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Metro study: passenger rail could work in places but requires major investment and long lead time
Summary
Metro presented a one‑year legislative study on repurposing heavy‑rail corridors for passenger service; planners said corridors could have potential but would require track upgrades, double‑tracking at key locations, and coordination with freight owners, recommending building ridership with lower‑cost modes first.
Elizabeth Marceau, principal planner at Metro, presented findings from a short, legislature‑requested study on regional passenger rail, emphasizing that repurposing heavy‑rail corridors for passenger service would require substantial capital investment for tracks, structures and crossings and often face constraints where freight operations dominate.
Marceau told the committee the study found six major themes: the need for significant infrastructure upgrades; freight–passenger incompatibilities on many…
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