In the News

State and federal leaders agree the development of a Passenger Rail Authority to oversee the East-West Rail project will be important to transportation in Central and Western Massachusetts.

On Tuesday, Gov. Charlie Baker and Rep. Richard Neal addressed the media at Union Station in Springfield to discuss the project to extend passenger rail service into Springfield and Pittsfield. 

Baker and Neal said the new authority would focus on funding. While the East-West Rail has been in talks for years, they said this is a big step forward to connect the state. 

“The federal government, particularly around the rail money that is available, has not issued guidance yet with respect to what the state share is associated with what the federal match will be,” Baker said. “But we expect and anticipate we won’t have any trouble with meeting that requirement.”

“We believe this will provide some relief to those who want to live out here. There’s also the lesson we learned with remote work,” Neal said. “So we think all of this will benefit those who can’t afford to pay prices in the Boston area, but could live in a great part of Massachusetts, the Berkshires, Pioneer Valley and Central Massachusetts.”

Amtrak would operate the train service between Worcester and Springfield and Pittsfield. 

A timeline for the project will be laid out once the rail authority is established and federal funding for the project is secured.