MassDOT Secures Funds for Enhanced Boston-Albany Passenger Rail

Print Story | Email Story
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) has announced that up to $500,000 has been awarded to the Rail and Transit Division through the Federal Railroad Administration's (FRA) Corridor Identification and Development Program (Corridor ID) to support planning for additional train service connecting Boston and Albany, New York through Springfield. 
 
This corridor would provide up to eight daily round-trip passenger trains on an existing alignment owned by CSX Transportation. Currently, the only passenger service on this corridor is Amtrak's once-daily long-distance Lake Shore Limited. Development of this corridor is part of the Healey-Driscoll Administration's vision to expand and enhance West-East passenger rail service in Massachusetts.    
 
"We are proud to secure this funding to support our administration's efforts to expand passenger rail service across Massachusetts and make West-East Rail a reality. We said from the start that we were going to compete for every federal funding opportunity to bring home dollars to support the infrastructure needs of our communities – and we are delivering on that promise," said Governor Maura Healey. "We're grateful to the Biden-Harris Administration for making this funding available and for the strong partnership of our federal delegation and state Legislature." 
 
The Corridor ID Program is a comprehensive intercity passenger rail planning and development program that will help guide intercity passenger rail development throughout the country and creates a pipeline of intercity passenger rail projects ready for implementation and funding through FRA's Federal-State Partnership-National Network Program.   
 
In addition, the FRA Program has awarded up to $500,000 to three corridors sponsored by Maine, Vermont, and Connecticut, which will also improve rail service in Massachusetts. These include the Downeaster Corridor, Vermonter Corridor, and Hartford Line Corridor.     
 
The funding awarded to MassDOT's Rail and Transit Division for the Boston-Albany corridor builds on $108 million that Massachusetts secured from the FRA in September of this year, for corridor infrastructure projects planned under the "Connecting the Commonwealth: Early Actions for the Inland Route Project" which will result in new, twice daily roundtrip Amtrak service between Boston and New Haven, CT via Springfield.   
 
"We applaud the Biden Administration and the FRA for their unwavering commitment to delivering world-class passenger rail that will better connect our communities and bring long-term economic benefits for Massachusetts," said Transportation Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt. "Enhanced service between Boston and Albany via Springfield provides more transportation options between these two key markets and will support economic development in communities along the route."   
 
In 2022, MassDOT announced that the Biden Administration had awarded almost $1.8 million to the state through the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) program for preliminary engineering and environmental review for investments to improve rail infrastructure, enhance safety and operational flexibility, and increase train capacity in Western Massachusetts near Springfield Union Station.?MassDOT is providing a 50 percent match for funds awarded through CRISI.?These investments will support the Amtrak Springfield Line, the CSX Boston Albany Line, and small segments of the former Armory Branch and Knowledge Corridor.    
 
MassDOT continues to seek additional financial resources to grow its passenger rail program. Requests for passenger rail funding are part of the Healey-Driscoll Administration's whole of government strategy to compete for federal money that includes more than $2 billion dollars in still pending federal funding applications to advance
infrastructure projects that further equity, competitiveness, workforce development and climate resiliency in communities across Massachusetts.   

Tags: MassDOT,   

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Companion Corner: Cali and Kyzer at The Berkshire Humane Society

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There's a bonded dog pair awaiting a new family at the Berkshire Humane Society.

Kyzer and Cali are both poodles. Kyzer is the male and is 7 years old, a quite a bit bigger than his sister Cali, who is a miniature of Kyzer and 8 years old.

Canine adoption counselor Rhonda Cyr introduced us to the two.

"They came from a household that couldn't hold on to them, and it sounds like they may have been abandoned by their previous owner with somebody else, and so they came to us looking for a new home," she said.

The two love to be around you and snuggle. But both are very happy dogs.

"Kyzer is 7 years old, and his personality is that he kind of wants to be in everything. He's very loving, very snuggly, as you can tell. And Callie here, she's 8 years old, and she is kind of like the life of the party," said Cyr. "She wants to tell you everything about her day, and she's a little bit of a little ham."

The two are considered seniors and really like soft treats as Cali just had a few teeth removed and Kyzer has a tooth procedure coming up.

"Currently, they really like soft treats, because they are both on the senior side of things. So they have had some dental work, so they are really in need of something softer. They are not big chewers at this age, really, their main focus right now is just really socializing and cuddling," Cyr said.

The two would love a quiet home with someone who wants to snuggle. They shouldn't go to a home with bigger dogs but if you have a dog, you can bring them in for a visitation with the poodles to see if they will get along. Cats will be fine and the preference is for older and more responsible children so that the pups don't get hurt, as they are senior citizens.

"The perfect home for them would be a quiet home that's not too active. Like I said, they're very social, so they could handle some visitors," she said. "They're very friendly, but I don't think that they would really enjoy any other dogs in the home."

Poodles need to be regularly groomed, and the prospective adopter will have to keep an eye on their health. Kyzer has a heart murmur that needs to be monitored. This doesn't mean he is in bad health, as he could live a perfectly normal life, but he will need to be checked by a veterinary specialist routinely.

"Ideally, he would go to a home that could provide further health care with a specialist in cardiac care. And you know, he could very well live out the rest of his life comfortably and happy," Cyr said. "We just don't have all that information at the moment, but I think that you know the way he's going right now. He's got a good spirit, and he seems to be pretty happy."

The shelter is hoping the to get them a home for the holidays.

"We would love to get them a home in time for the holidays. They've been here since the eighth of November, and they're really, really looking as much as the staff loves them here, we're really looking to get them into a home and somewhere nice and cozy so they can spend the rest of their life together," she said.

View Full Story

More Pittsfield Stories