Dive Brief:
- The Federal Railroad Administration awarded up to $130 million to improve rail infrastructure in the Springfield, Massachusetts, area. The funding will help improve passenger rail service along a north-south line in the state and prepare for future east-west passenger train service between Boston, Springfield and Albany, New York.
- The funding adds to prior grants to advance planning for the east-west route, a project supported by Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and the state legislature. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation published a final report on potential options for the route in 2024.
- Amtrak provides train service in the area from New Haven, Connecticut, to Springfield, Northampton and Greenfield, Massachusetts, and points in Vermont.
Dive Insight:
Healey, a Democrat, and prior Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, pushed to expand passenger rail service to western and central Massachusetts. The effort has had the support of local politicians, Amtrak and CSX Transportation, which owns a portion of the route. MassDOT owns the route from Springfield north to East Northfield, Massachusetts.
“This $130 million investment in Springfield will help us improve transportation, reduce congestion and connect more communities to jobs, housing and economic opportunity,” Healey said in a statement.
The funding will upgrade interlockings and tracks that lead to Springfield Union Station’s platform tracks, according to the FRA. Interlockings allow trains to move safely from one track to another. The station hosts intercity bus service along with passenger trains.
The funding “is an important step toward building a more reliable, connected and efficient passenger rail network,” Massachusetts Interim Transportation Secretary Phil Eng said in a statement.
The FRA grant to MassDOT is part of $2.3 billion in Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements investments announced Oct. 19. In total, the FRA selected 105 projects in 45 states and the District of Columbia.
