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Date: 1/26/2023
PALMER – The plans for adding a train stop in Palmer are in motion, but the delay comes from the town side.
To move the process along, Palmer Rail Steering Committee Chairman Ben Hood went before the Town Council on Jan. 9. He shared, “Last May our committee recommended that the town move forward as soon as possible with a passenger rail station feasibility and site analysis study. Town Planner and Economic Development Director Linda Leduc, also a member of the Rail Steering Committee, is presently developing an RFP [request for proposal] for this site analysis study.”
He continued, “This study is essential to qualify the town for the estimated $15 million in state and federal funding necessary to site and build a modern, level-boarding platform separated from the main freight lines in the vicinity of the diamond junction in Depot Village.”
The economic benefits of this investment, as mentioned by Hood, were quantified in CRCOG’s 2021 Metro Hartford-Springfield study. “Palmer’s share was estimated to be 650,000 square feet of additional commercial square footage, 1,800 new housing units and 1,100 new jobs,” he shared.
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation, supported by Amtrak and CSX, has applied for $108 million to improve the tracks between Worcester and Springfield. Hood said, “This investment would increase train speeds and corridor capacity to enable added passenger service alongside the existing freight traffic.”
To qualify for similar funding, he emphasized that the town of Palmer needs to engage in the station study as soon as possible. “Without the study there will be no trains coming to Palmer,” Hood said.
On behalf of the Rail Steering Committee, Hood asked the Town Council to put this on the agenda for its February meeting.
Background
The Palmer Rail Steering Committee was appointed by the Town Council in 2019, after being proposed by the Citizens for a Palmer Rail Stop. Hood founded Citizens for a Palmer Rail Stop with his wife, Anne Miller, in 2015.
He explained that the Palmer Steering Committee is an official town committee, although members are not able to vote on specific matters. “We go to the Town Council and give updates,” Hood said.
During the first couple of years, the committee was about advocacy. Hood noted that the “biggest thing” to come out of 2019 was the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Amherst study that included Palmer. He said the committee worked “higher and higher” than what the town paid for to show the benefits of what a passenger rail would do for the region.
From Amherst down to the Connecticut border and beyond, the study showed advantages of having Palmer as a rail stop.
Once the study was complete, the committee stepped back and asked the Town Council if they should shut down. Instead, the committee was tasked to figure out where a station could go in town. Hood noted that deciding on a location required expertise beyond their committee.
Since May 2021, the Palmer Steering Committee has been pushing for the town to draw in that expertise. Hood said he met with Town Manager Ryan McNutt and Leduc to discuss options on how to move forward with the study. He shared that McNutt drafted an RMP and Leduc has been working on it when she can. Now, he said, “The Town Council will have to do the work.”
Miller explained that the diamond junction in Depot Village has been suggested as the potential location. If the east-west rail happens – a current study assessing rail service alternatives along the Boston-Worcester-Springfield-Pittsfield corridor – Palmer will be a stop at that junction.
According to Miller, the town has paid for various studies. With this one, the last step is a feasibility study and site analysis. She shared she is fully confident the town will move forward with it.
Hood said McNutt and Leduc are completely on board. On an official level, they know this needs to be done, as it has been pushed off, he added. With all the federal money being used between Worcester and Springfield, Hood said Palmer needs to be pushing its own plan.
If it doesn’t happen now, Miller said Palmer will not be a part of the east-west rail. She went on to say that this is the most expensive step, as installing a new platform in Palmer could cost anywhere between $10 to $15 million. Because of the great expense, she said the town would have to find funding through grants.
Hood said they remain “very hopeful” that it will happen. By having the train stop in a downtown location, it will allow passengers to get on and off in Palmer.
Miller agreed and said the surrounding area to the train stop would receive a lot of attention.
“Palmer could really use that,” she shared.
Goals
Miller shared that one of the goals of the Citizens for a Palmer Rail Stop is for the study in Palmer to be done in line with the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC) because of their “political pull” and connections.
After working with UMass in the past as well, Miller said they would like to work with them again as most people – staff and students – commuting to Amherst travel through Palmer.
Hood serves on the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority a Advisory Board as a representative and has also worked on the Quaboag Connector. Miller said they would like to further those connections with local transit as they are “public transit advocates.”
Citizens for a Palmer Rail Stop
The Citizens for a Palmer Rail Stop was established as a Facebook group in 2015. At that time, Miller said the NEARY plan was started by the state, which would have involved Palmer, Springfield and Montreal, on an inland route. As Palmer was a potential stop on this route, Miller said this is when they decided to become involved.
“[We] wanted to make sure a study was done,” she said.
Including the NEARY study, Palmer has been a part of three studies. “Amtrak Connects Us” and the east-west rail are the other two.
Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Citizens for a Palmer Rail Stop has not hosted any in-person meetings. Because of this, Miller said it’s hard to put a number on how many people are a part of the group. However, she noted that they have active members in Monson, a spokesperson from Amherst, along with supporters in Brimfield, Ware and beyond.
“[We are] kind of a big group,” said Miller.
Over the last few years, she said the group has primarily worked through its Facebook page. While there is another group out there with a similar name, Miller noted, Citizens for a Palmer Rail Stop is a more “formal” community group.
To learn more about Citizens for a Palmer Rail Stop, visit its website at https://www.palmertrain.org/ or find them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/palmertrain.