MassDOT secures $3.5 million in FRA Corridor ID funding to advance West-East Rail

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) has secured $3.5 million through the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Corridor Identification and Development Program (Corridor ID) to continue advancing West-East Rail by supporting the Boston-Albany Corridor Service Development Plan (SDP), which will expand and enhance train service connecting Boston and Albany, N.Y., through Springfield, Mass.

“We are full steam ahead on building West-East Rail, and this latest federal funding win brings us one step closer to delivering this for Massachusetts,” said Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey. “I’m grateful for the hard work of our MassDOT team to secure this funding. Together, we’re going to expand rail service across the state to improve commutes, reduce congestion and usher in new housing and economic development opportunities.”
 
Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll added, “We know that rail service is transformative not only for our residents and visitors, but also for our businesses and local economies. MassDOT has been making important progress with our federal, state and local partners to deliver West-East Rail, and this funding will help us build on that.”

MassDOT notes the funding awarded builds on $108 million in FRA funding the state secured in 2023 for corridor infrastructure projects to support additional Amtrak service between Boston and New Haven, Conn., via Springfield. The state also won $37 million in 2024 for the Springfield Area Track Reconfiguration Project to design track, signal and infrastructure improvements at Springfield Union Station. The upgrades will increase rail capacity and reduce congestion as part of the broader Compass Rail vision. 
 
According to MassDOT, the SDP will outline its implementation plan for service expansion and is developed cooperatively with FRA. The SDP will demonstrate the feasibility of a Boston to Albany intercity passenger rail route, and it will detail the necessary steps to implement the service. It will identify the purpose and need for the service, include a comparative analysis of viable alternatives, define the recommended capital projects to enable the service and evaluate the operational, network and financial impacts of the service and infrastructure investment. 

The SDP will also include an operating plan, a corridor project inventory and an investment case. Further, it will require significant engagement with the public and relevant stakeholders, and it will define a governance structure for project implementation and future operation.
 
“Every investment we make in our transportation network is an investment in people, in their families, their futures and their ability to stay connected to the places and opportunities that matter most,” said MassDOT Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt. “We are deeply grateful to our federal partners for believing in the promise of the Boston to Albany rail corridor. This is more than a route between two cities. It is a lifeline for the communities in between, opening doors to economic opportunity, environmental progress and a stronger, more united Massachusetts.”

MassDOT notes Compass Rail is made up of existing and proposed West-East and North-South services intersecting at a robust hub in Springfield. Compass Rail – Passenger Rail for the Commonwealth – is a vision for intercity passenger rail within Massachusetts and beyond. The goal of Compass Rail is to enhance mobility, expand transportation choice and support economic development goals through transportation investments. Compass Rail integrates existing MassDOT-supported services with new, proposed services in a unified vision.
 
Existing services supported and managed by MassDOT under the Compass Rail banner include the following Amtrak-operated routes:

• Vermonter between Washington, D.C., and St. Albans, Vt., with Massachusetts stops in Springfield, Holyoke, Northampton and Greenfield
• Valley Flyer between New Haven and Greenfield, with Massachusetts stops in Springfield, Holyoke, Northampton and Greenfield
• Hartford Line and Northeast Regional between Springfield and New Haven or Washington, D.C.
• Berkshire Flyer, a seasonal, pilot service, between Pittsfield and New York City.

MassDOT says West-East Rail would offer new Compass Rail services that focus on improved connections between western and eastern Massachusetts, including ad Inland Route to operate between Boston and New Haven via Springfield and the Boston and Albany Corridor via Pittsfield.
 
“This latest victory for Compass Rail speaks to the importance of not only the Boston-Albany connection, but of the role that passenger rail will play in fueling regional economic growth in the decades to come,” said MassDOT Rail and Transit Administrator Meredith Slesinger. “It is imperative to keep prioritizing these investments so future generations of Commonwealth residents and visitors can have reliable rail connectivity, more economic opportunities and enhanced quality of life.”