State’s West-East rail project, connecting Worcester with more frequent service to Springfield and Albany, receives $3.5M from federal government
Photo | Grant Welker
Worcester's Union Station
The West-East Rail project, an effort to expand train service to Springfield and eventually to Albany from Boston via Worcester, has received $3.5 million from the Federal Railroad Administration.
The funding will be used to develop a service development plan examining the feasibility of a Boston-to-Albany intercity passenger rail route, and will detail the necessary steps to implement the service, according to a Monday press release from the Gov. Maura Healey Administration.
“West-East Rail is on the way with this latest $3.5 million grant, and I am proud to have worked with Governor Healey and our federal delegation to have now secured a total of $150 million in federal funding to make it a reality,” Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) said in the Monday press release. “West-East Rail is about more than simply building a train route – it’s about building a connected economy, expanding opportunity, and forging a brighter and more sustainable future for residents across Massachusetts and our region.”
The West-East Rail project plans to incrementally increase service from Worcester to Springfield before eventually leading to more passenger rail connections to New Haven and Albany.
The latest funding adds to $108 million awarded in 2024 to support additional Amtrak service between Boston and New Haven via Springfield, and $37 million awarded in 2024 to implement track and infrastructure improvements at Springfield Union Station.
Andy Koziol, the state’s West-East Rail Director, told WBJ in February 2024 added mobility for employees would benefit Central Massachusetts business. Koziol said congestion on the single-line track from Worcester to Springfield would be one of the larger hurdles for the project to overcome, saying the state was considering adding an additional track and/or passing sidings which could allow passenger trains to pass freight trains.
The Lake Shore Limited, an Amtrak service which connects Boston to Chicago via Albany, is currently relying on buses to connect passengers from Boston to Albany after a sinkhole in East Greenbush, New York interrupted rail service, according to WNYT. That service disruption is expected to persist through November, according to Amtrak.
Eric Casey is the managing editor at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the manufacturing and real estate industries.
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