This is an updated version of the front page story that appeared in our July 13 edition. Updates are in italics.

EAST LONGMEADOW – State Sen. Eric Lesser’s efforts to have the Commonwealth’s Department of Transportation conduct a feasibility study for east-west passenger train service was removed from the FY’18 budget by the conference committee, but apparently the six-person group liked the idea of another train instead.

The committee, with two of its members from Western Massachusetts, kept in the budget a study of a proposed train that would link New York City to the Berkshires for the growth of tourism in that county.

Like Lesser’s proposal, there was no price tag attached to the study.

Lesser told Reminder Publications he intends to file the legislation again. He was not given any explanation why his proposal was cut.

The approved study is described in the budget as following: “The Massachusetts Department of Transportation shall convene a working group, not later than October 1, 2017, to identify and evaluate the economic and cultural benefits and political, legal or logistical challenges to the Berkshire and western Massachusetts regions of the commonwealth and the Commonwealth as a whole of establishing direct seasonal weekend passenger rail service between the city of New York, New York and the city of Pittsfield between Memorial Day and Columbus Day weekends modeled on the CapeFLYER passenger rail. The working group shall contact state, local and county officials of the state of New York to identify opportunities for collaboration and mutually-beneficial improvements and expansions in passenger rail infrastructure and service. The working group shall include, but not be limited to, a designee from the secretary of housing and economic development, elected officials from the state and federal legislative delegations, the duly elected mayor of city of Pittsfield, the Berkshire County Regional Planning Commission and existing rail service stakeholders. The secretary of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation shall designate a qualified individual to chair the working group. The working group shall submit its findings to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, the senate and house chairs of the joint committee on transportation, the chairs of the senate and house committees on ways and means and the senate and house chairs of the joint committee on tourism, arts and cultural development on or before March 1, 2018.”

Lesser’s proposal was described in the Senate version of the FY’18 budget: “Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation shall conduct a feasibility study relative to high speed rail access between the cities of Springfield and Boston. The study shall examine and evaluate the costs and economic opportunities related to establishing high-speed rail service between the cities including, but not limited to: the projected capital costs; the projected operating costs and revenue estimates; the projected ridership levels; the prospect of operating high-speed rail service on existing rights of way and other operational issues, including upgrades to the at-grade crossings in the towns of Ashland and Framingham; the environmental and community impact estimates; the availability of federal, state, local and private sector funding sources; and the resulting economic, social and cultural benefits to the greater Springfield region and the Commonwealth as a whole. The department shall file the report with the clerks of the Senate and House of Representatives, the chairs of the House and Senate committees on ways and means and the senate and house chairs of the joint committee on transportation not later than December 1, 2017.”

The Western Massachusetts members of the conference committee were State Rep. Stephen Kulik, representing the First Franklin district and State Rep. Todd M. Smola, representing the First Hampden district. The other members were state Sens. Karen E. Spilka, Brian S. Dempsey, Sal N. DiDomenico and Viriato M. deMacedo.

Smola was the only member of the conference committee who returned a request for commment to this newspaper. He told Reminder Publications that although he supported the proposal, the actions of the conference committee are secret and he could not reveal any details about their deliberations.

Lesser said he was not only disappointed by the action, but had received many calls from constituents expressing their displeasure.

 “It’s a good idea whose time has come,” Lesser said.

The possibility of east-west passenger service linking Springfield to Boston was a topic frequently spoken about by many elected officials during the recent opening of Union Station in Springfield.

The removal of the proposal was the subject of discussion at the recent Longmeadow Select Board.

Richard Foster, chair of the board, said, “I noticed in the news that Sen. Lesser’s bill for the study of high speed rail between here and Boston was removed from the appropriation and I don’t know if it’s appropriate for our town to voice our misunderstanding or our disapproval with that action because that directly affects our part of the world over here, and it’s a study, that’s all it was, and now it’s been denied at least another full year.   It doesn’t seem appropriate. I think there should be some type of signal from our community to say we don’t appreciate that type of judgment call.  We need the study; we need the high-speed rail going on here.  I don’t know how all the other board members feel but that’s in support of our local, our senator also.  I know he’s been fighting for that since he’s been in office.”

Lesser said, “Yet again it shows a tendency to leave Western Massachusetts at a very sad uncomfortable situation.”

Reminder Publications asked Kulik, Dempsey and Spilka for comment but did not hear any response before press time.