In the News

U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, is encouraging state lawmakers to create a Western Massachusetts passenger rail authority that would apply for federal funds and evenly administer expanded east-west commuter rail.

“Virtually every state rep. and state senator west of Worcester is allied with us,” Neal said yesterday.

He’d just spoken with state Senate President Karen Spilka, D-Ashland, and with House Speaker Ronald J. Mariano, D-Quincy.

“He’s very open to the suggestion,” Neal said of Mariano specifically.

Neal said the east-west passenger rail expansion is also popular with the public and with business interests on both sides of the state.

“It’s just a matter of them getting to it,” Neal said.

But there is a ticking clock with the state legislative year ending in July and the federal government beginning to disburse money from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill.

“I want to make sure our state is standing first in line,” Neal said.

Funding from the $1 trillion federal infrastructure bill will be available starting in mid-2022. The spending, which Neal championed in his role as chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, includes $66 billion for Amtrak nationwide and $2.5 billion for public transit in Massachusetts.

In April, Neal and Republican Gov. Charlie Baker emerged from a meeting with the Western Massachusetts delegation at Springfield Union Station confirming Baker’s support for east-west rail after years of skepticism on Baker’s part. They also announced a framework to get the trains running.

But in Boston, lawmakers seemed lukewarm yesterday to the idea of setting up an authority.

State Rep. Danielle Gregoire, who co-chairs the Joint Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets, called the project “the elephant in the room” after money for the authority was left out of the governor’s and legislators’ infrastructure spending proposals, according to State House News Service. She represents the Fourth Middlesex district.

Lawmakers in Boston are considering a more than $9.7 billion infrastructure bond bill. Some questioned whether standing up a new agency should be a prerequisite to launching expanded train service, saying the Amtrak Downeaster route between Boston and Brunswick, Maine, began running before officials agreed to its permanent governance.

“I’m just wondering: Since we don’t need the authority to get the federal money, why take that approach?” said state Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa, D-Northampton.

Neal said Baker called for the authority and wanted administration of east-west rail separate from the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.

“He thought that the MBTA has enough challenges,” Neal said.

When asked if east-west rail was falling victim to the state legislator’s focus on Boston, Neal pointed out the Big Dig, which cost $22 billion.

“And a lot of projects were postponed. A lot of projects were eliminated as the state continued to plug holes,” he said.

That’s not all.

“But recall they have expanded the Green Line, they pushed hard on the Fall River portion (of commuter rail),” Neal said.

Neal also drew attention to a recent agreement worked out with the federal Surface Transportation Board that guarantees freight railroad CSX will cooperate with passenger rail expansion.

Material from the State House News Service was used in this report.