PLAN TO INCREASE RAIL IN VALLEY |
|
|
| |
Proposal would use stimulus funds to increase stations between Springfield and White River Junction, Vt.
By G. Michael Dobbs
Managing Editor
WEST SPRINGFIELD -- Officials at the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC) are awaiting the release of guidelines for $8 billion in federal transportation funding to apply for $30 million to improve passenger rail service between Springfield and White River Junction, Vt.
Dana Roscoe, principal planner and transportation manager for the PVPC, told Reminder Publications the agency will apply for $30 million to repair existing tracks of the Connecticut River line of the former Boston and Maine railroad so the Amtrak service between Springfield and Vermont could be shifted to allow station stops at Northampton, Greenfield and possibly Holyoke.
"The federal funding is part of the recently passed American Recovery and Investment Act and would be available for projects that are 'shovel ready,'" Roscoe said. "If approved, the project would take two construction seasons to complete. Roscoe said the grant guidelines are expected to be released in the next 30 to 60 days."
The owners of the Boston and Maine line as well as Amtrak support the project and construction could start within 90 days of funding.
Currently, the Amtrak train "The Vermonter" takes a route from Springfield to Palmer and then to Amherst before it crosses the border at Brattleboro, Vt. It then stops at White River Junction, Vt., and concludes in St. Albans, Vt.
Roscoe said the train only makes a stop at Amherst and detouring the train to the Palmer route adds 50 minutes to the trip to Vermont.
"By shifting the route onto the tracks on the west side of the Connecticut River, the train would service far more potential riders," Roscoe said. "The current Amherst riders could still catch the train by using the free bus service between Amherst and Northampton," he said, adding that "The Vermonter" currently makes one round-trip a day and the track improvements could see a growth in the frequency.
Roscoe said the tracks in need of repair need crosstie and rail replacement, rehabilitation of grade crossings, reactivation of passing sidings and upgrading of switches among other improvements. The tracks are currently rated at a speed limit of 10 miles per hour and the improvements would allow a speed limit of 40 miles per hour, Roscoe added.
The repair of the tracks and shifting of "The Vermonter" is the first step in a three-part report by the PVPC called "The Knowledge Corridor Passenger Rail Study." The second part of the study would be to determine commuter rail options for the western part of the state linking Springfield to points north to Greenfield and how such a service could be integrated into the proposed Connecticut commuter rail service that would link Springfield to New Haven, Conn.
Roscoe noted that unlike the PVPC's project, the Connecticut commuter rail project wouldn't qualify for funding through this program, as its permitting process will not be completed until 2010.
The third part of the study would examine the future of intercity travel such as enhanced rail services and high-speed rail.
For more information on the project, log onto www.pvpc.org/corridor.
|
Comments From Our Readers:
|
|
|
