Massachusetts secures $130 million for Springfield rail modernization

Massachusetts has secured $130 million in federal funding through the Federal Railroad Administration’s Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements grant program to modernize rail infrastructure around Springfield Union Station. The funding will support the Springfield Area Track Reconfiguration Project, which aims to reduce bottlenecks by separating freight and passenger operations.

This project is a critical component of the state’s Compass Rail vision, which includes the proposed West-East Rail corridor. This 171-mile route would link Boston South Station with Albany–Rensselaer Station in New York, with service stops in Worcester, Palmer, Springfield, and Pittsfield. The upgrades will involve re-activating abandoned passenger platforms, upgrading signals, and adding new switches and siding tracks to improve on-time performance for services such as the Amtrak Vermonter and Valley Flyer.

Construction on the tracks between Springfield and Worcester is expected to begin in 2027, with the goal of having the first trains running by 2030. The modernization is intended to reduce delays, provide more schedule flexibility, and decrease emissions and operating costs by reducing unnecessary train idling.