Western Mass lawmakers say a $2 billion price tag for passenger rail across the Northern Tier isn't high compared to past projects and would be a significant economic boost to a region long ignored.
The study is examining the potential benefits, costs, and investments necessary to implement passenger rail service from North Adams to Greenfield and Boston, with the speed, frequency, and reliability necessary to be a competitive option for travel along this corridor.
The panel heard testimony about how the rail service is crucial to economic development and statewide accessibility for residents. There was also a wealth of support for taking the connection across state lines to Albany, N.Y.
The Northern Tier Passenger Rail Study will be released in less than one year and residents are supportive of a line that goes from North Adams to Boston. The feedback given during a virtual public hearing for the study on Wednesday was largely positive.
After five years of planning, the Berkshire Flyer will begin transporting people from New York's Penn Station to Pittsfield via Albany-Rensselaer in New York on July 8. Officials are celebrating this said as an economic development project that will enhance one of the county's key sectors: tourism.
The pilot season for the seasonal passenger rail service has been under consideration since the launch of the successful, decade-old CapeFlyer that brings tourists from Boston to Cape Cod and back during the summer.