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strugglebus984 t1_jc6njtq wrote

This would open up alot of job possibilities in Boston.

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RandomChurn t1_jca14do wrote

It'll do the reverse too though -- even more MA people moving to RI. Not that there is anything wrong with them (I did the same, decades ago). But RI housing is already breathlessly tight 😣

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lightningbolt1987 t1_jchdpyg wrote

We need more dynamic people in their 20’s and 30’s here who breath life into the city’s nightlife, culinary scene, and cultural life. If that means people who work in Boston and live here then great.

Childless, professionals are the lifeblood of cities because they have money, time, and energy to go out often and be involved. Providence skews very young and very old compared to other cities, and we just don’t have enough good jobs to support more dynamic people here.

BTW: dynamic doesn’t necessarily mean “affluent” it just means ambitious, curious, high energy, culturally engaged, etc.

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[deleted] t1_jc6spqz wrote

[deleted]

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Victor_Korchnoi t1_jc72mhb wrote

That’s exactly what he’s saying. “This would open up a lot of job possibilities in Boston [to people who live further away].”

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wenestvedt t1_jc6n3rc wrote

I used to commute from the South Attleboro stop into Boston, and even an express train was never 45 minutes. This would be so awesome.

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Limp_Antelope t1_jc6rlxi wrote

I currently commute from providence to Boston on commuter rail. This would be such an improvement. Also blows my mind that they have not electrified the providence line, 95% of what they need is already there.

Would also be great if Amtrak would add back their trains that departed during commuting hours.

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listen_youse t1_jc6u4bw wrote

What is there to study? Just do it.

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AboyNamedBort t1_jc6u9nw wrote

There is nothing to study. Electric trains are better in every way. Just get it done.

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chefsteev t1_jc6pxrr wrote

If you take the Amtrak it can be around 45mins bc it only stops back bay and south station. If the train is mostly empty/you buy way in advance it can be only $8 too which is cheaper than the T.

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laterbacon OP t1_jc6quxy wrote

Amtrak is great if it lines up with your schedule, but I'd rather to be able to hop on a train that comes every half hour without having to plan in advance. Part of the MBTA electrification plan is increasing frequency to 15 minutes peak and 30 minutes off peak which would be huge.

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rocketmonkeys t1_jc9279e wrote

Oh wow. Of that were the case I'd legitimately use this train more. I do amtrak sometimes, mbta sometimes. But the schedule is infrequent, and the 1:45hr trip is a lot.

Heck, at that point I'd train to Boston just to shop.

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BadDesignMakesMeSad t1_jc7hm7q wrote

The MBTA and RIPTA seem to be considering having cross-functional fares with Amtrak. So you could use your MBTA pass to ride the Amtrak which is great because it means that Amtrak would act as an express train between Boston and Providence, while the MBTA can focus on frequent local service. I guess a downside is that there might be days where a lot of people will have to stand on Amtrak trains unless they somehow figure out a system with the seating.

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JasonDJ t1_jc6qoqi wrote

Yeah but you gotta treck down to Providence (and pay Providence Parking, or deal with RIPTA to get to Kennedy Plaza and then get to the train station).

Keep a couple of more northern stops -- maybe Mansfield and Route 128 (both large stops and easily accessible from the highway) and it'd be a damn good park-and-ride though.

Of course Mansfield parking sucks for non-residents though....Attleboro has a ton of parking, but the streets leading up to the stop from the highway have a very limited capacity.

Housing outside the 495 belt has always been significantly cheaper than inside, but that tide is changing. We bought our house (Attleboro/Norton line) just 5 years ago and it's gone up nearly 40% in Zestimate since then.

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D-camchow t1_jc6tb8z wrote

baffling that this hasn't been done ages ago. Glad to see they are finally getting their asses moving on this.

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Autumn_in_Ganymede t1_jc6vq6y wrote

Finally. what we really need is a high speed one, to one shot pvd Boston at 200mph.

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darekta t1_jc756bz wrote

Now we talkin

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boulevardofdef t1_jc82iqa wrote

I grew up taking the Long Island Rail Road, which is electrified, and the first time I rode the Purple Line, I couldn't believe how slow it was.

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Nexis4Jersey t1_jc8i1yy wrote

Shame this wasn't considered a decade ago when NJT retired its ALP44 locomotive fleet... The MBTA could have purchased those locomotives for service along the Providence line.

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tzu2 t1_jc8ba1n wrote

Doesn’t the Acela get to Back Bay/South Station in like 38 mins? I’m assuming this is the T?

(Don’t flame me, I just moved to Providence and am still learning how things work here).

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laterbacon OP t1_jc8cqq6 wrote

It's somewhere close to that but it's expensive and only runs a handful of times per day. It only stops at 128 between Providence and Boston. EMUs on the commuter rail would stop at all the other stations in between and still make it to Boston in 45 minutes. The electrification plan also includes increased frequencies of at least every 30 minutes all day

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tzu2 t1_jc8dvet wrote

Thanks, sounds like a good idea.

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redd-this t1_jc7zf7i wrote

Currently takes 60 minutes. Wowwwww 15 minute difference?

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laterbacon OP t1_jc84212 wrote

It's currently about an hour and 15 minutes from Providence to South Station so it's closer to a 30 minute difference, which is big (https://www.mbta.com/schedules/CR-Providence/timetable?schedule_direction[direction_id]=1#direction-filter). In addition to the time savings, Electric Multiple Units are also much quieter and don't belch diesel exhaust into the communities they pass through. They're cheaper to maintain and far lighter than diesel electric locomotives too which puts a lot less stress on the rails and ballast.

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