Baker announcement about east-west rail deemed ‘historic’

Date: 5/3/2022

SPRINGFIELD – One more step has been made toward the establishment of a new east-west passenger rail line.

At a press conference conducted at Union Station, Gov. Charlie Baker announced on April 26 that he supports the creation of a new Rail Authority to oversee the development and governance of the new rail service, similar to the role of the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA).

“There is an agreement on a path forward here and we’re going to work between now and the end of the legislative session to put the requisite building blocks that we need to put in place at the state level, which will then make it possible for us to leverage a lot of the available federal money that’s there because the federal government’s very interested and Amtrak in particular is very interested in building out in this Northeast Corridor. So, I think we’ve got a real opportunity,” Baker said.

Baker said the meeting helped clarify issues he has had with the proposal
Congressman Richard Neal, who was part of the meeting between Baker and the eastern Massachusetts legislative delegation called the announcement “historic … a huge step forward.”

Baker, Neal and the delegation were also joined at the meeting by Congressman Jim McGovern.

State Sen. Eric Lesser, who was present at the meeting and has been the spearhead for advocating for the project, said to Reminder Publishing, “Overall I think it was very good news.”

He explained the announcement indicates Baker’s support of the project. “He wants to make it work,” Lesser said.

“There is a lot more to be determined,” Lesser said. He explained the governor has already filed his budget bill for transportation, so a bill creating the Rail Authority must be filed separately.

The proposed Rail Authority is also a necessary step in obtaining federal funding, Lesser said. He noted the federal funding for transportation from the infrastructure bill would be awarded through a competitive process and that having the Rail Authority in place would put the commonwealth in a better position to successfully compete.

He said the task for the Baker administration and the Legislature would be to work on the creation of the Rail Authority at the same time both entities work on the federal funding.

Baker said the guidelines about the federal monies and how much the state would need to invest in such a project have not yet been released.

Lesser said the decision about which of several plans for the rail line – which include using the present rail infrastructure with some improvements to building a new rail line designed specifically for high-speed trains – has not yet been determined.

Both Neal and Baker said that Amtrak would be actually running the trains. Baker said, “Amtrak has the resources.”

One question was directed at Neal and Baker concerning a stop in Palmer. Palmer had an Amtrak stop when the north-south trains ran through Palmer. Since the renovation of the rail line that has allowed service to resume for Holyoke, Northampton and Greenfield, Palmer has not had a rail connection. In answering the question, Neal said he would be open to that idea.

Neal explained the complexity of the project includes not just the funding of the project but a series of land takings as well.

“Out in this side of the state everything goes through Union Station. So, we’ll be here to facilitate anything and everything to make sure that this comes to fruition, said Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno. He added, “We’re ready to yell out ‘all aboard’ to the western part of the state to go east.”

Neal also praised the recent announcement that the Berkshire Flyer service would resume which connect New York City to Pittsfield. An announcement from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation noted, “The service will be initiated on July 8 and will operate on weekends through the summer months with a similar schedule next year. The Berkshire Flyer will include a Friday afternoon departure from New York’s Penn Station to Pittsfield, MA, via Albany-Rensselaer, NY. A return trip will be provided on Sunday afternoons. Each train will make several station stops.”

The rail service is designed specifically for visitors from New York City to be able to access summer events in the Berkshires such as performances at Tanglewood.