Progress on the Northern Tier Passenger Rail is pushing forward as the Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG) prepares to launch a study to project the potential economic impacts.
The proposed 140-mile commuter rail would run along the northern edge of Massachusetts connecting Boston to North Adams, with stops in Franklin County. According to FRCOG, the rail would revive a route that was used until trains stopped making the trek in 1968.
“Reviving the line has gained strong local and regional support as a strategy to strengthen the economy, improve mobility, and address population loss in western and north central Massachusetts,” a statement from FRCOG reads.
In August, the selectboards of Northfield, Deerfield and Whately each signed letters of support for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s application to the Federal Railroad Administration’s Corridor Identification and Development (Corridor ID) Program for the Northern Tier Passenger Rail.
In another show of support for the project, state Sen. Jo Comerford’s office released a video series titled, “All Aboard,” featuring local supporters of the rail service explaining its benefits and best next steps. The series came almost a year after Comerford spoke at a Greenfield rally supporting the passenger rail.
These efforts followed a final report from MassDOT on the results of a feasibility study. The report claimed the rail service would attract hundreds of riders, analyzed six options for service and recommended courses of action to take before laying the tracks, including “[advancing] planning efforts at the intersection of economic development needs and opportunities and serving travel demand.”
FRCOG Transportation Program Manager Beth Giannini said the upcoming economic impact study will build upon the first feasibility study, focusing on local economic boosts. MassDOT funds will pay for the consultants to complete the study, a collaboration between FRCOG, the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission and the Montachusett Regional Planning Commission.
Among the areas the consultants will focus on will be local benefits from construction and rail operations, tourism growth, housing expansion near stops along the rail, and increased labor force attraction and job opportunities.
These priorities echo points local supporters made in the “All Aboard” video series, including predictions that the rail would strengthen tourism and local economies and create jobs.
“Once we get the consultant on board, the particulars of the project will be more detailed,” Giannini explained.
She said FRCOG is reviewing proposals from two consultants and expects to choose between them in the first week of December.
Throughout the process of the initial feasibility study, Giannini said FRCOG heard support for the passenger rail from the public.
“That was what gave momentum for us to pursue this additional funding to do a more detailed impact study, because we felt like there’s a lot of interest from the community,” Giannini said, adding that she heard the rail would help out Franklin County residents with transportation needs by expanding their local options.
“We’re just trying to keep the momentum going and get more information,” Giannini said.
Comerford elaborated on the purpose of the study, stating, “Expanding passenger rail in and to western Massachusetts is challenging because low population density reduces current ridership potential. That means we have to do more to demonstrate the need and impact of this investment. Ridership on the north-south Valley Flyer service shows our region’s need, interest and use of train travel. It is our hope that an economic study of the Northern Tier will show the completely transformative potential of this route as well.”
“There’s community support and then our local legislators have been very supportive, and that’s where this momentum is coming from,” Giannini said. “This is definitely a step to keep us moving in the right direction.”