Recent Streetsblog MASS posts about Rail

The Green Line Extension under construction next to a Lowell Line commuter rail train, seen from the Cross Street overpass in East Somerville on Oct. 1, 2020.

What Could Biden’s Infrastructure Plan Accomplish in Massachusetts?

By Christian MilNeil | Apr 5, 2021 | No Comments

It’s only a first draft, and many details remain to be worked out through negotiations and debates in Congress, but here’s what the plan could buy for Massachusetts.

A rendering of a high-speed train at Boston's South Station.

Could An Infrastructure Stimulus Fund High-Speed Rail for New England?

By Christian MilNeil | Mar 3, 2021 | No Comments

The North Atlantic Rail initiative is seeking a $105 billion investment for "a rail-enabled economic transformation strategy."

Easy commute, no place to live: the MTBA commuter rail station at West Hingham on the Greenbush Line.

Who’s Allowed to Live Near Transit?

By Christian MilNeil | Oct 21, 2020 | No Comments

Wellesley is the kind of place lots of people would love to call home – it’s got great schools, beautiful parks, and three commuter rail stations that give the town’s residents an easy 45-minute ride into downtown Boston. Unfortunately, Wellesley’s town government has enacted policies that make it extremely difficult for ordinary people to move […]

An Amtrak train waits to depart from Springfield Union Station in January 2020. Photo by Trains in the Valley, licensed under Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0.

MassDOT Multiplies Ridership Forecasts, Narrows Alternatives for East-West Rail

By Christian MilNeil | Aug 5, 2020 | No Comments

The three remaining service options under study would upgrade and double-track an existing freight rail line between Worcester and Pittsfield to support between 7 and 9 round trips a day between Pittsfield and Boston, with travel times between Springfield and Boston reduced to under two hours.

Advocates say that these upgrades to the commuter rail network would allow trains to run every 15 to 30 minutes on most lines. Courtesy of TransitMatters.

TransitMatters Issues Detailed Game Plan for Regional Rail Upgrades

By Christian MilNeil | Jun 22, 2020 | 1 Comment

Advocates from TransitMatters have released a detailed, $2.6 billion strategy for upgrading key commuter rail lines to attain 15-minute, all-day service to Beverly, Providence, and along Boston’s Fairmount Line. Last November, the MBTA’s Fiscal and Management Control Board (FMCB) endorsed an aspirational vision to electrify the MBTA commuter rail network to provide all-day, rapid-transit-style service […]

Central Square in Lynn. Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Kcboling, licensed under Creative Commons BY-SA-4.0.

Lynn Will Get Subway Fares From Its Commuter Rail Station This Summer

By Christian MilNeil | Jun 16, 2020 | No Comments

Though it’s just a 20-minute bike ride from the end of the Blue Line, catching an MBTA commuter train from downtown Lynn has traditionally cost nearly three times more than a subway ticket. That will change for a 2-month pilot this summer, when one-way fares from Lynn to North Station will be reduced to $2.40 […]

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