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| Waterbury Branch Updates? (1602038) | |
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| (1607670) | |
Re: Waterbury Branch Updates? |
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Posted by Osmosis Jones on Thu Sep 8 13:52:57 2022, in response to Waterbury Branch Updates?, posted by Osmosis Jones on Fri May 13 15:53:24 2022. So it looks like new controlled sidings were installed north of Derby-Shelton, south of Beacon Falls, and south of Waterbury, and both PTC and CTC have been fully installed on the line, with corresponding service increases also being implemented in July, increasing weekday service by 47%.I've also been told that even though ConnDOT has a big surplus of diesel locomotives right now, they have no plans to downsize their fleet, and in fact are looking hold on their surplus so that they can significantly increase branch line and Hartford line service over the next few years. Here's a doc that offers a glimpse into just how bullish local governments are about the Waterbury branch alone. |
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| (1607671) | |
Re: Waterbury Branch Updates? |
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Posted by Osmosis Jones on Thu Sep 8 14:00:34 2022, in response to Re: Waterbury Branch Updates?, posted by Osmosis Jones on Thu Sep 8 13:52:57 2022. I'm also curious on if the first two morning trains still do the routine where the 2nd train of the morning deadheads from Stamford to just north of Waterbury with the 1st train of the morning following it.The 2nd train of the morning would hold just north of Waterbury until the 1st train leaves, then the 2nd train pulls south into the platform. 4:47 in the morning in Waterbury is way too early for me though lol so I guess that'll remain a mystery. |
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| (1607672) | |
Re: Waterbury Branch Updates? |
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Posted by AlM on Thu Sep 8 14:37:27 2022, in response to Re: Waterbury Branch Updates?, posted by Osmosis Jones on Thu Sep 8 14:00:34 2022. I've got no information on the topic, other than what's on the schedule, but that sounds really strange. A train arrives in Waterbury at 12:51 AM. Why would it go anywhere, or do anything, other than become the 4:47 AM train back to Bridgeport?Though the Waterbury schedule does look a bit weird. The 4:47 gets to Bridgeport at 5:45, and so looks like it wouldn't quite be able to get back to Waterbury in time to be the 6:36. So it looks like they need 3 train sets for that line. I can see routinely sending a train set to Stamford for maintenance, but why in the middle of the night, rather than during mid-day when the line can be served with only 2 train sets? |
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| (1607673) | |
Re: Waterbury Branch Updates? |
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Posted by Osmosis Jones on Thu Sep 8 15:34:11 2022, in response to Re: Waterbury Branch Updates?, posted by AlM on Thu Sep 8 14:37:27 2022. A train arrives in Waterbury at 12:51 AM. Why would it go anywhere, or do anything, other than become the 4:47 AM train back to Bridgeport?Train #1990 arrives in Waterbury at 12:51AM then deadheads back to Stamford Yard. Waterbury has that huge yard west of the station, but Metro-North doesn't own it so it sits unused for now. Though the Waterbury schedule does look a bit weird. The 4:47 gets to Bridgeport at 5:45, and so looks like it wouldn't quite be able to get back to Waterbury in time to be the 6:36. So it looks like they need 3 train sets for that line. Southbound Train #1911 arrives at Bridgeport at 5:45AM, then deadheads to South Norwalk to turn as Train #1806 to Danbury. The following Train #1925 departing Waterbury at 5:38AM as well as Train #1935 departing Waterbury at 6:36AM both deadhead from Stamford Yard to Waterbury in the morning. The Waterbury Branch used to share equipment with Shore Line East out of New Haven Yard, but a little over a decade ago Metro-North decided it was better to pool its equipment with the Danbury Branch out of Stamford for whatever reason. I can see routinely sending a train set to Stamford for maintenance, but why in the middle of the night, rather than during mid-day when the line can be served with only 2 train sets? The branch only requires 2 sets for the vast majority of the day. Train #1911 uses extra supplemental equipment from the Danbury Branch to provide earlier morning rush service on the Waterbury branch. |
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| (1607674) | |
Re: Waterbury Branch Updates? |
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Posted by Osmosis Jones on Thu Sep 8 15:52:43 2022, in response to Re: Waterbury Branch Updates?, posted by AlM on Thu Sep 8 14:37:27 2022. I've got no information on the topic, other than what's on the schedule, but that sounds really strange.Before signalization and the passing sidings were installed, two southbound trains were scheduled to leave Waterbury in the AM Rush within an hour or so, and since there was nowhere for the trains to meet on the branch, both trains would just simultaneously deadhead from Stamford Yard, with the 2nd train out of Waterbury holding just north of the station until the 1st train cleared the station. Not sure if they still do that with trains #1911 and #1925 though. As you can kind of see in this video it must have been a tight fit too, since Metro-North territory ends just north of the bridge in the video IIRC: |
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| (1607676) | |
Re: Waterbury Branch Updates? |
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Posted by Italianstallion on Thu Sep 8 17:31:53 2022, in response to Re: Waterbury Branch Updates?, posted by Osmosis Jones on Thu Sep 8 13:52:57 2022. The bullish document was undoubtedly prepared in 2019. Wonder if the bullishness still holds after the pandemic. |
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| (1607682) | |
Re: Waterbury Branch Updates? |
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Posted by Osmosis Jones on Thu Sep 8 18:42:36 2022, in response to Re: Waterbury Branch Updates?, posted by Italianstallion on Thu Sep 8 17:31:53 2022. The Waterbury branch has more of a blue collar ridership base, making it more recession proof than the other lines. I believe Waterbury itself is the only station on the branch where there's more demand to New York/Stamford than there is to Bridgeport/New Haven. Derby-Shelton and Ansonia are both located near job centers and attract quite a bit of intra-branch ridership, with a notable amount of trips traveling just one station between Naugatuck and Waterbury as well. Here are some studies detailing these findings:On-Board Passenger Count & Ridership Survey from December 2017 Existing Conditions Report from October 2018 New Haven Line Capacity and Speed Analysis from June 2021 |
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| (1607688) | |
Re: Waterbury Branch Updates? |
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Posted by Italianstallion on Thu Sep 8 21:04:21 2022, in response to Re: Waterbury Branch Updates?, posted by Osmosis Jones on Thu Sep 8 18:42:36 2022. Interesting stuff, thanks. |
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| (1607693) | |
Re: Waterbury Branch Updates? |
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Posted by Peter Rosa on Thu Sep 8 23:11:15 2022, in response to Re: Waterbury Branch Updates?, posted by Osmosis Jones on Thu Sep 8 18:42:36 2022. I haven't ridden the branch in quite some years, but the rider always seemed to be mostly ordinary people rather than the suit-wearing executive types that ride many other commuter lines. |
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| (1607714) | |
Re: Waterbury Branch Updates? |
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Posted by Osmosis Jones on Fri Sep 9 13:00:14 2022, in response to Re: Waterbury Branch Updates?, posted by Peter Rosa on Thu Sep 8 23:11:15 2022. Yes, and that is still the case. The New Haven mainline, New Canaan Branch, Danbury Branch, and Shore Line East all have wealthier white collar ridership bases while the Waterbury Branch and even the Hartford line to a certain extent have blue collar ridership bases that are more dependent on public transportation. Here's a link to an old blog post made by a Waterbury Branch conductor in 2009, pretty bleak stuff with quite a few passengers not even being able to afford the $2.25 fare:Life on the Waterbury Branch |
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