MBTA Electrification

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Tlcooper93

Tlcooper93

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This article shows plans and a minor breakdown of the MBTA electrification plan. It’s taken some time for the MBTA to release anything concrete in regard to their initial electrification announcement some years ago.

Highlights include overhead electrification of Worcester Line in the middle with battery power on either end.

Personally, I really don’t see how dancing around and avoiding full electrification with overhead wires is a good thing.
 
MARC Rider said:
Isn't one end of the Worcester line Back Bay and South Station, which already have overhead electrification?
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As said, the Worcester line’s electrification ends about 500 yards before Back Bay station. Interesting that electrifying from Back Bay to Wellesley is such a daunting task that they won’t do it until later phases.
 
I think we can all agree that the T should run electric between Boston and Wickford Jct AND offer more service from Boston to the Providence Airport.

Everything else hinges on the N-S connector that SHOULD have been part of the Big Dig but .......
 
Fenway said:
I think we can all agree that the T should run electric between Boston and Wickford Jct AND offer more service from Boston to the Providence Airport.

Everything else hinges on the N-S connector that SHOULD have been part of the Big Dig but .......
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Agreed that it should have been part of the Big Dig. However, the NS connect will never happen in my opinion (or at least in my lifetime). The scale of that project is far too big, and there are simply too many things in the way. it doesn’t give any real improvements to service for anyone other than MBTA.

We hashed this out in a seperate thread and eventually agreed that Amtrak really stands little to gain from a NS connect.

If a NS connect will ever happen, full electrification needs to happen first.
 
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There could be operation problems with the split CAT system. Unless some automatic retract extend system back up is inplace the egineer will have to be very careful to remember operation. Normally no problem but when an engineer gets distrcted then possible miss a retraction,? Distractions will happen sooner or later especially in a cab car approaching Back Bay.
 
west point said:
There could be operation problems with the split CAT system. Unless some automatic retract extend system back up is inplace the egineer will have to be very careful to remember operation. Normally no problem but when an engineer gets distrcted then possible miss a retraction,? Distractions will happen sooner or later especially in a cab car approaching Back Bay.
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Aren't there already placed on the NEC where pans have to be retracted? Other railroads seem to be able to handle this e.g. the Eurostar changes wire height several times in its journey requiring pan retract and deployment.

The battery hybrid scheme would also work well for the Stoughton service off the Providence line where you have a short unelectrified segment from Canton Jct. to Stoughton.
 
AmtrakMaineiac said:
Aren't there already placed on the NEC where pans have to be retracted? Other railroads seem to be able to handle this e.g. the Eurostar changes wire height several times in its journey requiring pan retract and deployment.
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Yeah retracting pantographs and/or raising them at the right point can be handled even automatically triggered by track mounted transponders these days. So that is a complete non-issue on the NEC or elsewhere. Typically in push pull operations such things are automatically handled through track mounted transponders relieving the operator from the responsibility of counting cars. NJTransit ALP46/45s use such to automatically change transformer taps when passing from 12kV to 25kV or vice versa.

On MNRR they do the overhead to third rail and vice-versa transition a zillion times each day near Pelham, and soon it will be done on the Hell Gate Line near CP Gate by the MNRR NY Penn Station service too.
 
The engineering section of MBTA responsible for electrical power seems tp be band - aiding the whole sys. How can they even think about adding 25 kV heavy rail ? Power engineering is definitely a very difficult job to do correctly..
 

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