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Archive -- Massachusetts State Rail Plan Meeting - Worcester, MA

Date

Monday, January 29, 2018 6:00 PM Monday, January 29, 2018 7:30 PM

Location

Worcester Regional Transit Authority 60 Foster Street Worcester MA 01608

Hosted By

Rail Passengers Association

Trains In The Valley

We encourage Rail Passengers Association members in Massachusetts to attend and participate in the information meeting on the State Rail Plan Update to be held at 6 pm on Monday, January 29th in Worcester. The meeting will be held at Worcester Regional Transit Authority, 60 Foster Street, in Worcester.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is preparing the 2017 State Rail Plan which is an update to the 2010 State Rail Plan. The plan will document the state rail system and planned improvements, and outline the Commonwealth’s 20-year vision and four year plan for the statewide rail system.

The State Rail Plan is a federally required document that must be updated at least every five years. Future rail activities in each state are generally guided by this document, so if a desired initiative or program is not in a state's rail plan, it makes it very difficult for the state to undertake it in the coming years.

The 2017 State Rail Plan will comply with Federal Railroad Administration mandates for states to develop individual rail plans using a six-chapter format.

Each plan must provide an overview of:

  • The existing rail system
  • The system’s overall role in the transportation network
  • How the system is financed
  • Documentation of any coordination for developing the plan

Please note that the Update State Rail Plan is expected to be released to the public and posted on this web page [https://www.mass.gov/lists/rail-plan-documents] during the week of January 15th.

We encourage you to attend this meeting and speak on behalf of your particular local organization or group (or simply speaking as a concerned citizen, too!) in your area, even though your are a member of the Rail Passenger Association.

In particular, we are looking for support for expanded passenger rail service north of Springfield on the Knowledge Corridor and a path forward for East-West service in the corridor between Boston, Springfield and New Haven, as was outlined in detail in the Northern New England Intercity Rail Initiative study in 2016.

We encourage you to submitted written comments on the State Rail PLan during the three-week public comment period which we understand will be opened on January 29th.

FURTHER DETAILS

Massachusetts State Rail Plan (Mass.gov)

Contact:
Jennifer Slesinger
Office of Transportation Planning
Phone: 857-368-9800
Email: [email protected]