NEC Shutdown delayed Two Days
 

The planned shutdown of the NEC at New London CT for the bridge span replacement, originally set for Sat 6/14 to Tue 6/17, will now be Mon 6/16 through Thu 6/19. Some alternate service will be provided, both rail via Hartford and Springfield, and bus.

Here is a story from The Day, New London CT:

Amtrak Story

You would think they would just push this off until the next weekend. What a disaster this is for business travelers. I am not looking forward to flying on Tuesday - first time on the BOS-LGA route in 8 years I think!

I agree. I had a trip planned, so I made it to start on 6/19 to avoid the closure, then they delayed it to include 6/19. :td: Luckily, they are bus-tituting from KIN, so I can still depart - even though I have to leave 2 1/2 hours earlier! ^

This just in...(nothing on the Amtrak website of course)...

-----Original Message-----
From: Dinehart, W. James
Sent: Friday, June 13, 2008 2:55 PM
To: Dinehart, W. James
Subject: Thames Rriver Bridge

It appears we now will be operating a normal schedule all next week and will continue to do so until further notice (see below).


W. James Dinehart
Amtrak Market Manager
NEC North Region


We have been notified by the contractor working on the Thames River Bridge Project in Connecticut that the installation of the new lift span has been further delayed due to complications encountered in the dismantling and removal of the bridge's counterweight. As a result, the previous operating plans to accommodate the changeout have been suspended. We are working to restore the regular train schedules for June 16 through 19 and are operating a normal schedule this weekend.

While there are currently no firm dates set for the bridge span changeout, we expect more information from the contractor about the status of the project on Monday. At that point, we will provide another update about both the service schedules and expected project completion

Oh, good grief.

What ?
 

Is that for real? :confused: I'm very confused!

After the OP, I called Amtrak, because I had a trip planned from KIN (within the closure zone) on 6/19. (In fact I knew about it even before the Amtrak agents! :rolleyes:) After more than 45 minutes and numerous transfers, it was determined that they are bus-tituting from KIN-NHV.

Now this!

So do I get to the KIN station at 8:00 AM for a bus OR 10:37 AM for my train? :confused: (Of course I wasn't notified! In fact, I wasn't even notified about the original change either!)

The website did change--they took down the NEC closure notice. Of course, there's no update other than the lack of the notice.

Searching for tickets for KIN-NHV on 6/19, they show that the trains are operational.

EDIT: I found a press release on the Amtrak website:
http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/Conten...76828&ssid=180

How about 6/24-6/27 no trains....

Service Alert: Acela Express and Northeast Regional Temporary Changes Affecting Boston-New Haven-New York Service June 24 - June 27
The installation of a new bridge span on the Thames River Bridge has been rescheduled for June 24 through June 27, due to an unexpected complication encountered by Amtrak and its contractor in dismantling the bridge's counterweight.
To accommodate passengers, Amtrak is scheduling substitute rail service between Boston and New York via the inland route through Springfield, as well as other special trains that will serve segments of the Boston-New Haven-New York route. Limited connecting bus service to bypass the bridge outage will also be available during this period.

How is this affecting the Shoreline Metro North section to OSB.

Well there is nothing on the Metro North or Metro North Shoreline websites, and while Amtrak's website makes mention of the Boston Commuter Rail, it does not address your question. This is the only detail I could find, some of which suggests there is some service to OSB (not sure how you cross a bridge that isnt there, but I am sure Amtrak will think about that at some point...):

Tuesday through Friday, June 24 through 27

All Acela Express service is canceled north of New York City. (Acela will operate normally between New York and Washington.)
Three Northeast Regional round-trips will operate between New York and Boston via Hartford and Springfield (the “Inland Route”), offering coach, business class and café service.
Bus operators are being contacted for limited connecting bus services between Rhode Island points and New Haven. Bus schedules will be announced when they become available.
Three daily round-trip trains will operate between New London, Conn., and New Haven, with an intermediate stop at Old Saybrook, Conn. These trains will connect at New Haven with other Amtrak trains to points west and south, and two of the three trains will accommodate Connecticut DOT monthly ticket holders.
One round-trip train will operate between Westerly, RI and Boston, operating in the morning northbound and the evening southbound.
During the bridge outage, no Amtrak service will be provided at Route 128, Mass. to points south, and passengers are directed to either Providence or Boston. MBTA service between Providence and Boston will operate normal service during the outage.
During the bridge outage, no service will be offered at Westerly, R.I. to points west and south.
Mystic, Conn., will have neither bus nor train service during the outage, and passengers should go to New London or Westerly.
Saturday, June 28
Regularly scheduled service resumes (except for train 195 and 99, which will have modified schedules.)
During the bridge outage, Amtrak personnel and signs will be utilized to assist passengers with the adjusted schedules at stations along the Shoreline Route.

Here's the press release:
http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/Conten...79039&ssid=180

They are running three trains from Washington to Boston, using an inland route NYP-BOS.

Train 1170, dep WAS 5:02am, arr BOS 3:10pm 10h8m
Train 1174, dep WAS 9:25am, arr BOS 7:25pm 10h
Train 1176, dep WAS 12:05pm, arr BOS 9:50pm 9h45m

I don't know for sure, but I think I heard before that Shoreline East will not be affected at all. Which make sense, since SLE only operates between NHV and OSB and OSB is over 20 miles WEST of the Thames - and doesn't go over the bridge at all!

That service notice about "some service" only is about Amtrak service, not SLE service!

First just to be clear, Shoreline East has nothing to do with Metro North, beyond the fact that they run a few trains down to Stamford on MN tracks. But Metro North is operated by the MTA of NY with help financial from the State of CT for the portion that runs within the state. Shoreline East is run by Amtrak for the State of CT.

That said, Shoreline East isn't affected by the bridge closure at all, since most of their trains terminate in OSB as mentioned by the_traveler. Two trains per day, IIRC, terminate in New London, the very last stop before the bridge in question.

Now, because Amtrak also plans to do a track maintenance blitz during the shutdown of the corridor, it is possible that Shoreline East may encounter some delays due to single tracking and slow orders in areas where people are working on the tracks. But regardless, the SE trains will run.

Thanks for the info AlanB. It will get me into OSB albeit at times I would not normally choose.

Shoreline East did at one point run trains from OSB to NLC. However, due to the limited lifting allowed of the Connecticut River drawbridge (just east of the OSB station), they discontinued service (on SLE) to NLC.

You can still use your SLE tickets on regular Amtrak runs between OSB and NLC - but IIRC only on 2 trains. But they are Amtrak trains - not SLE trains - between the 2! And since they are Amtrak trains, and those are not running, there is no rail service during the closure between OSB and NLC!