Shuttle buses replace trains between Walpole and Forge Park/495 to allow for work on the Franklin Line Double Track project.
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| Franklin Line: Shuttle bus to Walpole on weekends through Nov 22 |
On weekends through Nov 22, buses replace service on the Franklin Line at Forge Park through Walpole to allow for double-track extension work. They will operate on a weekend train schedule. However, trains will operate between Walpole and South Station.
The shuttle buses will operate on the normal weekend train schedule and will be ADA accessible, though bikes will not be allowed on board. Trains may experience delays of up to 20 minutes due to the shuttle busing, please allow for additional travel time.
Visit mbta.com/FRKwork and mbta.com/FRKdoubletrack for more details.
For more information: https://mbta.com/FRKwork
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| Reminder - Franklin Line: shuttle buses on weekends through Nov 22 |
From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:
"The morning rush hour on Massachusetts highways is unlikely to return to pre-COVID crowds until at least 2024, and even more drivers may not return to the fray if economic recovery drags or if working from home remains common, according to new Department of Transportation projections.
That might come as good news to commuters who are enjoying this pandemic-inflicted stretch with fewer cars on the road, but it’s bad news for the MBTA, which attracts a significant chunk of its riders by offering an alternative to grinding congestion.
The new multi-year traffic and ridership models MassDOT developed and presented Monday prompted the MBTA to downgrade its already-strained financial outlook, placing even more pressure on decision-makers as they prepare to implement a package of service cuts almost guaranteed to be unpopular.
The new models, built using Moody’s Analytics economic forecasts, Bureau of Labor Statistics surveys and travel data, outline three potential scenarios for transportation trends in Massachusetts: one in which public behaviors gradually return to pre-COVID conditions, another in which telecommuting remains common even as more businesses resume physical operations, and a third in which the pandemic’s economic damage lingers."
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| "None of the three scenarios developed by MassDOT expect full crowds to return to public transit for at least several years" |
"On weekends through Nov 22, buses replace service on the Franklin Line at Forge Park through Walpole to allow for double-track extension work. They will operate on a weekend train schedule. However, trains will operate between Walpole and South Station.
The shuttle buses will operate on the normal weekend train schedule and will be ADA accessible, though bikes will not be allowed on board. Trains may experience delays of up to 20 minutes due to the shuttle busing, please allow for additional travel time."
Franklin Line notice: Commuter Rail shuttle bus weekend through Nov 22
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| MBTA Commuter Rail: Schedule changes effective Nov 2, 2020 |
From CommonWealth Magazine we share an article of interest for Franklin:
"WITH A $300 million to $600 million budget shortfall expected next year, MBTA officials on Monday began zeroing in on service cuts that would save as much as $255 million and started exploring ways to use capital funds to cover operating expenses.
In a presentation to the Fiscal and Management Control Board, T officials indicated the service cuts are likely to fall most heavily on ferry routes, commuter rail lines, and some bus routes. Service on the ferry to Hingham and Hull and most commuter rail lines could be scaled back starting next spring. Bus service changes could begin in July 2021. The presentation also warned that many of the cuts could take years to add back and some would be permanent.
The officials said their goal is to preserve service on routes that serve low-income, minority riders with one or no cars. These riders in general have continued using the T during the pandemic and are more likely to return sooner. Bus ridership, for example, is at 46 percent of pre-COVID levels while ridership on ferries is 11 percent, 12 percent on commuter rail, and 24 percent on subways."
Continue reading the article online https://commonwealthmagazine.org/transportation/t-details-possible-service-cuts/
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| The Franklin Forge Park Station |
All outbound Franklin Line trains may experience delays up to 20 minutes between Windsor Gardens and Forge Park/495 due to a signal issue. Individual alerts will be sent as needed.
Up to date alerts can be found on the MBTA page https://www.mbta.com/schedules/CR-Franklin/alerts
MBTA Franklin Line: Through Wednesday - Franklin Line delay due to signal problem
On weekends Sept 12 - Oct 11, buses replace service on the Franklin Line at Forge Park through Walpole to allow for double-track extension work. They will operate on a weekend train schedule. However, trains will operate between Walpole and South Station.
The shuttle buses will operate on the normal weekend train schedule and will be ADA accessible, though bikes will not be allowed on board. Trains may experience delays of up to 20 minutes due to the shuttle busing, please allow for additional travel time.
Visit mbta.com/FRKwork and mbta.com/FRKdoubletrack for more details.
For more information: https://mbta.com/FRKwork
Last Updated: Sep 19 2020 07:16 AM
All Commuter Rail lines will operate on a regular Sunday schedule on Labor Day, Monday September 7.
Please note that there is no Sunday service for the Stoughton and Needham lines.
Last Updated: Aug 24 2020 02:36 PM
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| Franklin Commuter Line: Commuter Rail to run regular Sunday schedule on Labor Day - Sep 7 |
"Teams continue to make progress on Phase 2 of the Franklin Double Track project. Phase 1 was completed ahead of schedule and under budget.
When all three phases are complete, the entire line will be double-tracked - continuing improvements to performance."For additional project information and status visit https://mbta.com/projects/franklin-line-double-track
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| MBTA: Commuter Rail schedule changes June 22 |
"At a recent @MBTA Board meeting, T staff discussed procurement of Electric Multiple Units for @MBTA_CR , with new fleet possible starting in 2025/26.
There’s a lot to do to make rail transformation happen.
See the presentation at https://cdn.mbta.com/sites/default/files/2020-06/2020-06-15-fmcb-K-EMU-RFI-update.pdf #mapoli"
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| T staff discussed procurement of Electric Multiple Units for @MBTA_CR |
"Keolis Commuter Services, the French company that had fallen out of favor early in its contract, will continue to operate the Massachusetts commuter rail system until at least 2025 under a renegotiated contract approved by the MBTA Board on Monday.Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
Under the new agreement, Keolis could continue to run MBTA trains for four years beyond the original eight-year contract’s 2022 end date. However, the T can opt to end the partnership after only three additional years if officials feel ready to launch a search for what they described as a “transformational” successor.
In 2017, Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack said the MBTA planned to seek a new operator at the contract’s conclusion rather than use one or both of the two-year extensions available. The administration’s position has softened since then.
Officials on Monday described the updated extension as a better deal than what the T could get in the current pandemic-affected market, and they said it also offers flexibility to prepare a long-term plan -- which sprung from the Rail Vision project -- for reimagining the commuter rail with more frequent, interconnected and potentially electrified service."
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| Franklin's Forge Park Station |
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| the platform at Franklin/Forge Park |
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| MBTA: Commuter Rail - shuttles service to Walpole |
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| track section prepared to be replace at the Union St crossing |
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| Franklin Line: Double track photos via Keolis |
The Commuter Rail will operate on a normal Sunday schedule on Monday, May 25, for Memorial Day. There will be no disruption on the Lowell, Fitchburg, Worcester, and Greenbush lines. The diversion between W Gloucester and Rockport will still be in effect.
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| Franklin/Forge Park Station |
"Capping ridership on buses and trains is not on the table as the MBTA prepares for a monthslong, gradual resumption of public activity, nor is denying service to system users who do not cover their faces despite an executive order urging mask usage, MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak said Wednesday.
During a wide-ranging interview with WBUR’s “Radio Boston,” Poftak said leaders at the agency are exploring ways to manage demand but hinted that designating maskless-only vehicles, strictly enforcing face-covering or distancing, and significantly increasing capacity -- at least in the next few weeks -- are not within reach.
Under Gov. Charlie Baker’s executive order requiring face coverings when social distancing is impossible, commuters are required to wear a mask or similar garment on public transit. However, the order exempts individuals who have a medical condition preventing them from covering their faces, and Poftak said that language precludes a mandate to riders even though he agrees the practice is “really important.”
“No one is allowed to ask them to verify that they have this medical condition, so we’re in a position where we really can’t enforce it in a police action kind of way,” he told WBUR."
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| “It is not enough to simply ask passengers to comply -- it must be enforced,” |
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| South Station Air Rights Project - Construction Anticipated to Restart on May 18 |
"Nearly two dozen MBTA projects, including high-profile components of a plan to speed repairs during more frequent system shutdowns, will be delayed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
While senior public transit officials say they are still exploring ways to accelerate work while ridership is at historically low levels, postponements on a significant chunk of projects range between one and three months, officials told the News Service.
Maintenance work on the Green Line’s tracks, Red Line infrastructure and stations on the Orange and Blue Lines will be delayed. The projects are all pillars of a 2020 accelerated maintenance plan. Work schedules are also being pushed back on 17 other projects that do not fall under that umbrella.
The ongoing public health emergency prompted the shifting timelines. The MBTA’s capital delivery office cited supply chain disruptions, staff and contractor availability shortages, and efforts to shift support resources from maintenance to running bus and train service for essential workers on the front lines of the crisis."
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| shuttle bus in place today (Mother's Day) between Franklin/Dean and Forge Park |
