TRANSITMATTERS RELEASES NEW “PROOF OF CONCEPT” REPORT TO ADVANCE REGIONAL RAIL VISION WITH PRACTICAL NEXT STEPS AND $3 BILLION SAVINGS
BOSTON, MA (September 12, 2019) – Today, TransitMatters hosted a launch event for its new report “Regional Rail Proof of Concept: How Modern Operating Practice Adds Capacity to the Current Commuter Rail Network”. The report is a follow up to last year’s Regional Rail report which laid out the vision for a fast, frequent, electrified intercity rail network. That report showed that through embracing world best practice Metro Boston could have a transformative rail network. The new report focuses on how relatively modest changes in both operations and track layout at South Station can have significant benefits to train capacity in the short-term.
The new report questions the wisdom of the long-planned South Station Expansion (SSX) project as a wasteful $2-3 billion project with little transportation value. The report also calls into question the MBTA’s reliance on bi-level coaches with inefficient passenger flow. The report instead calls for operational changes first: regular “clockface scheduling”, quicker train turn times, and dedicated tracks, all of which also add to the passenger experience and increase capacity at terminal stations. The report also advocates for relatively modest changes to the track layout of the approach to South Station; these changes would allow for faster speeds in the station (up to 50% time savings in some cases) and allow for flexibility by allowing trains to reach all platforms.
“We believe that Regional Rail has the potential to solve many of the Commonwealth’s biggest challenges- congestion, inequality, Gateway Cities reaching their full potential, housing availability, and climate change. We have to make smart decisions about what projects not to do and start taking steps towards achieving the service improvements necessary to respond to our economy and to rider needs”, said Jarred Johnson, COO of TransitMatters. “Today, we found an extra $3 billion for the Commonwealth to spend on making commuter service across Eastern Massachusetts better.
The new TransitMatters report, which was authored by a dedicated team of volunteers, is the first in a series of follow-up reports that will focus on each Commuter Rail line, as well as topics like electrification. Today’s report will be available online at regionalrail.net. You can also watch a live stream of the event on the @TransitMatters Twitter account. The TransitMatters team also announced an upcoming press event focused on the second part of the report, “How to Provide Frequent, All-day Service on the Worcester Line”. This event will be hosted in conjunction with the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, Sept 17 at 2 PM at the Worcester Regional Chamber.
###