Finally - new Lechmere Station is a GO

MassDOT today announced that a land exchange agreement has been approved to facilitate extending the Green Line north of Lechmere Station to Somerville and Medford.

Commonwealth Conversations: Transportation: MBTA: New Lechmere Station Spurs Development

Buried in the press release are some interesting items.

Trackage rights off the Worcester Main Line to allow potential future passenger service from Worcester to Ayer. This will provide a connection between the Worcester and Fitchburg Commuter Rail Lines, and a potential future connection to North Station.

Trackage rights to provide future passenger service to New Hampshire. This would allow for the extension of MBTA Commuter Rail service from Lowell to Concord, NH through Nashua and Manchester. That project would ultimately be sponsored and funded by the State of New Hampshire, similar to current Commuter Rail service to Rhode Island.

Worcester to Boston via Ayer? OK that might take 4 hours :)

Seriously while I doubt we will see a commuter line from Ayer to Worcester anytime soon, getting New Hampshire service restored will be a well needed service.

At least we may now see some progress on building the Green Line to Somerville and Medford.

UPDATE - Hyundai-Rotem problems in Philadelphia and what it could mean for Boston

This is a follow up on what I wrote yesterday.

BREDA, NEOPLAN, SIEMENS and now HYUNDAI-ROTEM - MBTA knows how to pick em

FOX29 in Philadelphia has done a follow up on the problems at the Hyundai-Rotem plant in Philadelphia where commuter rail cars for SEPTA in Philadelphia are being assembled. The MBTA cars will be built as this same plant so it is imperative for the MBTA to do something now before it is too late.

New SEPTA Trains Way Behind Schedule: MyFoxPHILLY.com

Here is a look at the Philadelphia cars



Philadelphia riders have been promised these trains but...

In a recent online apology to riders, SEPTA's general manager Joe Casey admitted the manufacturing process has not gone as planned, but Casey promises the transit authority will not accept any new railcars that do not meet their standards.

We all the problems MBCR is having they don't need this. It is important to note that MBCR only operates what the MBTA provides them so this is squarely in the lap of MBTA GM Rich Davey and the MassDOT Board of Directors.


Back in October the T showed a mockup version of the Hyundai-Rotem cars at North Station



One major difference between SEPTA regional rail and the MBTA commuter rail is that SEPTA now operates the system themselves instead of having a railroad company run it. SEPTA is also 'all-electric' instead of diesel powered. 


Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company has been operating the MBTA system since July of 2003 when they took over the contract from Amtrak that walked away from it. One major advantage that Amtrak offered that MBCR can not is that Amtrak would if needed add their own locomotives to run on the commuter rail when breakdowns occurred. The biggest problem MBCR has is simply the equipment provided to them is at the end of their expected lifetime and the T has not provided new rolling stock. 


One suggestion I have for the MBTA to look at for the short term is to perhaps investigate leasing electric powered rolling stock from perhaps the LIRR, Metro-North, SEPTA or METRA (Chicago) to operate on the electric tracks in operation between South Station and Warwick, Rhode Island. If nothing else that would free up the trains currently operating on the Providence line to be used elsewhere in the system. 


Hopefully Hyundai-Rotem can solve the problems at the Philadelphia plant. The Korean company has certainly developed a fine reputation with their automobiles. I do wonder why the company chose Philadelphia for the rail plant when they have built their auto plants in the south where labor costs are lower. Paying only $12 an hour in Philadelphia almost guarantees you will not get the best skilled workers. 


All we can do is hope for the best.

Al's Cafe opens in Harvard Square

Alan Costello who has become well known downtown with his locations at 112 State St and 179 Essex St has officially opened his long planned Harvard Square location.

It is located in the Holyoke Center Arcade at 1350 Massachusetts Ave - entrance is to the left of Au Bon Pain. His menu offers Hot Gourmet Subs, Cold Gourmet Subs, Soups ,Salads and Kabobs. He will also offer his famed Bag Lunch and Soup Lunch.

Hours Monday-Saturday 10 AM to 9 PM - Sunday 11 AM - 8 PM Phone 617-441-9100


Website is under construction but will be www.alscafes.com

I wish him well as Harvard Sq can always use a good, inexpensive meal option.

        

BREDA, NEOPLAN, SIEMENS and now HYUNDAI-ROTEM - MBTA knows how to pick em

How many more times will the MBTA get burnt when they purchase new buses, trolleys and commuter rail equipment?????

In April of 2008 the MBTA awarded a $170 million contract to Hundai-Rotem for 75 new bi-level coaches for the commuter rail. 


THE KOREA TIMES - APRIL 13, 2008 

Hyundai Rotem, the world's third-largest urban train car maker, said Sunday it won a $170 million contract to build 75 bi-level subway cars for the Boston metro, the oldest and one of the largest transit systems in the United States.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) awarded the contract to Rotem USA, which is Hyunda-Kia Automotive Group's train maker, to replace the city's old commuter rail coaches to new ones by 2012.

The fourth-largest subway system in the U.S. serves a population of 2.6 million

OK they may an honest mistake saying they would be for the subway, but more importantly they said the cars would arrive in 2012.

The article also says..

The train maker said it will eye more lucrative deals in the U.S. once its Pennsylvania factory is completed by the end of 2008. Rotem started building a plant in Philadelphia last year in compliance with ``Buy America'' laws, which state that roughly 60 percent of car manufacturing and assembly must be done in the U.S.

The global train market is estimated at $35 billion. Rotem is the third-largest seller of urban metro passenger cars, after Canada's Bombardier and France's Alstom.

Well the Philadelphia plant is up and running...but this morning the Philadelphia Inquirer says they have MAJOR production problems at the plant which is currently building commuter rail trains for SEPTA which is the transit system serving Philadelphia.

Problems persist at South Philadelphia railcar plant

Hyundai-Rotem, the world's third-largest manufacturer of urban mass-transit vehicles, also has contracts to build railcars for the Boston and Los Angeles transit systems. The Boston cars are to be assembled at the Philadelphia plant.

 The railcars for Los Angeles are being assembled in Southern California


One thing seems certain, the 2012 date of delivery is just a suggestion as they are already one year behind schedule in Philadelphia.

Now SEPTA at least is lucky that the cars are being assembled in Philadelphia and they can watch production daily. How much is it going to cost the T to have people shipped to Philadelphia to babysit their cars being assembled? But more importantly is why is the MBTA giving a major contract with a company with no track record in the US?

One would think after the BREDA fiasco on the Green Line, a 3 year delay waiting for Siemens to build the new Blue Line cars, and the Neoplan trackless trolley fiasco they would learn.....BUT NO.

I suppose if there is any silver lining to this, Philadelphia will get the lemons and the Boston trains will be much better....whenever they arrive.

BOSTON RADIO: 1920-2010 by Donna Halper is a must read

 Boston Radio:: 1920-2010 (Images of America Series)

BOSTON RADIO: 1920-2010
Author: Donna L. Halper

ISBN: 9780738574103

# of Pages: 128
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
On Sale Date: 02/21/2011

I saw this book at the Harvard Coop last night and it is a trip back into time when radio was a much bigger part of our daily life than it is today.

When I was a teenager I would listen to stations like WMEX and WBZ as often as I could and for sports WHDH was the home of the Red Sox, Celtics and Bruins. DJ's such as Arnie Ginsberg, Bruce Bradley, Dick Summer and others became 'close' friends. In sports I would live and die listening to Curt Gowdy, Ned Martin (Red Sox) Fred Cusick and Bob Wilson (Bruins) and Johnny Most (Celtics).

I learned so much listening to talk shows from hosts such as Jerry Williams, Bob Kennedy, Steve Fredricks and Jim Westover. Talk radio then was not filled with the hate that we have today. A host may not agree with a caller but they would debate them rationally.

Book Description:
Boston's radio history begins with pioneering station 1XE/WGI, one of America's first radio stations, and includes the first station to receive a commercial license, WBZ; the first FM radio network, W1XOJ and W1XER; and one of the first news networks, the Yankee News Service. Nationally known bandleaders like Joe Rines and Jacques Renard were first heard on Boston radio, as was one of the first weathercasters, E. B. Rideout. The city has been home to a number of legendary announcers, such as Bob and Ray, Arnie Ginsburg, Dick Summer, Dale Dorman, and Charles Laquidara; talk show giants like Jerry Williams and David Brudnoy; and sports talkers like Eddie Andelman and Glenn Ordway. Many Boston radio personalities, such as Curt Gowdy, "Big Brother" Bob Emery, Don Kent, and Louise Morgan, found fame on television but first established themselves on Boston's airwaves. Since 1920, Boston radio has remained vibrant, proving that live and local stations are as important as ever.

The pictures I have added are from various internet sources but if they bring back memories then you MUST buy this book. A big thanks to Donna Halper who obviously loves radio and the history behind it.


Jerry Williams WMEX - WBZ - WRKO

Larry Glick WMEX - WBZ - WHDH

WBZ lineup 1967

Bob and Ray WHDH 1950

Jess Cain WHDH

Norm Nathan WHDH - WBZ

The Sports Huddle - WUNR -WBZ - WEEI - WHDH
Jim McCarthy, Eddie Andleman, Mark Witkin

Johnny Most - The VOICE of the Celtics

Glenn Ordway WITS, WRKO, WEEI

WBZ Music Survey 1965

WMEX Music Survey 1966

WRKO Music Survey January 1968

Ken Mayer WBOS-WUNR WO9-8989


WBCN 1968-2009