(Boston) All aboard; Greenbush opposition has ceased as the reality approaches

[Eugene]

Source: Boston Globe

All aboard

Greenbush opposition has ceased as the reality
approaches: Trains start rolling Wednesday, and
region awaits the impact

By Robert Preer, Globe Correspondent | October 28, 2007

At 5:44 a.m. this Wednesday, a locomotive pulling six
cars is scheduled to leave Greenbush station in Scituate.
About an hour later, the train should arrive at Boston's
South Station - the first passenger service on the line
in almost half a century.

The return of the trains this week marks the end of a
long and sometimes bitter controversy, played out in
courts, town halls, and state and federal bureaucracies.
Along the way there were local and regional referendums,
public opinion polls, and demonstrations in the streets
and along the tracks.

In the nearly 25 years since local lawmakers first
proposed a commuter rail expansion for the South Shore,
the cost of Greenbush has escalated steadily. It is now
pegged at $512 million by the Massachusetts Bay
Transportation Authority, which owns and runs the line.
That is almost twice what it cost to build the other
two legs of the expansion - to Middleborough/Lakeville
and Kingston. Those lines (combined price tag: $537
million) opened a decade ago.

For many who were a part of the Greenbush saga, an
anticlimactic air surrounds this week's opening, which
will include a ceremonial trip on Tuesday for dignitaries,
the media, and invited guests.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2007/10/28/all_aboard

---

Source: Boston Globe

Thinking of getting aboard? Here's what you can expect

By Robert Preer, Globe Correspondent | October 28, 2007

For South Shore residents new to commuter rail, the train
experience is quite different from the commuting options
available now, and some of the touches might come as a
surprise.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/10/28/thinking_of_getting_aboard_heres_what_you_can_expect

---

Also: Train takes a detour into the past - Boston Globe