The funding was awarded to MassDOT’s Rail and Transit Division, through the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Corridor Identification and Development Program (Corridor ID) and will be used to support the Boston-Albany Corridor Service Development Plan (SDP), which, the agency says, “is an essential step in expanding and enhancing trains service connecting Boston and Albany, N.Y., through Springfield, Mass.”
The funding awarded builds on $108 million in FRA funding that Massachusetts secured in 2023 for corridor infrastructure projects to support additional Amtrak service between Boston and New Haven, Conn., via Springfield, Mass. The Commonwealth also won $37 million in 2024 for the Springfield Area Track Reconfiguration Project to design track, signal and infrastructure improvements at Springfield Union Station. These upgrades will ultimately increase rail capacity and reduce congestion—as part of the broader Compass Rail vision, the agency noted.
The SDP, which will outline MassDOT’s implementation plan for service expansion and is developed cooperatively with FRA, “will demonstrate the feasibility of a Boston to Albany intercity passenger rail route, and it will detail the necessary steps to implement the service,” the agency said. “It will identify the purpose and need for the service, include a comparative analysis of viable alternatives, define the recommended capital projects to enable the service, and evaluate the operational, network, and financial impacts of the service and infrastructure investment. It will also include an operating plan, a corridor project inventory and an investment case. Further, it will require significant engagement with the public and relevant stakeholders, and it will define a governance structure for project implementation and future operation.”
Compass Rail is made up of existing and proposed West-East and North-South services intersecting at a hub in Springfield. Compass Rail – Passenger Rail for the Commonwealth – is a vision for intercity passenger rail within Massachusetts and beyond. The goal of Compass Rail, MassDOT says, “is to enhance mobility, expand transportation choice, and support economic development goals through transportation investments. Compass Rail integrates existing MassDOT-supported services with new, proposed services in a unified vision.”
Existing services supported and managed by MassDOT under the Compass Rail banner include the following Amtrak-operated routes:
- Vermonter between Washington, D.C. and St. Albans, Vt., with Massachusetts stops in Springfield, Holyoke, Northampton, and Greenfield.
- Valley Flyer between New Haven, Conn., and Greenfield with Massachusetts stops in Springfield, Holyoke, Northampton, and Greenfield.
- Hartford Line and Northeast Regional between Springfield and New Haven, Conn., or Washington, D.C.
- Berkshire Flyer, a seasonal, pilot service, between Pittsfield and New York City.
West-East Rail would offer new Compass Rail services that focus on improved connections between western and eastern Massachusetts. This includes an Inland Route to operate between Boston and New Haven, Conn., via Springfield, Mass., and the Boston & Albany Corridor via Pittsfield.
MassDOT says it continues to seek additional financial resources to grow its passenger rail program and improve transportation across the state. The Healey-Driscoll Administration currently has approximately $1.27 billion dollars in pending federal transportation funding applications, according to the agency.
In related news, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) recently announced that Orange Line trains are now able to reach 55 mph on select portions of the line. The new increased speeds impact stations between Oak Grove and Assembly Station.
The previous maximum speed on the Orange Line was 40 mph. The segment between Assembly and Oak Grove was originally designed for 55 mph, but as track infrastructure declined, speeds were lowered for safety reasons, the agency noted.
This is the first time documented that the Orange Line reached 55 mph.
As part of the Track Improvement Program (2023 – 2024), the MBTA removed more than 220 speed restrictions and replaced 250,000 feet of rail across the system, saving riders 2.4 million minutes every weekday and generating nearly $1 million in economic benefit every day, according to the agency. Regular maintenance has been ongoing to continuously improve the safety, reliability, and efficiency of the MBTA’s rail network.
