The different ways passenger rail could run from Boston to the northern Berkshires and even beyond were the focus of a MassDOT meeting Thursday.
Officials detailed a series of different routes that could make up a “Northern Tier Passenger Rail” service during a virtual event featuring 240 attendees.
MassDOT’s “conceptual planning study” is the result of a bill passed five years ago that called on the department to “conduct a study of the feasibility of rail access between North Adams and Boston.”
Last year, officials presented two initial rail service concepts during what they considered phase one of their evaluations.
“In phase two, we developed four additional service alternatives, with different characteristics that would then show the different ways that we might offer Northern Tier Passenger Rail,” said Anna Barry, a member of infrastructure consulting firm HNTB who took part in Thursday’s presentation.
The initial two alternatives include a “Lower Investment” scenario where, for a “total capital cost” of $878.6 million, trains would run from North Adams to Greenfield to Fitchburg to North Station in Boston.
It would call for track improvements, as well as a new station and layover and train facilities site in North Adams, among other items.
The “Higher Investment” proposal rings in at $1.57 billion, with similar service but extensive rail upgrades throughout the route, potentially improving travel times.
The newer alternatives include a nearly $3 billion concept featuring electrified rail service, containing overhead wire between Fitchburg and North Adams, with stops added in Athol, Ayer, and Porter Square in Cambridge.
Another was geared toward “full local service,” with more stops in Shelburne Falls and Gardner, in addition to all of the aforementioned stops minus Ayer - all for an estimated $1.59 billion.
Then there is the nearly $2 billion “Albany Extension.”
“There was an interest in seeing an extension that carried through to Albany, New York,” Barry said, emphasizing the role public interest played in the alternative coming together. “So, this alternative includes the same Massachusetts stations - but now we've added service to Schenectady and Albany, New York.”
Those same Massachusetts stations are the core North Adams-Greenfield-Fitchburg-Boston stops, plus Porter Square.
A sixth proposal, a “Northern Tier Rail Link,” would feature extensive track upgrades between North Adams and Fitchburg, but would have riders heading toward Boston switch to the MBTA’s Commuter Rail service in Fitchburg.
In all scenarios, as HNTB’s Paul Nelson explains, five trains would be running per day.
“That was selected for developing the alternatives so that we could basically try and get a train in the morning peak, some midday trains, and afternoon peak, and then a late night [train] - so just a full day's worth of respectable service,” Nelson said.
According to the study, the fastest trip from North Adams-to-Boston would be a near-tie between the Higher Investment, Electrified, and Albany Extension ideas – featuring trip times of around two hours and 50 minutes.
Ride times in most scenarios would be around two hours for Greenfield-to-Boston trips.
During the event, Greenfield Mayor Ginny Desorgher called the overall project a game-changer for the region.
“This would be something that would make such a big difference to our community - I hope it comes to fruition,” the mayor said. “And I just wanted to come to this meeting tonight to encourage you to go forward with this.”
Also speaking was state Senator Jo Comerford, who spearheaded the initial 2019 bill that would lead to the study. Any potential new rail service would run through the Democrat’s Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester district.
The senator emphasized that going forward, public input and energy will be essential to making any of the possible services a reality.
“That is how this bill passed in the first place,” Comerford said. “It's how we've worked with MassDOT to convey what we believe would be, as the mayor of Greenfield said, the game-changing aspects of this rail, and it is going to be what we're going to need to overcome any obstacles.”
The meeting also featured an extensive public comment section, with questions ranging from possible ticket prices to the study’s methodology.
Officials emphasized that as a final report comes together, next steps include more study and evaluations.
That involves fleshing out strategies for implementation, further evaluating travel demand and mapping out potential station locations.
More information on the study can be found here.
