In the News

BOSTON -- A draft report from the state Department of Transportation gives top priority to growing passenger rail routes between Springfield and points to the north and south.

The report, issued Friday, gives lower priority to a proposed route from Springfield to Boston, saying further study is needed.

U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal praised the report's conclusions on the the north-south routes.

"This is a win for Springfield Union Station as there will be a major influx in passengers in the near future," Neal said in a statement. "I anticipate and expect other projects to continue to be studied as promised in the report. I am hopeful that all parties involved will be able to seek consensus as we move ahead in favor of advanced rail service from Boston to Worcester to Springfield and on to Pittsfield."

Starting in May, Connecticut's rail system is expected to offer 12 trains per day through Springfield Union Station with service to Hartford and New Haven. An existing shuttle service between Springfield and New Haven had 351,307 passengers in 2015, according to the report.

"Planned improvements will allow 25 daily round trips between Springfield and New Haven with trains operating up to 110 mph," the report says. "The faster speeds and improved capacity will reduce travel time between Springfield and New Haven from 90 minutes to 79 minutes."Meanwhile, the MassDOT report says the agency is working with Amtrak and CTRail to "assess the feasibility of a pilot that would extend passenger rail service from Springfield to Greenfield."

Among the Tier 2 projects slated for further study is the proposed high-speed route from Springfield to Worcester to Boston championed by state Sen. Eric Lesser, D-Longmeadow.

"Given the lack of consensus on the appropriate type of service to pursue ... as well as a lack of full understanding of the costs and impacts of a high-speed service, further study is necessary," the report states. It also notes that there is uncertainty around ownership of rail lines along the proposed route and concern that it could conflict with freight trains.

Lesser has said the east-west rail line would drive economic development in Western Massachusetts. He has been advocating for years for the type of feasibility study the MassDOT report recommends.

"It's very encouraging news. It's the news everyone has been waiting for and I'm glad to see it," Lesser said in an interview. "We're committed to working with MassDOT to make it a reality. It's something the people of Western Massachusetts have been waiting for for a very long time."