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Beyond the Region: Trolleys and Trams

Earlier this fall, while most of the TSTC team traveled within downstate New York to celebrate Thanksgiving with family and friends, a few of us traveled well beyond the edges of the tri-state region. And when we realized that we would each be visiting cities with light rail networks — something we don’t have in downstate New York — we decided it was time to reprise MTR’s “Beyond the Region” summer travel series to catalog our exploits aboard these lines.

Pittsburgh

In Pittsburgh, TSTC’s South Jersey Advocate (and Pittsburgh native) Dana Dobson rode the Port Authority of Allegheny County’s light rail system (affectionately known as “The T”) from Gateway Center Station in downtown Pittsburgh across the Allegheny River to Allegheny Station en route to the Andy Warhol Museum. This section of the system, which is part of the downtown free fare zone, was created as part of the North Shore Connector project and opened in 2012.

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The new Gateway Center Station in Downtown Pittsburgh, which replaced the original 1984 station in 2012.

 

"Pittsburgh Recollections," a mural by Romare Bearden was created in 1984 in the old Gateway Center Station and re-installed in the new Gateway Center Station when the North Shore rail extension was built in 2012.
“Pittsburgh Recollections,” a mural by Romare Bearden was created in 1984 in the old Gateway Center Station and re-installed in the new Gateway Center Station when the North Shore rail extension was built in 2012.

 

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A Red Line train arrives at Gateway Center Station (click for video)

 

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On the platform at Allegheny Station

 

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Close up on one of The T’s light rail vehicles, which operate on the “Pennsylvania Trolley Gauge” (5 feet 2.5 inches), which is six inches wider than standard gauge on which most US railways operate.

 

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Allegheny Station from street level.

Boston

While Dana was in Pittsburgh, TSTC’s Communications Director Joe Cutrufo was in his native Boston, where he traveled from Copley Station in the Back Bay to Dorchester using the MBTA Green Line — — which has the highest ridership of any light rail line in the country — as well as the Mattapan High Speed Line.

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On the platform at Copley Station in Boston’s Back Bay.

 

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Copley is served by all four branches of the Green Line, which fan out in four directions heading west from the Back Bay neighborhood.

 

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Many Green Line train sets combine older rolling stock, pictured here…

 

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… with newer rolling stock, pictured here.

 

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The Mattapan High Speed Line connects to the Red Line (subway) at Ashmont Station and runs parallel to the Neponset River in Boston and the town of Milton.

 

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Rolling stock on the Mattapan High Speed line consists of 70-year-old PCC cars.

 

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The Mattapan High Speed line runs primarily on a grade-separated right of way — hence the “high speed” in its name — which pedestrians are able to cross over at some stations.

 

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The trolleys are powered via trolley pole and overhead catenary. There is talk of replacing the rolling stock with electric trolley buses.

 

Seattle

Shortly after Thanksgiving, TSTC’s (now former) Communications Assistant Emma Kilkelly moved to Seattle, where she’s a regular rider of Sound Transit’s Link light rail line.

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On the platform at Capitol Hill Station

 

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A train arrives at Capitol Hill Station en route to Angle Lake in Sea-Tac.

 

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Sound Transit runs Kinkisharyo rolling stock on its Central Link line, where service debuted in 2009. Soon, 122 new Siemens S70 cars will be added to the fleet, which are also used on light rail systems in Charlotte, Portland, Minneapolis and San Diego.

 

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On board the Central Link line.

 

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Sound Transit designates space for both luggage and bicycles on board its vehicles.

Pittsburgh photos by Dana Dobson, Boston photos by Joseph Cutrufo, Seattle photos by Emma Kilkelly.

 

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Stewart Mader
7 years ago

We sure do have light rail in the NY & NJ urban core: Hudson-Bergen Light Rail.

Joseph Cutrufo
Joseph Cutrufo
7 years ago
Reply to  Stewart Mader

We sure do. That’s why it says “downstate New York.”

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