CapeFlyer Service Starts Today to Hyannis

[Dave Saums]

Folks,

The MBTA's new "CapeFlyer" rail service from South Station to Hyannis starts tonight, with a 5:12PM departure from South Station.  There is a return trip that leaves Hyannis at 8:30PM, back to South Station.

Service runs Friday evening through Sunday night from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.  Intermediate stops are included also.  Saturday service schedule will run on Monday, Memorial Day.  Round-trip fare for one adult from South Station to Hyannis is $35.00.

Flyer schedules, Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard ferry schedules, and maps and fares can be found at:   www.capeflyer.com

There was coverage on FM radio yesterday and on NECN TV news last night, all reasonably well done.  (Apparently, the young NECN reporter never heard of the term "Flyer" used in the name of a railroad passenger train and he didn't really seem to understand that.  Ah, well!)

There is reportedly also a bar car, according to Richard Davey, the GM of MBTA and MassDOT Secretary, in his interview on FM radio yesterday with Jim and Margery on WGBH-FM.

Dave S
Amesbury MA

[G Kenson]

 

It seems that once you take the train down you either have to return Sunday or wait a whole week.

Why would a family of four want to be so restricted and no transportation around the area except by bus? Meanwhile they are making monthly payments on their new SUV that sits in a pay for parking lot on the T?

 

I give it one season.

 

G Kenson

 

 

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[RickH]

I rode the trial run last Saturday. The head end (southbound) coach
does include a small concession area. I saw soft drinks and wrap
sandwiches in a small cooler, coffee and snacks. No tables in this
coach so you have to return to your seat with your purchases.

This coach was modified with about half of the seats removed for
installation of bicycle racks.

The trial run took about an hour longer than scheduled in each
direction. There was a "political speech" stop at Buzzards Bay on the
northbound trip, but none on the southbound trip. In each direction
we had to wait at least 20 minutes for the canal bridge to be
lowered. I expect that will be a normal occurrence.

The biggest downside I can see is spending 2 and a half hours in a T
commuter coach. Not very comfortable for that length of time.

I prefer rail to any other mode of transportation myself, but I have
to agree between the cost (dis)comfort level and probable delays this
service will be unlikely to last more than one season.

Rick Hutchison

[NERRGuy]

I would guess that this service is primarily designed for urban, Boston residents, who do not own a car and want to spend a weekend on the Cape.  This would work out pretty well for them.   --- On Sat, 5/25/13, G Kenson <Ken...@comcast.net> wrote:

[o...@aol.com]

That's how the service was run back the first time they tried it.  It was of no use to anyone who lived on Cape Cod.  It catered to a very small group of people.  This version is for people that want to escape Boston.  The earlier version ran out of Attleboro and served NY escapees.  

[Dave Clinton]

Why are you so negative about everything passenger train?  Are you a railroad enthusiast or just someone who likes to be negative and start arguments?  Certainly not a railroad supporter, which is what we need in this country!

 

FYI, you can return each evening on the train from Hyannis to Boston, so you can spend the day on the Cape.  Also, the train arrives downtown Hyannis, with easy access to several nice Hotels/Motels and is an easy walk to the wharf, to take the ferry to Martha’s Vinyard or Nantucket, where you wouldn’t take your SUV, anyway.

 

Let me guess: you were probably against “The Downeaster” service when it was proposed and now you should be “eating crow”.

 

Another guess: you worked for, maybe still do, Guilford during the early days of Colon Pease and their anti-passenger train, anti-public anything stands.

 

Best wishes on continuing to enjoy life and railroading!

 

Dave

[Steve Deveau]

The schedule works fine for weekend and day trips.  I took the test drive last weekend and figure on throwing my bike on the train for a day trip or two this summer, if summer ever comes.

[Robert Metell]

George,

 

When was the last time you drove down to the Cape?

Most weekends it took me anywhere from 2 1/2-3 hrs to reach Hyannis from Boston during the summer. Some weekends the traffic at the Bridge was backup for as much as 6 mi.

 

There is also the two ferry boat service from Boston to Provincetown that seems to be pretty popular.

 

Bob

[Marty Kullen]

George:

The way I read the schedule, you can ride down Friday night and come back Saturday night or Sunday night. You could even spend a fun filled 20 minutes in Hyannis on Friday night!
You can also spend a Saturday or Sunday in Hyannis.  I have driven down to Hyannis for a day.

Of course, If your family is already down there, you can train down on Friday, and train back Sunday night. Many times, when I was a kid, we picked my father up at North Falmouth on
Friday Night and drove him back Sunday night. Perfect if you work in Boston.

Marty

[Dave Saums]

George,

Why take such a negative view? Let's see what happens instead of pooh-poohing this immediately.  Sounds like the maiden trip last night was pretty packed.  Even Dukakis rode.

The proverbial family of four that you mention is much more likely to drive anyway, to go anywhere and certainly to the Cape, as they'll have to carry all the crap that kids demand today.  That family of four isn't even on the table as the target market for this service.  Adding up the fares involved, many families going for a vacation will still think immediately of their wallets anyway as driving is still thought of as "free".

The Saturday and Sunday schedules work well to get people to Hyannis, who want to spend a whole day simply walking around Hyannis itself.   There's plenty to do for a day trip, with places to eat, shops, a JFK history museum, and even for a family of four looking for an easy day trip.  Leaving in the evening allows time even for an early dinner in Hyannis.

To take the ferry to Nantucket or MV, it's about three-tenths of a mile walk to the ferry dock -- or the Hyannis trolley shuttle.  Nothing wrong than that, and a hell of a lot better than the idiot drive from Boston on a weekend.

People who live in Boston and don't own a car, who often go to Manchester to go to Singing Beach for the day, or to Rockport for a day trip, now can go to Hyannis or Buzzards Bay. 

Even going on Friday night, staying overnight for Friday and/or Saturday, coming back Sunday, is another alternative for lots of singles, couples, families in the Boston area.

The schedule looks to have been thought out for people who have a place on the Cape and therefore probably have family, friends, or neighbors who could easily drive over to Hyannis and pick them up.  Lots of people who have a second house on the Cape also keep a car there.

What would be great would be a coordinated Cape Cod excursion from Hyannis or Buzzards Bay station, scheduled within the hours allowed by the MBTA schedule. 
 
Also, for those of us way up on the North Shore, getting into North Station on a Friday afternoon is okay with current MBTA schedules, returning on Saturday evening to South Station and then from North out to Rockport or Newburyport.  That means I could go, spend the night in Hyannis, and have all day to myself in Hyannis and at the waterfront.  Fine with me -- just as good as the day trip on Amtrak's "Downeaster" from Haverhill or Exeter to Portland and back -- which is a really great day trip.
 
There isn't currently a way to leave North Shore stations early enough on a Saturday to make the transfer over to South Station in time for an 8AM departure to Hyannis.  At the moment, that means someone like me would have to drive in or take a C&J bus or the Orange Line from a closer station.  The C&J buses work really well to Logan Airport and to South Station for Amtrak and Acela departures, and I do that for virtually every trip. 
 
Perhaps the MBTA might also realize that there may be other reasons for an early morning Saturday/Sunday departure from the North Shore.  If us North Shore folks could leave from Rockport or Beverly or Newburyport early in the morning, by 7AM, and get into North Station and over to South Station to spend a day in Hyannis, that would be great.  I won't go otherwise, that's for sure, if it means driving.

Dave S
Amesbury MA

[Robert Metell]

Hi,

 

It figures after fighting that traffic down to the Cape from Eastie, after I moved to Tampa, and fight worse traffic then in Boston, they start a weekend train to the Cape!

 

I think the current schedule should work out pretty good. It does provide someone heading to the Cape a variety of options. I don't think a mid day option would be worth while, unless it was going to directly connect to Amtrak. Time will tell.

 

I know the times I rode the CC&H trains to Boston, then to Braintree with a subway line into town, the train usually ran with a good size crowd to and from the Cape especially on the weekends. So think this could work out. Time will tell.

 

Peace

Bob

[G Kenson]

Dave,

 

Why is it if someone disagrees with your opinion then its a negative and starts arguments? You are the first poster to get rattled with others content to enter polite discussions some for and some against. Contrary to what you assume my likes are, I love trains with a trackcar in the backyard and an N & HOn3 scale layout in the kids old room and an O scale trolley collection. For 23 years I have had an FRA Locomotive Certificate and and still do operate locomotives at four New England tourist railroads each summer.

 

George

 

 

 ---- Original Message -----

[Dennis Rockwell]

This car occasionally makes an appearance on the Fitchburg line. Very annoying to lose half the seats in a SRO rush hour coach!

RickH <rhu...@comcast.net> wrote:
> [ ... ]

> This coach was modified with about half of the seats removed for
> installation of bicycle racks.

Dennis

Sent from my Nook Color with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.

[Steve Deveau]

Is it the same car?  The CapeFlyer has the second car the T has converted for bikes.  The first used floor mounted racks, each of which was good for one bike.  I thought they did the whole car, but I'm not sure.  The CapeFlyer coach, which is wrapped for CapeFlyer service uses wall mounted automotive racks, each holding up to four bikes.  Four rows of triple seats remain, as do 9 rows of doubles.  Some rows of seats are also lost for the snack bar.

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[G Kenson]

I have posted many pictures of the MBTA bridge replacement project #1 near Andover Station just off Lupine Rd in Andover, MA.

These are the first two pictures of work on the second bridge project just east of the Lowell Jct switch. Access is difficult but the Town of Andover public hiking trails lead you to this point where they crossover the tracks right at the bridge site.

http://photos.nerail.org/show/?order=byposter&page=1&key=kenson

 

[Donald, Morrison]

George:

I received an "Invalid Address" error msg when I clicked on the link.

A propos your critics, remember the bogus Latin expression "Noli te illegites Carbarundum" - "Don't let the bastards grind you down."

Best

Don

________________________________________
From: ner...@googlegroups.com [ner...@googlegroups.com] on behalf of G Kenson [Ken...@comcast.net]
Sent: Monday, May 27, 2013 12:35 AM
To: ner...@googlegroups.com
Subject: [NERAIL] Andover MA bridge replacement at Lowell Junction

I have posted many pictures of the MBTA bridge replacement project #1 near Andover Station just off Lupine Rd in Andover, MA.
These are the first two pictures of work on the second bridge project just east of the Lowell Jct switch. Access is difficult but the Town of Andover public hiking trails lead you to this point where they crossover the tracks right at the bridge site.

http://photos.nerail.org/show/?order=byposter&page=1&key=kenson<mhtml:{4E54C6EE-5DDA-4CFB-A5E5-965B1A69BA17}mid://00000247/!x-usc:http://photos.nerail.org/show/?order=byposter&page=1&key=kenson>

[G Kenson]

The link seems to be a Google problem.  It seems to have duplicated it as here is what I sent http://photos.nerail.org/show/?order=byposter&page=1&key=kenson  and it starts with http and ends with kenson.    Just strip off everything after org should also work.

 

Yes, once in a while a wise guy shows up.

 

Thanks Donald

[Dave Saums]

George, thanks for posting the bridge work photographs.  I've been reluctant to just walk down the right-of-way from Cemetery Road crossing, as that is such obvious trespassing.

My understanding from the contractor is that both of these projects in essence are designed to insert a new steel bridge superstructure within the existing 19th century stone bridge facings.  Since these are considered worthy of historic preservation, it's not just a simple bridge replacement.

The number of pilings that had to be installed is part of what has led to a lengthy project schedule.  I was told this work is not scheduled to be finished until September at the earliest.

Dave S
Amesbury MA

[G Kenson]

Cemetery crossing would be to look at the other bridge, not this one.  There is an apartment or condo complex right on Lupine rd which has a wooden fence in their parking lot.  Sometimes I glance over the fence as it is a semi-public parking area.  It is a 6 foot fence though so have to stand on Jeep door sill being shorter than that.

 

These pictures are for the bridge near LJ and I too did not want to just walk down the ROW.  www.Andovertrails.org has wonderful maps of where you can go on public land.  This is Pole Hill Reservation.

Shortest is Marland trail which had an itty bitty sign at its beginning. It appears that you have to trespass on the land of the last house, which you are not, but it is because they extended their driveway to meet the paved section of public rd.  Sign is on far right where you walk on top of stonewall.

 

Take look someday as its great weather for a little hike. 

 

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Dave Saums

To: NERAIL GoogleGroups

Sent: Monday, May 27, 2013 1:28 PM

Subject: RE: [NERAIL] Andover MA bridge replacement at Lowell Junction

[Dave Saums]

George,

Thanks for the clarification -- and that explains why I couldn't match the signals at Lupine Road to the signals in your photographs! I was puzzled about that and thought the only explanation could be temporary signals installed for the shoo-fly (well, sort of a shoo-fly).
 
I know that the signal immediately adjacent to Cemetery Road was relocated from the east side to the west side of what is now again the (almost) double track there.

Dave S
Amesbury MA

 

[Dennis Rockwell]

Right you are! Clearly not the same car. I see the other one, where the seats in one whole side of the car have been replaced with those diagonal floor-mounted racks.

Thanks for posting that photo!

Steve Deveau <st...@SteveDeveau.name> wrote:
> Is it the same car? The CapeFlyer has the second car the T has converted
> for bikes. The first used floor mounted racks, each of which was good for
> one bike. I thought they did the whole car, but I'm not sure. The CapeFlyer

> coach <http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?2013052612221912394.jpg>, which is

> wrapped for CapeFlyer service uses wall mounted automotive racks, each
> holding up to four bikes. Four rows of triple seats remain, as do 9 rows
> of doubles. Some rows of seats are also lost for the snack bar.

[Arnold Reinhold]

I've seen reports of track work. Does any one know when they will be able to run a higher speeds (e.g. next season)? That could make the service much more attractive.