In the News

SPRINGFIELD — Gov. Charlie Bake, fresh off his State of the State speech that focused on mass transit, will join U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., and Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno Friday for the ceremonial opening of the final phase of construction at Springfield Union Station.

Handicapped- accessible Platform C opened a few months ago. It’s elevator, the final link, opened unofficially earlier this week.

Baker and Neal will appear with Sarno at 4:15 p.m. Friday.

Neal, who made the now-completed $103 million rehab of Union Station a priority for more than 40 years, said Thursday he’s talking with Baker about the need to include Western Massachusetts and a faster and more frequent an east-west Boston-to-Springfield in any Massachusetts transit plans.

Neal said Connecticut officials, buoyed by better-than -expected passenger numbers on CTrail’s Hartford line, are pushing for better accessibility to Boston as well.

The Hartford Line, launched on June 18, 2018 — transported its one-millionth rider during the busy Thanksgiving travel period in late November, ConnDOT said last week

Passenger rail use has been growing at a rate of 25 percent year-over-year, according to the Connecticut DOT.

Baker’s proposed 2020-2021 state budget includes $216 million in funding for the MBTA and other transportation agencies.

Most of Union Station opened to the public in June of 2017.

But Platform C didn’t meet modern handicapped accessibility standards having been built with the rest of the depot in 1927.

The final project included elevating Platform C for easier accessibility to board trains, outdoor shelter, elevator, stairs, benches, garbage receptacles, and signage, and was completed with $11 million in state funding.

Union Station, which also offers bus connections through Peter Pan, Greyhound and the intercity PVTA,

Amtrak’s New Haven-Springfield route — which works in concert with the Connecticut Department of Transportation’s CTrail Hartford Line — reported 26.5% passenger increase from 286,477 in fiscal 2018 to 362,442 in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30.

Passenger volume on the Vermonter, which also runs through Springfield on a north-south route, was up 1.4% from 97,909 to 99,280.

The east-west Lake Shore Limited — a once-daily trip from Boston to Chicago and back — saw passenger volume grow by 5.9% from 337,882 to 357,682. The Lake Shore is Union Station’s only train to Boston at this point and its scheduled doesn’t facilitate a commute.

Union Station also offers, new since August, frequent north-south trains to Holyoke, Northampton and Greenfield on Amtrak trains supported by the state of Massachusetts. That service is called the Valley Flyer.

Ridership numbers for the Valley Flyer are not available.