East-west rail linking Pittsfield, Boston would cost $25 billion

Feb. 11, 2020 | G. Michael Dobbs
news@thereminder.com

The East-West Passesnger Rail Study Advisory Committee met on Feb. 6 to provide an update on the viability of six different options that would provide a high-speed train service from Boston to Pittsfield.
Reminder Publishing submitted photo

SPRINGFIELD – While the meeting of the East-West Passenger Rail Study Advisory Committee on Feb. 6 provided additional information about the viability of the six options to establish east-west passenger rail service, the final report has been delayed once again and the legislator who has led the discussion about rail service explained there are still elements about the impact from the service that have not been discussed.

State Sen. Eric Lesser told Reminder Publishing he wants to see an analysis that just doesn’t cover ridership, construction costs and operating costs. He wants to see how such a service would affect the creation of new business and new housing.

“You just can’t focus on the costs,” Lesser said. “You have to consider the benefits.”

The alternative that would create the highest speed – up to 150 miles per hour – and, according the analysis, would cost $24.9425 billion to build but would attract the highest number of passengers – an estimated 247.000 on-way boardings annually.

Lesser said people should put the costs in “their correct context” and noted the Big Dig, which he described as having an impact on a “handful of neighborhoods in one place,” cost $22 billion.

High-speed rail that would link Pittsfield to Boston would be “truly transformative,” he said.

The advisory committee heard from representatives from the Massachusetts  Department of Transportation?(MassDOT) about the six possible scenarios to establish east-west passenger rail. The costs are in 2020 dollars but the ridership numbers are predicted for 2040, “allowing for service to have been well established,” according to the report. They are as follows:

Alternative One

“This alternative would establish new passenger train service between Springfield and Worcester on the CSX rail line and requires double-tracking of single-track segments.  It is within a shared rail corridor, utilizes the existing alignment, and includes a new station stop in Palmer. This alternative involves a bus connection between Pittsfield and Springfield and would have passengers travel on the MBTA Worcester Line between Worcester and Boston.”

Additional information:

• Frequency of weekday round trips: up to four anticipated daily one-way boardings are 36 individuals and anticipated annual one-way boardings is 11,150 individuals.

• Capital costs: $1.9885 billion.

• Annual operations and maintenance: $27.4 million.
 
Alternative Two

“This alternative is for new train service between Springfield and Boston, using the CSX rail line between Springfield and Worcester, and using MassDot’s rail corridor between Worcester and Boston. This would require double-tracking of single-track segments between Springfield and Worcester. It is within a shared rail corridor, utilizes the existing alignment, and includes a new station stop in Palmer. Station stops include Springfield, Palmer, Worcester, Landsdowne, Back Bay and South Station.  This alternative involves a bus connection between Pittsfield and Springfield.”

Additional information:

• Frequency of weekday round trips: up to six

• Anticipated daily one-way boardings is 158 individuals and anticipated annual one-way  boardings is 48,000 individuals.

• Capital costs: $2.1221 billion.

• Annual operations and maintenance: $41.8 million.
 
Alternative Three

“This alternative is for new train service between Pittsfield and Boston, using CSX rail line between Pittsfield and Worcester, and then MassDOT’s rail corridor between Worcester and Boston.  This alternative requires double-tracks.  It is within a shared rail corridor, utilizes the existing alignment, and includes station stops in Pittsfield, Chester, Springfield, Palmer, Worcester, Lansdowne, Back Bay and South Station.”

Additional information:

• Frequency of weekday round trips: up to seven

• Anticipated daily one-way boardings is 238 individuals and anticipated annual one-way boardings is 72,250 individuals.

• Capital costs: $3.2133 billion.

• Annual operations and maintenance:  $51.6 million.

• Maximum speed:  higher than alternatives one and two.
 
Alternative Four

“This alternative is for service between Pittsfield and Boston on trains on a new alignment, meaning the trains would need their own new track.  Stations stops:  Pittsfield, Chester, Springfield, Palmer, Worcester, Lansdowne, Back Bay and South Station.”  Additional information:

• Frequency of weekday round trips:  up to nine.

• Anticipated daily one-way boardings is 387 individuals and anticipated annual one-way boardings is 117,100 individuals.

• Capital costs:  $4.1305 billion.

• Annual operations and maintenance:  $65.7 million.

• Maximum speed:  higher than alternatives one, two and three.
 
Alternative Five

“This alternative is for new train service between Springfield and Boston on a new alignment, (similar to Alternative Four), meaning the trains would use their own new track. For this alternative, customers would travel by bus between Pittsfield and Springfield.  Key segments east of Springfield would need realignment to straighten tight curves.”

Additional information:

• Frequency of weekday round trips:  up to nine

• Anticipated daily one-way boardings is 381 individuals and anticipated annual one-way boardings is 115,050 individuals.

• Capital costs:  $5.1813 billion.

• Annual operations and maintenance:  $49.0 million.

• Maximum speed:  higher than alternatives one, two and three.
 
Alternative Six

“This alternative includes new electrified train service between Pittsfield and Boston in a separate corridor, and requires constructing a new rail line mostly adjacent to I-90 within the highway right-of-way west of  Route 128/I-95.  The rail service includes station stops in Pittsfield, Lee, Blandford Service Plaza, Springfield, Palmer, Worcester, Landsdowne, Back Bay and South Station.”

Additional information:

• Frequency of weekday round trips:  up to 17

• Anticipated daily one-way boardings is 820 individuals and annual one-way boardings is 247,000.

•  Capital costs:  $24.9425 billion

•  Annual operations and maintenance:  $86.1 million.

• Maximum speed: higher than for alternatives one, two, three, four and five.

Lesser, who worked in the Obama Administration, noted how the benefits from infrastructure projects funded by federal stimulus were spread out over a period of years.

He cited the creation of the Interstate Highway system started during the Eisenhower Administration in the 1950s. At that time about 25 percent of American families owned cars. The highways system was seen as an investment in the future.

Also missing from the information presented last week at the meeting is an environmental analysis. Lesser wants to see how increased rail would affect the amount of green house gases created in the Commonwealth.

With recent reports about traffic congestion and housing costs affecting the eastern part of the state, Lesser noted that high-speed rail service could provide solutions for the eastern part of the state as well as make Western Massachusetts more attractive to the young people it needs to retain.

“Rail would help solve both issues,” he said.  

In a written statement, Congressman Richard Neal said, “Thanks to Governor Baker, Secretary Pollack, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation Planning Department and the Advisory Committee, we now have the comprehensive data to go along with the six Preliminary Alternatives that were released last July in the East-West Passenger Rail Study.     This report provides an in-depth roadmap for how the Worcester to Springfield to Pittsfield line could become a reality. I continue to believe that this investment would be transformative for the region and I welcome this report as it provides plausible directives to undertake. Infrastructure is a top priority of mine as Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and I fully intend to ensure that this rail line is part of that conversation.”

There are an additional public meeting scheduled this month at which the data on the six Preliminary Alternatives will be discussed on Feb. 24, at 1 to 3 p.m., at the Sheraton Springfield Monarch Place Hotel.

For additional information go to www.mass.gov/east-west-passenger-rail-study.

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