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Date: 6/15/2023
PALMER — Gov. Healey’s budget allocated $12.5 million for East-West Rail, which included funding for a Palmer station design, however both the state House of Representatives and Senate dismissed this request in their final fiscal year 2024 budgets, cutting the entirety of the East-West Rail budget.
“The Healey-Driscoll Administration strongly supports [East-West Rail], as it will expand public transportation options for Western Mass. residents and bolster economic development in the region. We look forward to continued partnership with our legislative partners, including the East-West Rail Commission, to secure needed funding for personnel, track improvements and station design that are critical for the project,” said Karissa Hand, press secretary for the Healey administration.
Hand noted, “The governor’s FY24 budget proposed $650,000 for five full-time employees to work on West-East Rail, including [an East-West] Rail director. [The Massachusetts Department of Transportation] plans to begin the search for the [East-West] Rail director in FY24. Our budget also proposed $12.5 million to advance key parts of the project, including track improvements at the Pittsfield Station and the study and design of [a] Palmer station.”
At this time, the governor, Senate, and House have all proposed their FY24 budgets, and the Senate and House will now agree to a final version of their budget in a conference committee that will be sent to the governor for final action, according to Hand.
Hand said, “The Palmer station design was included in the governor’s FY24 budget but not included in the House or Senate’s proposals. Our administration is also evaluating alternative funding sources if necessary.”
Local group Citizens for a Palmer Rail Stop said they have been campaigning tirelessly, petitioning legislatures, and working with Western Massachusetts politicians to sway the budget vote in favor of the East-West Rail, and are disappointed with the current outcome, but also do not see this as the end of the line.
Anne and Ben Hood from the group said the governor could still technically use the allotted money for the rail, but this is unlikely.
The Hoods said there are several grants available which have been applied for to support the rail efforts, however the results of these applications will not be known until August or September. One such grant is the MassDOT Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements grant from the Federal Railroad Administration, which would be used for track work for Worcester and Springfield, according to the Hoods.
The Hoods also said, “Nobody has done the level of planning necessary to put a platform in Palmer, including Town Council, who, when we told them the importance of making plans for rail station study, said they would wait to hear about the budget from the governor. They should think about revisiting this issue in July or August before the track work is done, because without a station plan study we do not have the chances of getting the funding for a Palmer stop.”
According to the Hoods, on June 30 the Western Massachusetts Rail Commission report is due to the legislature to determine who will oversee the rail service, and at that time the report may also have suggestions for funding.
State Sen. Jake Oliveira (D-Ludlow), who has been campaigning for the rail and is one of its biggest champions, said the governor’s budget not passing in the House or Senate does not mean much as far as whether the rail is going to happen, and said it certainly does not point toward any loss of rail stops and stations in Palmer and Pittsfield.
Oliveira said he has been in communication with the Ways and Means Committee Chair Michael Rodrigues and Joint Committee of Transportation Chair Brendan Crighton regarding next steps for the rail project. Oliveira said they are now waiting on the report from the Western Massachusetts Rail Commission.
The transportation bond bill that passed in the summer of 2023 was cause for the creation of a commission to develop a report that includes a plan to implement the East-West Rail. Oliveira said, “That will guide our funding mechanisms to support Palmer and Pittsfield stops and stations and provide input on the plan and governance for this project.”
As for questions of whether omission of the governors budget for the rail is going to impact the actual implementation of the rail project, the answer, Oliveira said, is a hard no.
“The transportation bond bill created last summer enshrined in the design rail stops in Palmer and Pittsfield,” Oliveira said. “The Palmer and Pittsfield stops are going to be a reality. They are essential for the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the five colleges in accessing rail, and also meeting workforce needs.
“It’s not a question of if, it’s a question of when, and we’re all rowing together toward this goal,” Oliveira added. “There are plenty of opportunities for us to invest in Palmer and Pittsfield stations, we just don’t know if that will be through a transportation bond bill, a general government bond bill, or a supplemental budget.”
State Rep. Todd Smola (R-Warren) said of the rail project, “We finished our last public Passenger Rail Commission meeting last week and will have a huddle session next week with just the official commissioners to brainstorm and share ideas.”
Smola said next for the commission’s report is “a layout of the foundation for the next steps and what should and should not be included in the report, then the broad strokes of drafting the report.”
The report, Smola said, could be complete in the coming months. While noting that rail advocates and citizens are itching to see a finalized report as soon as possible, “As a commissioner, the most important thing for us is to get the report right rather than just get it done within a deadline. The commissions perspective is we want to get something out that’s valuable and methodical rather than rushing it through and risking oversights and mistakes.”
Smola said he wanted to make a point of stressing that “a lot of people have theories about the rail, they don’t want it to happen or other ideas about what’s going on, and they should know that this is much bigger than making some rail stops. It’s not just about Western Massachusetts, it’s about making sure the infrastructure is in place in eastern Massachusetts to support that rail service coming from the West. People should realize this is not just a Western Massachusetts project, but a commonwealth project.”
Smola also said it was very important that people know they “should not assume the House and Senate do not support passenger rail in Western Massachusetts — it is a massive project, much bigger than many people realize, and they want to do it right. In no way is the budget issue a reflection of support for the East-West Rail,” but rather is a decision to pay very careful attention to detail and planning so there are no unwanted surprises down the road.