Newburyport/Rockport line

LNG tankers, gasoline trucks and, soon, ethanol trains

adamg — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 14:42:48 +0000

CommonWealth reports on plans to begin shipping 3.9 million gallons a week of ethanol into Revere, on trains that will lumber down the Fitchburg commuter-rail line into Charlestown, where they will switch to the Newburyport/Rockport line up to a "blending terminal" to be mixed into the gasoline that is now shipped along the Rose Kennedy Greenway in 18-wheelers.

[Revere Fire] Chief Doherty chuckled when asked if he was comfortable with ethanol trains coming into the community. "I have more fear of tank trucks coming in than I do with the rail," he said, noting the train tracks generally are farther from homes and neighborhoods.

That's not a new light fixture easing the way for Beverly commuters this morning

adamg — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 12:33:24 +0000

That's an electrical fire above the platform at the Beverly commuter-rail station around 6:40 this morning, as photographed by Joe Pitha, who alerted the T via a tweet reading, simply, "This can't be good."

Lug nuts weigh heavily on minds of Newburyport/Rockport commuters

adamg — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 11:49:52 +0000

Seems yesterday's major delays on that commuter line were caused by what the Salem News called a stripped lug nut that kept the Beverly drawbridge in an open position for nearly four hours. The News also reports that repairs to the bridge begun in 2008 are still not finished.

So what about today's delays on the line? The T blames switch problems.

Probably because it couldn't consumate the trip

adamg — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 12:24:52 +0000

Jim White reports that he arrived at the Westboro train station this morning just in time to see the alert board flash that the 504 into Boston had been "annulled."

But at least he could catch the next train. Riders on the Newburyport/Rockport line are being herded onto buses because somebody fed Viagra to the Beverly drawbridge again (yes, it got stuck in the upright position again and they can't get it down).

Joe Pitha, who found himself on the wrong side of that bridge this morning, proposes:

New idea: MBTA has service that calls the employer of the passengers and apologizes to them for being late.

Man hit by train in Lynn

adamg — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 22:55:41 +0000

AlertNewEngland reports the man, hit by the 5 p.m. Rockport train, was extricated around 5:40 p.m. He was due to be transported to an impromptu helipad at North Shore Community College, where a helicopter is waiting to take him to a trauma center. In the meantime, commuters south of Lynn are reporting delays on the line.

No gruntled commuters on a couple of commuter-rail lines this morning

adamg — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 13:09:35 +0000

The Worcester Line is toast this morning. And Tom Bruno reports the smell of "epic MBTA fail" on the Newbury/Rockport Line.

Today's commute on the Newburyport line, abridged version: It sucked

adamg — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:52:57 +0000

Rippling delays from a busted bridge in Beverly meant nobody was getting to North Station anytime soon. At 8:29, Fred LeBlanc tweeted:

Hopelessly stuck on a train in Beverly for an "undetermined amount of time." Oh, and "sorry for the inconvenience!"

He updated 12 minutes later that the train was actually moving.

T tells some commuters to drive to work today

adamg — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:07:10 +0000

30 to 60 minute delays on the Newburyport/Rockport Line; T advisory says "alternate transportation to avoid delay." The notice came too late for Brian Krisler, who tweets:

The 7am inbound train broken down. After 25 min wait, the conductor instructed everyone to drive to Beverly.

Barbara Glavin tweets:

So my Rockport train is crammed full, like Green line! Left folks on the platform in Salem.

Panhandler finds a captive audience at North Station

adamg — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 21:50:30 +0000

Mitch Blum tweets:

bummy kid shaking down commuters for cash on the [Newburyport/Rockport] train at N. Station...he scored $11.

Pity the poor commuters on the Newburyport/Rockport line

adamg — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 14:47:07 +0000

Hmm, wonder if that pesky bridge in Beverly is broken again. Can somebody please go kick it? Some trains delayed up to an hour; others simply canceled. Ten of the 21 alerts on the MBTA board right now are from that line.

Beverly drawbridge shows solidarity with Patriots

adamg — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 14:35:14 +0000

By shutting down again.