The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) recently awarded the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s (MassDOT) Rail and Transit Division a $3.5 million Corridor Identification and Development Program grant.
Funding will be used for the Boston-Albany Corridor Service Development Plan for the West-East Rail project that would expand and enhance train service connecting Boston and Albany, New York, through Springfield.
“Every investment we make in our transportation network is an investment in people, in their families, their futures, and their ability to stay connected to the places and opportunities that matter most,” Transportation Secretary & CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt said. “We are deeply grateful to our federal partners for believing in the promise of the Boston to Albany rail corridor. This is more than a route between two cities. It is a lifeline for the communities in between, opening doors to economic opportunity, environmental progress, and a stronger, more united Massachusetts.”
The document will outline MassDOT’s implementation plan for service expansion, identify the purpose and need for the service, demonstrate the feasibility of a Boston to Albany intercity passenger rail route, and evaluate the operational, network, and financial impacts of the service and infrastructure investment. It also will include an operating plan, a corridor project inventory and an investment case.