The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) has selected a site for a rail station in Palmer, marking a significant step for the project. The choice may bring some controversy. The agency chose “Site B,” a location on the south side of a CSX railyard half of a mile from downtown Palmer. The state will now proceed to a conceptual design phase.
PALMER—Nearly a year ago, it was wine and roses as the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) formally began studying restoration of train service here. Hopes have been growing ever since East-West rail transitioned from Western Mass political shibboleth to inevitability. However, a new obstacle has
Last week, Congressman Richard Neal and officials from the state announced nearly $37 million for the Springfield Area Track Reconfiguration Project (SATRP). It was not the first batch of money for the project, which will rework the tracks and junctions just west of Union Station in Springfield.
The Springfield City Council gave what appears to be the final greenlight to a major reconstruction of the X intersection in Forest Park at its meeting this past Monday. The approval for takings and underlying funding was not without its fireworks, though. Some councilors objected to the items appearing on the agenda only to have their arms’ twisted to deliver prompt action.
SPRINGFIELD—At the risk of succumbing to cliché, Compass Rail, nee East-West Rail, is on track. The money is in place to bring service into being and more is on the way. The press conference that local, state and federal officials held on April 22 projected
Weeks after the Massachusetts Department of Transportation confirmed planning for a Palmer train station had begun, the department took another step to advance rail service west. On Thursday, MassDOT and Governor Maura Healey formally named Andy Koziol “West-East Rail director.”
A little over two years after the tide began turning in favor of East-West rail, Palmer is on track for progress of its own. On Wednesday, Meredith Slesinger, the rail and transit administrator for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, announced the agency was moving forward on a rail station in Palmer.
State money allocated to Springfield via Chapter 90 is nothing new to the City Council. Every year, the body formally accepts the disbursement. In recent years, city officials have paired it with bonding to maximize road repairs. The annual allocation has also been flat.
Despite the big figures involved, the Springfield City Council scampered through its regular February meeting uneventfully. But with looming costs for current and future retirees, the meeting was a sobering reminder of Springfield’s future fiscal challenges.
Whether a gentle laying on of hands or a less voluntary conversion, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker is now a believer.
At a press event at Union Station in Springfield and alongside US Representative Richard Neal, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker endorsed a plan to establish a rail authority to oversee the implementation of East-West rail service.