Passenger Trains > Why additional service to Mystic and Westerly?

On Amtrak's Shore Line between Boston and New Haven.
https://media.amtrak.com/2020/02/amtrak-offers-additional-service-in-mystic-ct-and-westerly-ri-with-new-modified-schedules/
When I rode in the past these were low patronage stations.  Have there been new businesses or attractions added that would increase demand for service at either location?
Andy

They are low patronage stations in part because there aren't enough stops.  If you don't stop at a station, people can't ride to or from there.

High fares and few local stops is part of why Amtrak's NEC marketshare is just 6% and most people simply drive.

Southeastern Connecticut has lots of wealthy part-time residents.  I think it makes sense to try to grow the business there.

Dave

Mystic used to have more riders, when more trains stopped there. When the NEC switched to electric, Mystic got the shaft. They went from half the trains stopping to almost no trains stopping. The tourists had to get off at either New London or Westerly and either rent a car or taxi to Mystic, a HUGE tourism magnet. 

twropr Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> On Amtrak's Shore Line between Boston and New
> Haven.
> https://media.amtrak.com/2020/02/amtrak-offers-add
> itional-service-in-mystic-ct-and-westerly-ri-with-
> new-modified-schedules/
> When I rode in the past these were low patronage
> stations.  Have there been new businesses or
> attractions added that would increase demand for
> service at either location?
> Andy

Terrible idea, the low level platforms explode the dwell time, probably adding 5 minutes running time per stop.  It's easy to forget how much delay extra stops add.  When I used to travel between Philly and Baltimore a lot on Amtrak I would always dread booking an Aberdeen train or worse, the New-ark train.  At the very least service expension should be predicated on the availability of high level platforms.

They have also added a few stops at New Brunswick and Princeton Jct, which have long high level platforms. Good. Saves longer drive to Metropark and Trenton, or a schlep on non-guaranteed NJT "connection" adding 1 hour to passenger's trip time.

In these cases, Aberdeen, and Newark, DE, they have gotten smarter usually stopping in the opposite direction of the local commuter train peak service. 

It also differentiates Regional from the Acela product, the former have better and faster performance from Sprinter locos, the latter needs to generate more business to justify its capital expenditure on longer consists and more frequent service. 

Newark DE will get a high level island platform one of these days (design was done a few years ago) and Davis interlocking will be remade into two higher-speed interlockings, one on each side of the station, both of which which will reduce the time for Amtrak to stop there. But whether Amtrak wants to stop there more frequently is another matter...

Posted from iPhone

Had a great time working for Amtrak in Mystic one summer in the '90s.  Worked on the track Monday-Thursday, then on Thursday afternoon after we were done, ordered a pizza to go from Mystic Pizza and drove back to Philly on I-95.  Usually I could eat the whole thing in about an hour after sweating all day with no breakfast or lunch.