East-West Passenger Rail Update

The recent edition of Rail News Roundup, the newsletter of Trains in the Valley, a group formed to advocate for improved and expanded passenger and freight rail service in the Pioneer Valley, provides some information on the status of east-west passenger rail. MassDOT hosted a meeting of the East-West Passenger Rail Advisory Committee via Zoom on June 10, 2020. The Study Team reported that the three final study alternatives will include direct passenger rail service between Pittsfield, Springfield, and Boston with intermediate stops, and that alternatives using bus service west of Springfield will no longer be studied. The alternative for High Speed Rail along a new corridor was not selected for further study. The Advisory Committee's sixth meeting and third Public Meeting have been pushed back from late July; new meeting dates to be announced.

On July 16, the State Senate passed its version of the Transportation Infrastructure Bond Bill, with wording that would authorize funding for early action items related to the East-West Passenger Rail project. A compromise bill still needs to be enacted by both the House and Senate and signed by Governor Baker. Senators Jo Comerford, Eric Lesser, and Adam Hinds spoke about the need in western Massachusetts for greater access to public transportation, including east-west rail, and improved connectivity.

For more information about local rail: trainsinthevalley.org