This page provides an overview of ongoing efforts to expand east–west rail service in Massachusetts.
If you are looking to learn more about Amtrak’s existing daily service between Boston, Springfield, Pittsfield, and Albany-Rensselaer NY please visit this page.
Contents
Overview
The need for expanded east-west passenger rail service in Massachusetts has been discussed, debated and studied for more than ten years.
The various options were studied as part of the Northern New England Intercity Rail Initiative (NNEIRI) study (2013–2016) and the East-West Passenger Rail Study (2018–2021).
This second study indicated that the projected infrastructure cost for such a project would range from $2.4 billion to $4.6 billion — an amount roughly ten times the estimated cost ($309 million, or $365 million in 2022 dollars) that was projected in the 2016 NNEIRI Study of east-west rail.
In April 2022 Governor Baker agreed to a “path forward” that gave the East-West Rail project a long-awaited green light.
Tweet by Congressman Richard Neal
Massachusetts and other states now have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to apply for significant federal funding to expand intercity rail service. This funding became available with the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill in late 2021.
Service options
The diagram provides a basis for reviewing the three versions of East-West Rail that have been discussed in recent years.
These options are summarized as,
Boston – Springfield – New Haven (the so-called Inland Route)
In 2016 the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and the Vermont Agency of Transportation, in coordination with the Connecticut Department of Transportation, completed a three-year feasibility and planning study known as the Northern New England Intercity Rail Initiative. (also known at the NNEIRI Study.)
This study recommended that eight (8) new daily round-trip trains be established between Boston and New Haven on the Inland Route as part of a larger effort to increase intercity passenger rail service in the region.
In 2016 MassDOT chose not to move forward with any of the recommendations from the NNEIRI study for reasons that were never fully explained.
Pittsfield – Springfield – Boston
In January of 2021 MassDOT completed a two-year study — known as the East-West Passenger Rail Study — that examined the feasibility of passenger rail service from Boston to Springfield and Pittsfield.
The study recommended three possible build alternatives with up to nine (9) new round-trip trains between Boston and Springfield and Pittsfield on this corridor.
Albany-Rensselaer NY – Springfield – Boston
And then in May of 2021 Amtrak released a Corridor Vision Plan which outlined Amtrak’s desire to add new intercity passenger rail service in key markets across the country over the next 15 years.
Amtrak’s plan included two (2) new round-trip trains between Albany-Rensselaer station and Boston. These trains would be in additional to the single round-trip (trains 448 and 449) that Amtrak operates today on this route as part of their long distance network.
The way forward
On July 18, 2022, MassDOT submitted an Expression of Interest for rail corridor development to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) as part of the FRA’s Corridor Identification and Development Program.
With this letter MassDOT formally indicated to the FRA their interest in two distinct corridors for East-West Rail in Massachusetts.
In late September 2023 the Federal Railroad Administration awarded MassDOT $108 million in grant funding to support a major early action project in support of East-West Rail.
The planned improvements would make it possible for Amtrak to provide two (2) new round-trips on the so-called “Inland Route” — between Boston, Springfield, and New Haven — as a first phase of corridor improvements.1
MassDOT has said that that these improvements were, “a necessary first step for increasing train frequency and speed along the Inland Route Corridor and the corridor between Boston, MA and Albany, NY.”
How long it will be before these additional trains are placed into service is unclear at the moment. For now though we need to first wait to see if the FRA grant is awarded, which should occur in the early spring.
Milestones
Drop down boxes
1991 – 2009
August 15, 1991 | Massachusetts and New York State officials agree to work together to seek federal funds to study the development of a high-speed rail system between Boston, Springfield and Albany, NY.
Springfield Mayor Mary Hurley and the Western Massachusetts Coalition for High Speed Rail, which she created, hosted a meeting of 30 industry and business representatives as well as officials from Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York. (The Republican)
April 5, 1994 | A preliminary engineering report presented to the Joint Massachusetts-New York High Speed Rail Committee indicated that it would be physically feasible to build a high-speed rail system linking Boston and Albany, NY. The report found the best route for the high-speed trains would be along the median of the Massachusetts Turnpike and the New York State Thruway.
The article in the Globe said that “no quick action was expected, although funds for additional studies are included in a proposed state transportation bond issue.” (Boston Globe)
December 1, 2004 | Representative John Olver announced that the 2005 federal omnibus appropriations bill included funding to expand the New England High Speed Rail Corridor plan to include western Massachusetts. The new funding would expand the corridor plan to include train routes from Boston via Worcester and Springfield to Albany NY, and from Springfield via Hartford to New Haven CT. (US Fed News)
2010 – 2019
2013
January 13, 2013 | The MassDOT Board of Directors released a ten-year transportation plan that called for spending $362.4 million to expand passenger rail service between Boston and Springfield, with thru service to Hartford and New Haven.
December 18, 2013 | The first meeting of the Stakeholder Committee for the Northern New England Intercity Rail Initiative (the NNEIRI Study) was held in Springfield, Mass.
The Northern New England Intercity Rail Initiative examined the opportunities and impacts of adding more frequent and higher speed intercity passenger rail service on two rail corridors — Boston–Springfield–New Haven (known as the Inland Route) and the Boston–Springfield–Montreal.
2014
Two (2) Stakeholder Committee meetings and four (4) public meetings were held to support the ongoing work of the NNEIRI Study.
2015
Five (5) Stakeholder Committee meetings were held to support the ongoing work of the NNEIRI Study.
The group Citizens for a Palmer Rail Stop was established to advocate for East-West Rail and a future station in Palmer.
2016
June 2016 | MassDOT releases the final report for the NNEIRI Study. The report recommended that eight (8) daily round-trip trains should be operated between Boston and New Haven on the Inland Route as part of a larger plan to increase intercity passenger rail service in the region.
July 19, 2016 | The Federal Railroad Administration issues a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Tier 1 Environmental Assessment that was prepared as part of the NNEIRI Study.
2017
January 30, 2017 | Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy wrote to Governor Charlie Baker asking for Massachusetts to establish passenger rail service on the route between Hartford, Springfield and Boston.
June 19, 2017 | State Senator Eric Lesser travels from Boston to Springfield, with stops in Framingham, Worcester, Palmer and Springfield, on a ‘whistle-stop’ tour to promote expanded East-West passenger rail service. (RNR #2)
October 24, 2017 | A bus load of citizens from western Mass gave up their day to ride a charter bus from Springfield to Boston to testify before the legislature in support of expanded rail service between Springfield and Boston. (RNR #8)
November 13, 2017 | A statewide survey by the Western New England University Polling Institute showed that 80% of adult registered voters in Massachusetts support east-west rail between Springfield and Boston. (RNR #8)
2018
February 2018 | Three local rail advocacy groups — Trains In The Valley, Citizens for a Palmer Rail Stop and The Train Campaign — hosted pop-up meetings in 19 locations across western Massachusetts in an effort to encourage public support for East-West Rail in the 2018 State Rail Plan update.
June 12, 2018 | Governor Charlie Baker joined elected official at Springfield Union Station to announce a Request for Proposals for a consulting team to study the feasibility of east-west passenger rail service. (RNR #14)
December 18, 2018 | MassDOT hosts the first meeting of the East-West Rail Study Advisory Committee in Springfield.
2019
One (1) advisory committee meeting and one (1) public meeting are held to support the ongoing work of the East-West Passenger Rail Study.
March 12, 2019 | MassDOT hosts its first public meeting of the East-West Rail Study to a standing room only crowd.
May 1, 2019 | The Boston City Council adopted a resolution supporting east-west rail service between Boston and Springfield. (RNR #24)
June 1, 2019 | The UMass Amherst Center for Economic Development releases a report — The Case for Palmer: Towards a Passenger Rail Station on the East-West Massachusetts Train Line.
June 23, 2019 | The Western Mass Rail Coalition is formed and holds its first meeting in Springfield.
2020
2020
Four (4) advisory committee meetings and two (2) public meetings are held to support the ongoing work of the East-West Passenger Rail Study.
February 21, 2020 | The Boston Globe publishes an editorial in favor of moving forward with East-West Rail.
2021
2021
January 10, 2021 | MassDOT releases the final report for the East-West Rail Study. The report includes a summary of the actions that MassDOT intends to take as part of what they refer to as “advancing the conceptual planning phase for East-West Passenger Rail.” (RNR #38)
January 15, 2021 | Governor Charlie Baker signed into law a $16 billion Transportation Bond Bill which included “not less than $50 million” for East-West Rail. (RNR #41) (ed. as far as we are aware, none of this money has been spent.)
May 6, 2021 | Congressman Richard Neal hosted at press conference at Springfield Union Station to highlight a new report — commissioned by the Capitol Region Council of Governments (located in Hartford CT) — and the need for thru passenger rail service along the New Haven – Springfield – Boston Corridor. (RNR #39)
May 27, 2021 | Amtrak announces that it is planning to deliver by 2035 more frequent passenger rail service to over 160 more communities and 20 million more people nationwide. Amtrak’s proposal includes a new Amtrak-operated rail corridor between Albany and Boston. (Amtrak press release)
The proposed new service would add two (2) new round-trips between Albany and Boston, with new station stops in Chester MA, Palmer MA, and Chatham NY. (RNR #39)
Source: Amtrak Connects US Vision (PDF) | Page 57
November 12, 2021 | MassDOT released the Massachusetts Intercity Passenger Rail Governance White Paper. The paper recommends that Amtrak be the operator of any additional east-west rail service and that the legislature should create a “Western Massachusetts Intercity Rail Authority” to manage the project. (RNR #40)
November 15, 2021 | President Biden signed into law the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The legislation provides an unprecedented $66 billion in funding for intercity passenger rail. (RNR #40)
2022
2022
January 12, 2022 | CSX, the owner of the rail corridor west of Worcester, formally indicated to the federal Surface Transportation Board that it will agree to a set of [pro-passenger rail] conditions requested by Amtrak as part of their acquisition of Pan Am Railways. (RNR #41)
April 26, 2022 | Governor Charlie Baker announced that he has agreed on a “path forward” for East-West Rail. The agreement calls for the legislature to create a new rail authority to manage the development of East-West Rail. (Agreement Reached to Advance East-West Rail)
The announcement of this agreement occurred soon after a meeting (shown below) that was attended by the Governor, Congressman Neal and Congressman McGovern, the Secretary of Transportation Jamey Tesler, Rail & Transit Administrator Meredith Slesinger, and just about every state senator and representative from western Mass.
Tweet by Congressman Richard Neal
May 18, 2022 | MassDOT said that it is continuing to work with Amtrak on the feasibility of an “incremental service improvement plan” with a near-term focus on improved service between Springfield and Boston (the Inland Route) — with Springfield as second rail hub in Massachusetts — and additional service to Albany. (MassDOT Board presentation)
June 2, 2022 | The Federal Railroad Administration announced that it had awarded a Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant to MassDOT for preliminary engineering design and environmental clearance work for track, signal, and infrastructure improvements in and around Springfield Union Station.
This design project is seen by some as an early action item in support of expanded passenger rail service at Springfield Union Station.
July 18, 2022 | MassDOT submitted an Expression of Interest for rail corridor development to the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Corridor Identification and Development Program.
The two corridors submitted for consideration are (1) “Boston, MA to Albany, NY via Springfield, MA” and (2) “Boston, MA to New York, NY via Springfield, MA and New Haven, CT.” (MassDOT letter to the FRA)
August 2022 | The Empire Passenger Rail Association published this infographic —
The graphic presents a set of arguments for moving the western terminus of East-West Rail from Pittsfield MA to Amtrak’s Albany-Rensselaer NY station.
August 10, 2022 | Governor Charlie Baker signed into law an Act Relative to Massachusetts’s Transportation Resources and Climate (MassTRAC). Among other things, the bill includes $275 million in bonding authorization (to be supplemented with federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill dollars) that could be used for the East-West passenger rail project. (Chapter 176 of the Acts of 2022)
The bill also establishes a commission to investigate what the governance structure should be for passenger rail in western Mass.
August 18, 2022 | The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) submitted a letter to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) which included support for MassDOT’s expression of interest for expanded intercity rail service between Boston, MA and Albany, NY. (NYSDOT letter to the FRA)
August 23, 2022 | Governor Charlie Baker, Congressman Richard Neal, and Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner took a tour of the east-west rail line aboard an inspection car that was attached to Amtrak train 449, the westbound Lake Shore Limited.
The press conference that Congressman Neal hosted at Springfield Union Station after the tour can be viewed below —
December 2, 2022 | MassDOT, in partnership with Amtrak, and with support from CSX, submitted an application for funding from the Federal Railroad Administration’s Fiscal Year 2022 Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant program. (MassDOT Press Release)
The MassDOT’s grant application seeks more than $108 million which will go toward the total project cost of approximately $135 million. MassDOT also plans to contribute more than $18 million and Amtrak $9 million toward the total project cost.
According to MassDOT, the project would include the following major elements:
• Two (2) new Amtrak “Inland Route” (Boston–Springfield–New Haven) daily round trips as a first phase of corridor improvements.
• Infrastructure improvements that result in increased train speeds and additional corridor capacity along the 53-mile section of the CSX Boston & Albany (B&A) Line between Worcester and Springfield. The extension of existing passing siding capacity and other track improvements will increase the Maximum Authorized Speed to 80 mph (where track geometry will allow) and minimize train delays along the 44-mile single-track segment.
• Increased operational efficiency and flexibility by reducing passenger and freight train conflicts and reducing travel times along the remaining single-track segments on the CSX-owned segment between Worcester and Springfield, MA.
MassDOT said that that these improvements are, “a necessary first step for increasing train frequency and speed along the Inland Route Corridor and the corridor between Boston, MA and Albany, NY.”
December 9, 2022 | The first public meeting of the Western Massachusetts Passenger Rail Commission was held at the Berkshire Innovation Center in Pittsfield.
December 20, 2022 | The FRA released a Notice of Solicitation of Corridor Proposals and Funding Opportunity for the Corridor Identification and Development Program. It is expected that MassDOT will submit applications for two intercity corridors, (1) Boston MA to Albany-Rensselaer NY via Springfield MA and (2) Boston MA to New York NY via Springfield MA and New Haven CT.
December 29, 2022 | MassDOT purchased two adjacent parcels of land in Springfield at 255 and 331 Liberty Street. According to a MassDOT spokesperson, the state plans to use the property for a “rail maintenance-layover facility” to support “operational flexibility” for future passenger rail service through Western Massachusetts. (The Republican, January 16, 2023).
(the CSX rail corridor is behind the fence on the right)
2023
February 3, 2023 | The Federal Railroad Administration issued an extension and supplemental funding notice for the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Program (Partnership Program).
The total funding available for this passenger rail program was increased to $4.566 billion, from $2.283 billion, and the application deadline was extended to April 21, 2023. It likely that MassDOT will submit a Partnership Program application for funding to advance elements of the East-West Rail project. (Railway Age)
February 3, 2023 | MassDOT announced that it is hiring a new Director in the Rail & Transit Division. The position will focus on policy, planning, and implementation of current and future passenger service concepts and coordination with MassDOT’s freight rail partners. (MassCareers Job Opportunities posting, archived link)
March 1, 2023 | Governor Maura Healey’s fiscal year 2024 budget proposal included a line item which would provide $8.5 million for track improvements at the Pittsfield station and $4 million for the study and design of a new station in Palmer. (Governor’s Budget Proposal)
This is an important development because this is the first time that the executive branch (MassDOT or the governor) has indicated that there will be a station stop in Palmer.
March 10, 2023 | MassLive reported that Governor Healy’s budget also includes funding for five (5) full-time employees dedicated to the East-West rail project, including a director. (MassLive report)
March 27, 2023 | MassDOT submitted applications under the FRA’s FY22 Corridor Identification and Development Program for two new intercity corridors — Boston MA to Albany-Rensselaer NY via Springfield MA, and Boston MA to New Haven CT via Springfield MA. (MassDOT presentation on March 21, 2023 in Northampton)
April 21, 2023 | MassDOT, in partnership with Amtrak, and with support from CSX, submitted a $108 million grant application for the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Fiscal Year 2022–2023 Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Grant Program (Partnership Program) to make improvements between Springfield and Worcester that would result in two (2) Inland Route roundtrips between Boston, Springfield and New Haven CT. The project was also submitted to the FRA’s CRISI grant program back in December 2022.
April 27, 2023 | The Rail & Transit Administrator’s report to the MassDOT Board of Directors indicated that MassDOT also executed an agreement with CSX to begin preliminary engineering and simulation modeling for the East-West Rail project.
May 15, 2023 | Amtrak released the recently completed New Haven to Providence Market Study which looks at travel patterns in southern New England. Page 17 of the document includes this interesting diagram.
The diagram indicates that about 50% of all travel more than 75 miles from Boston and the “NYC Core Based Statistical Area” (“CBSA”) pairs shown is between Boston and Springfield/Hartford. This would bode well for the future Inland Route service considering the significant number of people who today use Amtrak to travel between Boston and NYC, which is also shown in the diagram below.
June 15, 2023 | Mayor Michael McCabe of Westfield announced his support — and the support of the state legislators that represent Westfield — for a station stop along the East-West rail line between Springfield and Pittsfield. (The Reminder, June 15, 2023)
June 22, 2023 | At a meeting of the MassDOT Board of Directors it was announced that the East-West rail related “Palmer and Pittsfield Rail Projects” had been added to the FY2024–2028 Capital Investment Plan (CIP). These two projects include design and engineering work for a new station in Palmer and track improvements at the Pittsfield Station. (The Republican, June 23, 2023 | Excerpt from MassDOT CIP)
August 3, 2023 | Amtrak launched connecting bus service between Worcester Union Station and Providence Station. The service, which operates three times per day in each direction, allows for through-ticketed transportation to/from Worcester and points along Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor and other Amtrak destinations. (Amtrak Media Release)
This new service fills a gap in Amtrak’s network and provides a means of building Amtrak’s ridership in Worcester in advance of future east-west rail service.
September 20, 2023 | During the MassDOT Board of Directors meeting it was announced that the multi-national consulting firm WSP had been awarded a task order for planning Early Action items for the Inland Route project.
September 22, 2023 | MassDOT was awarded $108 million in funding from the Federal Railroad Administration’s FY2022 Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant program after submitting a funding application last December. The grant funding will go toward corridor infrastructure projects between Worcester and Springfield as part of the “Connecting the Commonwealth: Early Actions for the Inland Route Project.
(Press Release, Office of Governor Maura Healey)
September 27, 2023 | MassDOT is seeking a “Compass Rail/East-West Director.” This role’s primary focus will be policy, planning, and implementation of current and future passenger service concepts on the north-south MassDOT-owned Knowledge Corridor and the east-west Boston-Albany Line.
October 4, 2023 | Joe Hinrichs, President & CEO of CSX, said during a visit to Massachusetts, “We’re obviously excited about this first phase [of east-west rail], and then if we go further west, we’ll look forward to partnering on that as well. We see opportunities to make this happen and we have a strong relationship with Amtrak and MassDOT, so I’m sure we’ll work together to make that happen.” (Spectrum News 1, October 4, 2023)
October 18, 2023 | Rail and Transit Administrator Meredith Slesinger delivered a presentation to the MassDOT Board of Directors that outlined MassDOT’s vision for a network of intercity passenger rail services through Springfield Union Station.
This new vision, as announced at the board meeting, will be known as Compass Rail.
November 21, 2023 | The Western Massachusetts Passenger Rail Commission released its final report. The 117-page report (available on this link) did not recommend that the legislature create a new passenger rail authority for western Mass, as MassDOT proposed in November 2021.
Instead the Commission’s report said that MassDOT should continue to be responsible for the build-out and execution of the state-supported intercity passenger rail program in the Commonwealth.
December 11, 2023 | The Massachusetts Department of Transportation announced that up to $500,000 has been awarded to the Rail and Transit Division through the Federal Railroad Administration’s Corridor Identification and Development Program to support planning for additional train service connecting Boston and Albany, New York via Springfield. (MassDOT Press Release)
With the announcement of this award, the Boston & Albany Corridor (as it is now called) will be eligible to proceed to Step 1 of the program to develop a scope, schedule, and cost estimate for preparing, completing, or documenting its service development plan for this service.
2024
January 17, 2024 | MassDOT announced that a consultant has been selected to progress planning and design work for the new station in Palmer. The consultant’s work will include public outreach, site selection, identification of station amenities and access, conceptual design, and environmental scoping. (Rail News Roundup #45)
February 6, 2024 | Governor Maura Healey and Transportation Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt announced that they will be appointing Andy Koziol as Director of West-East Rail.
MassDOT in a press release said that as the West-East Rail Director within MassDOT’s Rail & Transit Division, Koziol will ensure comprehensive oversight and coordination of ongoing and future projects in support of West-East Rail and the MassDOT’s Compass Rail program with MassDOT staff and consultant support. (Rail News Roundup #45)
Latest developments
April 17, 2024 | MassDOT announced that it is investigating the possibility of establishing an Amtrak Thruway Bus link between Pittsfield and Amtrak’s Albany-Rensselaer station to increase connectivity for the region. (MassDOT Board of Directors meeting)
Future dates of note
None at this time.
Available state funding
January 15, 2021 | Chapter 383 of the Acts of 2020 (MA)
Item 6622-2184 of Section 2E — “For the purpose of implementing rail improvements pursuant to chapter 161C of the General Laws; provided, that not less than $50,000,000 shall be used for transportation planning, design, permitting and engineering, acquisition of interests in land, vehicle procurement, construction, construction of stations and right-of-way acquisition for the East-West passenger rail project, …”
August 11, 2022 | Chapter 176 of the Acts of 2022 (MA)
Item 6720-2260 of Section 2F — “For the purpose of implementing rail improvements pursuant to chapter 161C of the General Laws; provided, that in addition to funds authorized in item 6622-2184 of section 2E of chapter 383 of the acts of 2020, not less than $275,000,000 shall be expended for transportation planning, design, permitting and engineering, public hearings and engagement, acquisition of interests in land, vehicle procurement, construction, construction of stations and right-of-way acquisition for the East-West passenger rail project, …”
Background information
Rail corridor ownership
Boston MA – Springfield MA – New Haven CT (160 miles)
| Segment | Distance | Owner |
| Boston South Station – Worcester | 45 miles | MBTA |
| Worcester – Springfield | 53 miles | CSX |
| Springfield – New Haven Union Station | 62 miles | Amtrak |
Boston MA – Springfield MA – Albany-Rensselaer NY (200 miles)
| Segment | Distance | Owner |
| Boston South Station – Worcester | 45 miles | MBTA |
| Worcester – Springfield | 53 miles | CSX |
| Springfield – Schodack NY | 89 miles | CSX |
| Schodack NY–Albany-Rensselaer station | 13 miles | Amtrak |
Current intercity passenger service
Boston South Station ⬌ Albany-Rensselaer2
Amtrak trains 448 & 449 (the Lake Shore Limited)
1 daily round-trip train with 5 intermediate stops
Boston to Springfield | 2hr 31m
Boston to Pittsfield | 3hr 52m
Boston to Albany-Rensselaer | 5hr 20m
Past intercity passenger service (1958)
Boston South Station ⬌ Albany Union Station3
5–6 daily round-trip trains with 8 intermediate stops
Boston to Springfield | 2hr 0m
Boston to Pittsfield | 3hr 15m
Boston to Albany | 4hr 30m
Footnotes
[1] A Service Development Plan details the infrastructure investments needed to improve service. The Service Development Plan for the Inland Route, that was prepared in 2016 during the NNEIRI Study, can be found on this link.
[2] Amtrak Lake Shore Limited timetable (PDF) | May 19, 2022
[3] New York Central timetable (PDF) | July 1, 1958
See also
East-West Passenger Rail Study Overview
Western Massachusetts Passenger Rail Commission Overview
Useful links
East-West Passenger Rail Study | MassDOT
East-West Rail topic page | MASSlive / The Republican
Page last updated: April 17, 2024
Page last reviewed: March 8, 2023