By Christian MilNeil, Streets Blog Massachusetts; March 2, 2020
MassDOT says that it will revisit cost and ridership projections for its East-West passenger rail study after rail advocates and a broad coalition of western Massachusetts planning organizations expressed skepticism over initial assertions that the project would attract few riders and cost billions of dollars.
For the past year, state rail planners and consultants from WSP have been studying six alternatives to improve passenger rail service between Boston and Pittsfield by way of Worcester and Springfield – the state’s second- and third-most populous cities, respectively.