A report released this week by two regional planning agencies makes a business case for proposed passenger rail improvements in Massachusetts and Connecticut.
After two years of study, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation is about to release a report that contains no recommendation on building an east-west passenger rail link.
Massachusetts U.S. Senator Ed Markey has unveiled new legislation calling for the creation of a massive intercity rail network across the Northeast and the rest of the country.
Advocates for linking western and eastern Massachusetts by passenger rail are critical of a new report that estimates the costs would be high and the ridership relatively low.
The restoration of Union Station in Springfield is seen as a catalyst for the increase in rail ridership in western Massachusetts. The project was also the spark for a much anticipated study into expanded train service for the region.
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation is examining six options for east-west passenger rail. Already some of the scenarios appear to be nonstarters.
