east-west passenger rail

Officials in Massachusetts have selected a site that could be the home of a future passenger rail station in Palmer – part of the state’s West-East and Compass Rail plans.

Passenger rail service could be returning to the small Hampden County town of Palmer in the not-so-distant future – but where a future station might go is still being hashed out. Advocates for putting it downtown, at the historic Union Station site, have been making their case, even as officials consider other options.

Calling it a “transformational” announcement, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has unveiled plans for a multi-billion dollar transportation investment plan.

A public information meeting in Palmer, Massachusetts, went slightly off the rails after officials described plans for a future rail station that seemed to steer away from a popular, potential site.

Massachusetts state transportation officials will be in Palmer tonight to collect feedback on plans for a potential new passenger rail station in the Hampden County town.

Transportation officials in Massachusetts have released a final report going over what passenger rail returning to northwest Massachusetts and beyond might look like – and potentially cost.The MassDOT study weighed multiple scenarios for trains traveling between North Adams, Greenfield and Boston. The report comes as state and local leaders from the Berkshires to Central Massachusetts call on the state to continue exploring the possibilities.That includes regional rail advocate groups like Trains in the Valley. WAMC sat down with its co-founder Ben Heckscher to talk about the study, east-west rail and other developments.

Lawmakers and officials from northwestern Massachusetts are pushing for east-west rail in their neck of the woods. Rallies held this week were in tandem with stakeholders calling on the Healey administration to restart Northern Tier Passenger Rail.

A key component of plans to expand rail service through Springfield, Massachusetts is getting a big boost in funding.

The North Adams, Massachusetts city council has passed a resolution supporting the development of passenger rail connecting the city to Boston.

Funding for a superstructure solution to a longtime traffic headache in Hampden County, Massachusetts has been announced. It could also have implications for the state's ongoing west-east rail project.