routes. Like it wouldn't hurt if the route existed I just think the money could he better spent on other transportation projects.

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Sail-Painter t1_iz3jtmn wrote

Looks like it would be a very Lonnng ride from Plymouth to Gloucester! Is this intended for commuters, occational travellers, Explorers, Adventurers...? And what would the Price be? 💰💰💰💰💰💰

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taterpilled t1_iz3strv wrote

fitchburg-worcester-providence makes sense but i know nothing about those other towns

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sharpe_af t1_iz3w3zz wrote

It should go further west. I promise there’s life after Worcester. 😜

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sjashe t1_iz48zr9 wrote

The original circumferential routes were to improve north/south travel along 128.. then 495 to ease north/south travel without going through Boston (reducing traffic in the city). These loops did not add a huge increase in miles.. though with increase in population 495 has become just as jammed as the city. This loop is really out of the way.

until there is more work at either end (or along) that route, there really isn't a true need for it, as it creates a long route for little purpose (other than getting more people to the New Hampshire exit routes from Mass.. so no real need to go beyond 95 in the North.

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ButterAndPaint t1_iz4aq0a wrote

Even if there was demand for this, actually creating it would cost as much as a space mission.

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bostonchef72296 t1_iz4d8pr wrote

Let’s take the shitload of money that this would cost and invest it in our current system that would actually get used so that people don’t have to jump off bridges and stuff when trains catch on fire.

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prberkeley t1_iz4p1iu wrote

Living in the North Shore I would love a Ferry directly to the South Shore and Cape. My parents live in Plymouth and the quickest way to get there is currently to swim.

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TheMellerYeller t1_iz4thj9 wrote

Line goes all the way out to Webster and Fitchburg but avoids Providence and the 195 corridor 🤔

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Thick-Tooth-8888 t1_iz529hf wrote

I’d like to see sandwich straight to Worcester on the bottom

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Coneskater t1_iz5ejf1 wrote

128 should have a commuter rail running next to it.

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newestJourney t1_iz62bs1 wrote

Thoughts? Yeah, rail travel had its heyday, and this will never happen in the future. Don't waste anymore effort thinking about it.

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binocular_gems t1_iz62wdk wrote

Cool thought experiment, but not viable or feasible or ... imaginable.

Realistically this single train might take 24 hours to complete this route with all of the stops and turns and speed issues going through densely settled urban and suburban towns. The elevation changes would be dramatic for any train line. That Gardner -> Worcester leg goes just about straight over Wachusett Mountain and the whole valley there, it'd be a very dramatic change in elevation, or a very, very expensive tunnelling through a mountain, for an area that is already pretty well served by state highways. And I just can't imagine anybody would want to go from Gloucester to Plymouth by way of Worcester, pretty close to a hundred miles out of the way.

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Legal-Replacement983 OP t1_iz6n98y wrote

Replying to Sail-Painter (#869,444)

It is intended for all of those types of people and more. It's based on the philosophy that if there are roads going to places, there can be rails that go there too, and no matter where you're going you shouldn't need an automobile. I don't know what the cost would be but I do know it would be a lot.

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Legal-Replacement983 OP t1_iz6nkq8 wrote

Replying to SabersSoberMom (#868,930)

I believe there should be a rail line that goes through the valley next to the Connecticut River and then align from Springfield into Amherst at UMass Amherst, and then continuing on to Worcester Framingham and Boston. There should be another extension eventually to Albany via Pittsfield as well. The reason that you don't see these lines here is because it was hard to make something like that with the measurement tool in Google Earth lol

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Wizard01475 t1_iz6vqnb wrote

I love it! I believe the “ACHU” in Massachusetts is right around Leominster Fitchburg. It would be better if you made it out to Gardner.

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