I have no idea why Boston doesn't have some sort of shuttle system between its two major depots.
I'm taking Amtrak in early May to South Station in Boston. I need to connect to the MBTA in North Station to continue on to Gloucester.
What's the most efficient way to do this? I took a cab once which took forever in traffic. What about their subway system?
Thanks in advance
Posted by George Harris (Member # 2077) on :
At one point the "Big Dig" was supposed to have a rail connection between South Station and North Station so that cummuter trains could run through, thereby eliminating the downtown turnarounds, which require a lot more platform space and time.
The rail component was eliminated to save money. ( ---> take about 1/2 hour to recover from hysterical laughter or banging your head against the wall - your choice )
Posted by RAILTRAVELER (Member # 5091) on :
The best way is to get of at Back Bay Station in Boston. Inside Back Bay you can transfer to the Orange line subway to North Station.
Posted by lucariello (Member # 5065) on :
I'm Italian and the matter question here was the same problem of Milan about 10 years ago... We had three important station but all of them were terminal station Now we link them and we create a new subway line called "passante" so regional train can cross the city
Posted by Tanner929 (Member # 3720) on :
It might be that when the origional Stations had been built by competing Railroad Companies. In New York City their is no direct shuttle from Grand Central Terminal and Pennsylvania Station, you have to use the Time Sq Shuttle and change to the 4 train. When these facilities where built at the begining of the 20th century the Pensylvania Railroad and New York Central where bitter rivals. Only "Union" Stations had competing railroads would share facilities.
Posted by George Harris (Member # 2077) on :
Part of it in cities like Boston, is that the city had been in place for about 200 years before the railroads came in. Essentially South Station served the railroads that went west with something of southerly component and just plain south out of Boston and North Station served the railroads that went west with something of a northerly component and north and northeast. It is like to be a case of getting as close to downtown as the finances could manage.
Also, in many cases, Louisville, Kentucky comes to mind, there was a fight by local warehouse and drayage owners and operators to keep railroads from connecting to each other so that it would be necessary to unload cars, haul the freight in wagons and reload cars, thereby saving their businesses and jobs.
Sometimes it was simply business competition or mutual mistrust, such as in Memphis where two major stations were built in the early 1900's only two blocks apart and facing the same streets, Central at Calhoun and Main and Union at Calhoun and Third. Central - ICRR, SLSF, CRIP. Union - L&N, SLIM&S (MP), SSW, NC&St.L, Southern. The mainlines through the city were such that, except for the ICRR, all companines could access either station.
George
Posted by Tanner929 (Member # 3720) on :
Baltimore and Pittsburgh have two stations within shouting distance. Today only one is used for train service the other still standing but being used for non railroad buisnesses. The Tracks are still active.
Posted by RRCHINA (Member # 1514) on :
Anyone remember Chicago prior to AMTRAK, six stations but they were all fairly close to each other; and many cars were transferred from one RR to another so it was not necessary to get off of your car, sleeping cars only of course.
Posted by D. David (Member # 4055) on :
quote:Originally posted by Tanner929: In New York City their is no direct shuttle from Grand Central Terminal and Pennsylvania Station, you have to use the Time Sq Shuttle and change to the 4 train.
No the 4 bypasses 33rd street. Best way would be to take the 7 train from GCS to 5th Avenue and transfer to the F/D/B/V to 34th and walk the short avenue west. The 7 is faster to get to than the shuttle anyway.
Please tell me more about the Backbay Station stop. I'm taking the regional going in and this is listed. The Orange T line is right there? If so, I'm better off getting it there instead of hitting South Station and walking with luggage yea blocks over to Oak Grove. Is this the way to go?
Posted by Tanner929 (Member # 3720) on :
There are plans currently to link GCT and Penn via a tube along with a east side link with the LIRR. The LIRR had been the step child of the Pennsylvania Railroad. In the origional set up for both Grand Central and Penn the commuter platforms where on the lower less glamorous and smaller levels. The reconstructed Penn Station again the commuter passangers where forced to wined through a maze of narrow ramps. If commuter travel was comfortable and convienient we might get a few more people out of their cars.
Posted by D. David (Member # 4055) on :
Interesting and thanks for the insight as well as the information.
I returned from my trip last Thursday. The orange line was literally the next track over from Amtrak in Back Bay. It was simply a matter of going up steps, buying a Charlie Card from the machine, and going back down another set of steps. From now on this will be my destination in Boston.
Posted by wayne72145 (Member # 4503) on :
Is there an information booth in the Back Bay Station? Just in case I get confused. My son lives in Methuen and picks me up at South Station but if I could get to the North I could catch a train in that direction and save him lots of trouble.
Posted by irishchieftain (Member # 1473) on :
quote:George Harris wrote:
Essentially South Station served the railroads that went west with something of southerly component and just plain south out of Boston and North Station served the railroads that went west with something of a northerly component and north and northeast
B&O passenger trains between Washington DC and Boston used to terminate at North Station.
South Station was the New Haven Railroad's terminus; North Station was the Boston & Maine RR's terminus. (Until the Fleet Center was built, North Station's façade had the name "Boston And Maine" engraved on it, above the entrance.)
quote:Tanner929 wrote:
There are plans currently to link GCT and Penn via a tube along with a east side link with the LIRR
No; there is nothing to be built to link NYP and GCT.
The East Side Access is solely for the LIRR's use, to go to a new set of tracks in GCT (to be built).
Posted by George Harris (Member # 2077) on :
quote:Originally posted by irishchieftain: [B&O passenger trains between Washington DC and Boston used to terminate at North Station.
This is the first time I have heard that there ever were B&O trains between Washington and Boston. Obviously they came in on the B&M since they used North Station, but what route did they take? Where and how did they cross the Hudson River?
Posted by irishchieftain (Member # 1473) on :
They went across the Poughkeepsie Bridge, using the Lehigh & Hudson River RR, PRR (Bel-Del), CNJ and RDG to get to the Philadelphia area. Going towards Boston, they went from the New Haven onto the B&M at Northampton, MA. (The PRR also used the Poughkeepsie Bridge until the route via Hell Gate was opened in 1916.)
Posted by George Harris (Member # 2077) on :
Thanks, much. Somewhat suspected Poughkeepsie, but otherwise had no clue.