Lt. Gov. Driscoll, State Officials Break Ground on Pittsfield Rail Improvements
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PITTSFIELD, Mass.— State officials ceremoniously broke ground on rail infrastructure improvements as the train passed on Thursday.
They also celebrated the now permanent Berkshire Flyer and strides towards a passenger train connecting western, central, and eastern Massachusetts.
Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll said everyone benefits when there are more ways to get around, particularly on rail.
"And because work like this isn't just about train service. We know it's going to help support our local businesses and bring families and loved ones together for the holidays and support our tourism industry. Certainly, strengthening the connections between Massachusetts and Berkshire County, from Berkshire all the way to the Cape," she said at the CSX Pittsfield Yard on East Street.
"This is the before. I can't wait to see the after. And with continued investments and partnership, we're going to make that happen."
Massachusetts Department of Transportation Rail and Transit Administrator Meredith Slesinger explained that the groundbreaking marks an important milestone for improving existing services, but it's also a "down payment on the future West East Rail."
Several years ago, the state worked with CSX to establish a framework for piloting the Berkshire Flyer service seasonally on weekends between Pittsfield, Albany, and New York City. As part of that negotiation, a long-term agreement would depend on MassDOT contributing to infrastructure improvements to build corridor capacity and reduce potential for rail congestion.
After assessing the service’s performance and partnering with CSX to identify needed infrastructure investments to enable a permanent service, two projects were identified:
A fourth track turnout and siding rehabilitation at the Pittsfield yard to improve operational flexibility and give Amtrak a place to dwell in between scheduled service, which officials broke ground on, and a 3-mile passing track in Richmond near the Pittsfield border, which will begin to come together next year.
The Berkshire Flyer launched in 2022; the 2026 season included an additional round trip.
"Permanent means you can plan for it. Permanent means you can do your marketing and promotion to bring visitors here. It means regular transportation is something you can count on, and that's really critical when you're trying to think about how to best support the economy," Driscoll said.
"That is coming together due to an $18 million investment from MassDOT, and that's in combination with so many other resources that are helping build out the quality rail that we need in this region."
The project builds on an agreement announced earlier this month between MassDOT and CSX to advance critical track improvements in the Pittsfield area.
U.S. Rep. Richard Neal described the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s commitment to the West-East Rail as unwavering, and said this is part of the story today. He said the Berkshires are so beautiful, and state leaders want more people to experience it.
"And I think that's part of the equation that we are honoring today."
MassDOT’s five-year capital investment plan includes $31 million for this work, including exploring the feasibility of a new platform at Pittsfield Station. It also fits into the state’s broader Compass Rail vision, with Springfield Union Station serving as a central hub, and services across the region, including the Berkshires.
"The siding provides that additional track space necessary, just like highways. It allows trains to pass one another," Interim Secretary of Transportation and MBTA General Manager Phil Eng explained.
"That helps avoid and minimize conflicts that may exist between passenger and freight trains, and creates capacity for more service and reliable operations."
Senator Paul Mark pointed out that every other developed country in the world has a reliable rail connecting major cities to smaller communities.
"For whatever reason, 60, 70 years ago, this country chose not to do that. So we've got so much ground to make up," he explained, recognizing statewide partners working to make that happen in the present day.
While the senator is excited about the improvements to the Berkshire Flyer, he is even more excited about the West-East Rail connections. People all over Massachusetts should be able to access the state’s capital, he said, and people on the Eastern side of the state should have access to the Berkshires.
"With the investments we're making today, and many investments that have been made in the past and will continue to be made in the future. We’re taking the steps that you need to undo a legacy of 70 years of disinvestment," Mark said.
State Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier said this milestone has been reached due to advocacy and relationships. She pointed out that the Berkshire Flyer will go both ways between New York City and the Berkshires.
"It is an incredibly important milestone as we expand West East Rail, as we make permanent the Berkshire Flyer, because yes, it's about tourism. I don't disagree with you all; it’s about tourism, but to me, investment in transportation is about jobs," she said.
"This is about economic development. West East Rail means that people in the Berkshires can more easily work within Western Mass without getting in the car, getting on the pike, getting on Route 9. When we invest in public transportation, we are investing in economic development."
Regional Vice President at CSX Maurice O'Connell said a shared rail corridor requires daily coordination, communication, and cooperation to operate efficiently, and that freight and passenger service can coexist when people make the right investments, plan carefully, and work as partners.
Tags: rail,
