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Federal stimulus funds mean state to do something about the lung-cancer chamber known as Back Bay station

The state today announced federal funding for a $3-million breath of fresh air: A project to better ventilate the station, which fills with diesel fumes whenever a commuter-rail train pulls in.

MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo said the project will go out to bid after contractors finish another federally funded project to fix the station's leaky roof. That $1.6 million project is expected to go out to bid this summer and should take three months, he said.

Other projects covered by the overall $72.5 million federal grant include repairs to Red Line stations in North Quincy and Braintree and "phase 2" of the Ashmont project now that phase 1 is, hmm, is it finished?

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Comments

Just widen the leaks in the roof.

*dusts hands off*

Another problem solved...where's my check?

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...where's my check?

It's going to the purchase of more newspaper subscriptions.

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Do I have to do everything for them?

When you widen the leaks, you don't sop it up with newspapers, you let it run free and call it "open sky lighting"...or "quick lobby access" to whatever building it is that's directly above the platforms.

Nobody complains if they think they're supposed to be out in the rain.

That'll be double the amount of the previous check, please.

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large ventilation fans into the ceiling above the ends of the North Station commuter rail tracks to exhaust the fumes from idling locomotives. They made so much noise (thus generating lots of complaints) that they were shut off a few months afterwards in favor of MBCR's long-standing "we park the trains with the locomotives far enough from the station so fumes aren't an issue" policy. Of course, since they shortened the tracks to accommodate the "temporary" waiting room, the fumes haven't been an issue for some time now.

What has always puzzled me is why the T refuses to consider the use of either electric locomotives or electric MU car sets for the Boston to Providence service, and perhaps extending catenary for the Stoughton service as well. That alone would reduce the exhaust fume problems at Back Bay considerably.

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The southbound track at Ruggles doesn't have catenary. I'm not sure where else it needs to be added.

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Which the state says it wants to run as almost-but-not-quite urban mass transit. Turn it into another Riverside Line!

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