BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority board of directors has approved a staff plan for a one-time transfer of $500 million from its operating budget to its capital budget for projects including a collision-avoidance system on the rapid transit Green Line and Automatic Train Control on the MBTA commuter rail system.
CommonWealth Magazine reports MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak told the board at its Thursday meeting that the money — held in reserve as the agency received federal pandemic relief funds — would be used high-priority projects requiring only a one-time expenditure.
Planned uses for the money include $46 million for the Green Line Train Protection system and $48 million for the commuter rail ATC project; $7 million for a new station in Newton, Mass.; $4 million for a double-track project in Franklin; and $3 million for planning for future electrification of the commuter rail system, according to a presentation by Poftak. Almost $110 million would go to bus projects including three new maintenance facilities and fleet overhauls.
The largest portion of the money, $145 million, will be set aside for local matching funds for federal project funding expected over the next six years following the passage of the federal infrastructure bill.
Well this is different- we usually read of agencies stealing capital funds to cover operations, not the other way around.
48 million MORE for commuter rail ATC/PTC/etc.? Is this in addition to the 100 mill they already spent? I moved to Medford in 2007 and watch trains passenger & freight at West Medford (B&L/B&M Southern Div./NH Route/Lowell Line). I am seeing my FOURTH signal system installed in 15 years! A few years ago test trains were running galore and the regular trains were run wrong iron to test possibilities–then they changed the signal blocks again! When will they put ANY rudimentary signals on the Mattapan-Ashmont line? The T’s problem is TOO ambitious a capital project. So if Massachusetts ever needs a New Deal-type WPA project electrifying the rest of commuter rail might be it. Meantine the Orange Line North opened in 1975-7 is crumbling away. Always things to spend money on!
Electrifying the MBTA suburban lines? MBTA has had twenty years to buy electric locomotives for the Prvidence line and has not. Providence line trains are hauled by MBTA diesels under NEC wires. Too, the electrification mandate imposed by state law complicates restoring the Stoughton Line to Taunton.
I wonder if anyone has actually asked what it would take to electrify MBTA suburban trains, outside of NEC. Has anyone checked the overhead clearances? I doubt it. I don’t know but I would guess the New Haven, the B&M, and the Boston and Albany lines contain many overhead bridges with insufficient clearances. One probably doesn’t have to look very far for restricted overhead. The first place I would look would be on the Old Colony district, where MBTA built air rights parking garages over the suburban tracks at Wollaston, Quincy Center and Quincy Adams.
Charles, for further and detailed information on electrification proposals, go to TransitMatters. I haven’t read anything like all that ‘s on their site. I went there today to read their pitch on “Regional Rail, the direction they advocate the Commuter Rail needs to go. I won’t take up space here on my opinions on what they are saying about that. I’ll try to read the electrification chapter soon and perhaps we can share observations. My concern about TM’s advocacy for conversion to high-level platforms as part of the electrification initiative is what about the Pan Am (CSX?) freights that are going to need to operate through them Ayer-North Leominster on the Fitchburg Line and on the Haverhill (Western Route) Lowell Jct-Haverhill.