Shore Line East
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Shore Line East |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Shore Line East train #1637 at Stamford, having been pushed by leased Amtrak GE P40DC #840. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Info | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Commuter rail line | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Locale | Southeastern Connecticut | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Termini | Stamford New Haven Old Saybrook New London |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stations | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operation | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | 1990 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Owner | Amtrak (east of Shoreline Junction) Connecticut DOT (west of Shoreline Junction) |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operator(s) | Amtrak (under contract to the Connecticut DOT) |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Character | Elevated and surface-level | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rolling stock | Push pull coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Technical | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 81⁄2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Electrification | 25kV 60 Hz AC (only used by Amtrak) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Amtrak Northeast Corridor services |
|---|
| Acela Express |
| Northeast Regional (including Virginia and NHV-SPG) |
| Other Amtrak trains on the NEC: Cardinal - Carolinian - Crescent Keystone - Palmetto - Vermonter Pennsylvanian - Silver Meteor - Silver Star |
| Commuter services on the NEC: MBTA Providence/Stoughton Line - SLE MNRR New Haven Line - NJT NEC Line NJT NJC Line - NJT ACES SEPTA R2 - SEPTA R7 MARC Penn Line |
Shore Line East (SLE) is a commuter rail service operating in southern Connecticut, USA. A fully owned subsidiary of the Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT), SLE provides service seven days a week along the Northeast Corridor from New London west to New Haven, with continuing service to Bridgeport and Stamford, and connecting service to New York, New York via the Metro-North Railroad's New Haven Line. It operates along tracks owned by Amtrak (New London to New Haven) and the state of Connecticut (New Haven to Stamford).
Contents |
[edit] History
The section of the Northeast Corridor SLE operates on was once the New York-Boston mainline of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. This line (northeast of the junction with the New York and Harlem Railroad in Woodlawn) was referred to as the Shore Line, to distinguish it from the Main Line to Springfield, Massachusetts.
In recognition of the large role played by the New Haven in the history and heritage of the state of Connecticut, ConnDOT paints SLE's diesel-powered locomotives in the New Haven's colors and "NH" markings.
Shore Line East is not the first commuter train to run this route. The New Haven Railroad operated local service on this route up until its merger with Penn Central. In 1976, Amtrak brought the service back with the Clamdigger, a service running between New Haven and Providence. The train itself, however, was operated with only one or two Rail Diesel Cars.
SLE was established as a temporary service to newly-reopened local stations between Union Station in New Haven and Old Saybrook, to alleviate traffic congestion that arose from scheduled construction work on the parallel Interstate 95.
The service began on May 29, 1990, with four trains each way during the morning and evening. The train was threatened to be cut in 1991 by then Gov. Lowell Weicker. But that was not to be as the restored service proved more popular than expected, and the service was made permanent, and extended one station east to New London in February 1996. To attract more riders, some peak hour trains were extended to provide one seat rides via SLE to employment centers in Bridgeport and Stamford beginning in December 2001.
[edit] Current service
Most weekday SLE trains run local westbound from Old Saybrook to New Haven in the morning, with some nonstop eastbound service. This traffic pattern is reversed in the afternoon and evening rush. A handful operate through New Haven to or from Stamford.
Most weekend SLE trains also run local westbound in the morning, then express in the afternoon, stopping at Guilford. Eastbound service is reversed. This is due to the fact that Branford, Madison, Clinton, and Westbrook only have platforms on the eastbound track and thus switching is needed to platform a westbound train. All weekend trains run New Haven-Old Saybrook only.
Service to the New London Station has been cut down to a single train in each direction on weekdays, the result of Amtrak being forced by the United States Coast Guard to curtail traffic over the Amtrak Old Saybrook-Old Lyme Bridge across the Connecticut River. The Coast Guard has jurisdiction over marine traffic, and thus over how often the bridge can be closed to allow a train to pass. New London SLE monthly pass holders are allowed to board selected Regional trains instead. There is no through service to New London on weekends. There are plans to increase service to New London.
All trains that do not operate west of New Haven make a connection to a Metro-North Railroad train at New Haven, for service to and from points in Connecticut, Westchester County, New York, and New York City.
Although SLE service is funded by ConnDOT, it is operated under contract by Amtrak. Amtrak owns and dispatches the Northeast Corridor east of New Haven. West of New Haven, the Corridor is owned by ConnDOT and dispatched by Metro-North.
[edit] Rolling stock
In contrast to the electric multiple units used on Metro-North's New Haven Line, which are also purchased in part by the state of Connecticut, all SLE trains are diesel push-pull trains.
SLE runs diesel service because Amtrak had not yet electrified the Northeast Corridor between New Haven and Boston at the time service began. The original SLE service operated with 2 F-7s and 10 Pullman-Standard coaches purchased from Pittsburgh's PA Train. These were retired not long after service began, as SLE was intended to be temporary itself.
In 1991, ConnDOT purchased 10 Bombardier Shoreliner coaches, similar to ones already used on the Danbury Branch and Waterbury Branch and leased 2 GP-38s and one GP-7W. In 1994, ConnDOT purchased 11 rebuilt SPV-2000 railcars from Amtrak, known as Constitution Liners. In 1996, SLE took delivery of six GP40-2H diesels, one of them purchased for use on the New London train. As of 2008[update], the Shoreliner coaches have been moved to Metro-North, and the Constitution Liners have been retired.
In late 2004, SLE purchased 33 single level Mafersa coaches from Virginia Railway Express (VRE), to increase its fleet size and accommodate higher ridership, as well as to provide a critical reserve in case of mechanical breakdown. Mindful of the weather-related equipment failures that plagued both Connecticut commuter railroads in the winter of 2003-2004, Governor Jodi Rell directed that the new cars be put into service immediately, without even taking time to paint them in SLE livery. As of late 2007, all the former VRE coaches have been completely rehabilitated inside and out.
In 2008, Shore Line East purchased P40's from Amtrak which had been previously leased. CDOT logos are now patched over the Amtrak logos, although the Amtrak paint scheme remains.
In a March 2009 progress report on the project to procure new M8 cars for use along the Metro North New Haven Line, the Department of Transportation revealed that the cars will be equipped to also draw power from the 25 kV AC lines in use along SLE starting in 2010.[1]
[edit] Growth of the system
Shore Line East has been growing in recent years as state officials seek to improve service and reduce traffic congestion. Recent improvements include:
- 2003: State Street Station opens in New Haven, closer to downtown than Union Station.[2]
- August 2005: New stations with high-level platforms open at Branford and Clinton, replacing stations with low-level platforms.[2]
- November 28, 2005: New station with high-level platforms and 176 parking spaces opens at Guilford, replacing an earlier station with low-level platforms.[2]
- September 24, 2007: New Madison Station under construction.
- November to December, 2007: First-ever weekend service on the line. Weekend service was cut after the holidays.[3]
- July 2008: Weekend service begins again.[4]
- July 28, 2008: New Madison station opens for service.[5]
Despite these improvements, parking remains an issue at Shore Line East stations, perhaps due to oil price increases since 2003 causing increased ridership.[6]
[edit] Station stops
- Stamford (shared with Amtrak and Metro-North)(limited service)
- Bridgeport (shared with Amtrak and Metro-North)(limited service)
- Union Station (New Haven) (shared with Amtrak and Metro-North)
- State Street Station (New Haven) (shared with Metro-North)
- Branford
- Guilford
- Madison
- Clinton
- Westbrook
- Old Saybrook (shared with Amtrak)
- New London (shared with Amtrak)
[edit] See also
- Connecticut Rail Commuter Council is the official state advocate for commuters. It brings station and rail line problems to the attention of officials.
[edit] Sources
- ^ "M-8 Rail Cars Project No. 300-0116". Connecticut Department of Transportation. March 4, 2009. http://www.ct.gov/dot/lib/dot/documents/dprojects/m8projectupdate.pdf. Retrieved 2009-05-29.
- ^ a b c Connecticut DOT Press Release 11/29/05
- ^ Connecticut DOT Press Release 11/8/07
- ^ Connecticut DOT Press Release 6/27/08
- ^ "Shore Line East article on new Madison station". http://www.shorelineeast.com/whatsnew.htm.
- ^ "New England Dispatch". Railpace Newsmagazine. August 2008.
[edit] External links
- Shore Line East, commuter rail service between New Haven and New London
- Shore Line East Riders' Association
- [1]
- [2]
- "One More Stop (advocates for increased service to New London)". http://www.onemorestop.net/. Retrieved 2009-05-10.
|
||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
