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State rail and transit leaders describe Compass Rail goals, federal awards for West‑East service
Summary
MassDOT rail and transit officials described plans to expand passenger rail, noted a $108 million federal award for an inland West‑East route and outlined early work on the Boston–Albany corridor under a federal program.
MassDOT’s rail and transit division told the Joint Committee on Transportation that state leaders are advancing passenger rail projects under a program the agency calls Compass Rail and pursuing federal funding for West‑East rail connections.
Meredith Schlesinger, MassDOT’s Rail and Transit Administrator, said the division “launched Compass Rail…which is our vision for inner city passenger rail” and described existing north–south service between Greenfield and New Haven plus proposed West‑East connections. She said an inland route connecting Boston and New Haven via Worcester and Springfield is an early action for West‑East Rail and has a $108,000,000 federal award behind it plus $9,000,000 from Amtrak.
Schlesinger told the committee the division manages nearly 300 miles of state‑owned right of way and funds Amtrak‑operated passenger rail in Central and Western Massachusetts while supporting freight rail improvements.
She also reported a $500,000 federal award as the first step on the Boston–Albany corridor under the federal railroad program and said the U.S. Department of Transportation recently indicated $3,500,000 was ready to obligate for the next phase on that corridor. The division has launched a public website for Compass Rail project updates.
Committee members asked about the Allston multimodal project and potential federal funding risks; MassDOT’s representatives said the project remains funded and on a permitting path, but staff are monitoring changes at the federal level closely and pursuing the grants and permits necessary to take advantage of available dollars.
Schlesinger and other MassDOT staff highlighted grant programs for RTAs, fare‑free funding pilots, connectivity grants and community transit grants that support fleet electrification and expanded service, and credited legislative support for record levels of transit funding.
Less critical details: Schlesinger said the rail and transit division comprises roughly 20 full‑time employees who coordinate with regional transit authorities and other partners.
