Maps show where Massachusetts is studying "Northern Tier Passenger Rail" train service

BOSTON - Massachusetts is looking at expanding rail service across the northern portion of the state, from Boston to North Adams and even potentially Albany, New York.

MassDOT this week released its draft of the "Northern Tier Passenger Rail Study." Now the public has 60 days to weigh in on the 112-page report that considers the "benefits, costs, and investments necessary" to make the plans a reality.

What is Northern Tier Passenger Rail?

The new study was ordered by the Massachusetts Legislature to determine the feasibility of "a competitive travel option" to connect Boston with North Adams and Greenfield. Passenger trains once serviced more than 140 miles of the Northern Tier from the late 1800s until the mid-1900s, the report said, but now the tracks to New York are only used for freight. 

"The population in the study corridor, particularly west of Fitchburg, is currently static and has been projected for long-term decline," the report says. "Part of the rationale for Northern Tier Passenger Rail is to potentially reverse this trend." 

Northern Tier rail service maps

Researchers studied six proposals for passenger rail service in the Northern Tier, three of which earned support from stakeholders in the region. According to the State House News Service, all options look at extending the old Fitchburg Railroad line out from where passenger service currently ends at Wachusett Station. 

The proposals that have stakeholder support, according to the study, are:

Alternative 3 - The "electrified service" proposal. Electrifying the tracks would be the most expensive to build at $2.93 billion, but would be cheaper to maintain. 

The train would leave North Station and stop at Porter, Ayer, Fitchburg, Athol and Greenfield on the way to North Adams, for a total travel time of 2 hours and 50 minutes.

This plan is projected to have the highest annual ridership ranging from 196,520 riders to 304,200 riders, the study found.

Alternative 4 - "Full Local Service." This proposal would not electrify the rails but costs less than the other two stakeholder-supported plans at $1.59 billion. 

This plan calls for stops at Porter, Fitchburg, Gardner, Athol, Greenfield and Shelburne Falls before arriving at North Adams for a total trip time of 2 hours and 59 minutes.

Alternative 5 - "Albany Extension." This plan would go beyond North Adams, taking riders all the way to Albany, New York. From North Station, trains would stop at Porter, Fitchburg, Greenfield, North Adams, Schenectady and arrive at Albany/Rensselaer. 

The total travel time from Boston to Albany would be 4 hours and 34 minutes.

Next steps for Northern Tier rail proposals

Implementing Northern Tier rail service could take at least 12 years, the News Service reported.

The study recommends that the state "continue to improve understanding of travel demand" in the Northern Tier corridor. It also suggests exploring motor coach service to potential destinations along the route to see what demand is like. 

But the report cautions that the expense of bringing back rail service to that region may ultimately be too high.

"Given the estimated benefits and costs associated with each of the six alternatives, the benefit-cost analysis indicates that the benefits may not offset the capital costs required for implementation," the study states.