Entry 13 - Of Mice and Metros (5E145)
Heya there!
Economic crashes, a sudden population slump as the boomtown cannot sustain endless growth, falling income...In just a few years Amesbury feels the combined effects of an economic recession, of an ageing population, of the end of the bipolar world order - Akavir's dictatorship fell in one swoop - and of the end of its own runaway growth rate. At just 200.000 inhabitants, the town has finally swung to the right-wing FP party who committed in their manifesto to rebuild a more sustainable economy.
One thing both parties agree on - and even worked on together - is the need for a massive transit overhaul. Construction on a subway began in 5E140, taking over a test track in Lilydale built some thirty years prior and used as a movie set and finished in 5E145. In addition, a new commuter link, the Gold Line, now runs the major north-south axi in town.
An InterCity train crosses a freight train, prior to commuter/intercity rail separation. Amesbury has become a mainline hub due to its status as a junction (stolen from Lorsdale, further away from the physical interchange).
Amesbury General Mental Institution...not subway-related but there is now an asylum built on a whole island off the shores of Lake Amery.
It also doubles as a retirement home and provides round-the-clock care. The administrator, Mike Hudson, also advised the City Council on potential subway routes.
Map of the new system! The bus network has been completely revamped to link as best as it could to the train system. The Gold Line is a conventional metro while the Blue Line is more like regional rail. Projected ridership figures for the Gold Line are 20.000/day, and 10.000/day for the Blue Line.
So let's begin our tour of the Blue Line! This is Grove Hill station, at the northern end of the line. Yes, there is an Ammunation shop opposite the street, in a climate highly polarized between open-carry activists and pro-licence followers. It is one of three in town.
The mainline and commuter tracks have been separated...The rolling stock for the Blue Line is the 3-car E233 EMU, which comes straight from systems such as the very dense Balmora City Authority, in Morrowind. There are six sets assigned to the operation of the line as a whole; usually only four are needed at any given time.
Two minutes later, our train pulls into Marigold / Lorsdale Park station. There is an underground parking lot nearby that serves as a Park and Ride facility.
Another two minutes after, the train stops at Maple Hills station. It is the least used station on the network, mostly because most passengers can catch the same buses in the denser area served by the Gold Line.
The hub of the train and bus network is at Central Station, where flocks of passengers wait for their train and transfer between the different modes.
The whole plaza was rebuilt to accommodate more buses, as well as the metro.
This is the main entrance to the Blue Line subway station, complete with in-station shops. The three coloured stripes symbolise the Blue Line, the Gold Line, and the bus network in general.
Another view of the station building and of some of the bus stops.
The skyline in this part of town is dominated by high-rises now, but a lot of room was spared in the expansion of the interchange hub.
Buses are still coloured according to the line they travel on, however, as part of the rebranding of the bus fleet as a whole. This, however, might end pretty soon as people find it confusing when buses are assigned to another line.
Two buses travel on a bridge above the tracks south of the central station towards Fairview Leys.
View of the tracks under this bridge.
Fairview Leys station serves the area directly south of the CBD. It is another covered station meant to be used as a bus hub for the southern parts of the city.
Further south, Woodside station serves as an unofficial Park and Ride facility (as it has not yet been integrated to the fare system, which provides privileges and fare cuts for P&R riders)
A train rolls under another railway bridge on its way towards Gilmore.
Two E233 trains cross each other there. The red one is a regional Sprinter service that links Amesbury to Lorsdale. The commuter tracks go under the mainline tracks and then carry on their own way, while the mainline tracks carry on to the Highlands railyard and beyond.
Gilmore station, which serves as a general bus hub for the southern parts of Amesbury and its surrounding communities. The creation of this hub has shortened many journeys into the CBD by 30%! Average value of course.
Meanwhile the mainline tracks carry on across a calm treescape that hides the gravity of urban sprawl in southern Amesbury.
Indeed, the whole forested area between Gilmore and Amesbury has been completely closed and some are wondering whether to upgrade the old rural highway to city avenue standards.
The commuter Blue Line finally reaches its destination, a station south of the Highlands Yard which serves as another hub, this time for buses to the industrial zone. This station is expected to reduce road traffic into the industrial zone considerably.
It is also home to the maintenance yard and depot for the Blue Line. Some would like to see the line further extended, but there are no viable options at the moment.
Buses run along Wittenberg Avenue. Bus ridership is very high for a city the size of Amesbury and there are 32 lines that criss-cross the whole city.
There is also the Gold Line metro which runs roughly along the river before reaching Wigston. This is one of its entrances at Haymarket/The Mall station. This particular station has three entrances, including one in the mall, that all link to an underground hallway parallel to the avenue. In the middle of this hallway, elevators and stairs go down to the station platforms aligned just under.
Here is a typical bus totem. Buses have the general colour red for signage but each line has its own colour on maps and signs (as well as on the buses themselves)
Secondary entrance to the North Ferry station. The subway platforms are directly under the streets here and the main entrance, along with ticket machines and elevators, is on the other end of the platform, into the ferry terminal building. This entrance leads directly to the platforms, and is in the middle of the bus station.
Lilydale North station, empty in the very early morning. This station has very cheap furnishing like most of the stations on the network. Second Rail, which operates the second subway system in New Wigmore, had a notable surplus of compatible rolling stock. Amesbury bought most of the stock at a reduced price, though the liveries have not been changed to the white-and-stripes livery seen on the Blue Line.
View into one of the downtown streets. That's when I realise how hilly the map gets sometimes.
Hickory Circle station is not opened yet. There is a plan to connect the Highland District via bus rapid transit. The first lanes were installed at Hickory Circle and when completed the BRT should replace several overcrowded lines on its own fast right-of-way. The BRT station, though, is not fully built yet, but it should be by the end of the year. That bus is involved in a serious accident over there...
Finally, one of the new ways to get around town is by helicopter! This is the Amesbury Municipal Heliport, built straight in the heart of the city on top of a tower.
And that's it for now! Next time I might toy around with the Euro building set, or work more on the BRT, we'll see! Until then, thanks for following my CJ and for the feedback 
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