$130M FRA grant will upgrade Springfield, Massachusetts, train station
The Federal Railroad Administration awarded up to $130 million to improve rail infrastructure in the Springfield, Massachusetts, area. The funding will help improve passenger rail service along a north-south line in the state and prepare for future east-west passenger train service between Boston, Springfield and Albany, New York. The funding adds to prior grants to advance planning for the east-west route, a project supported by Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and the state legislature. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation published a final report on potential options for the route in 2024. Amtrak provides train service in the area from New Haven, Connecticut, to Springfield, Northampton and Greenfield, Massachusetts, and points in Vermont. Healey, a Democrat, and prior Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, pushed to expand passenger rail service to western and central…