The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has announced a Finding of No Significant Impact on the Northern New England Intercity Rail Initiative (Initiative). The Initiative proposes to restore service between Boston and New Haven through Springfield and Hartford and proposes the addition of new service between Boston and Montreal.
The FRA found that no significant environmental impacts would result from adding more frequent and higher speed intercity passenger rail service. The findings were primarily due to the use of existing operating rail lines within existing rights-of-way, and infrastructure improvements located within existing right-of-way along areas that were in the past double or triple tracked.
“Existing passenger rail service through New England is limited and already at capacity for a region that is growing,” stated U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “With an approved blueprint in hand, New England can now move forward to connect people to key job centers and allow students to easily travel to and from New England’s numerous colleges.”
Through the FRA’s Next Generation High-Speed Rail Program, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) were awarded $942,775 to study potential service options and complete the Tier 1 Environmental Assessment.
FRA Administrator Sarah E. Feinberg said, “More than two million people live within three miles of a station along this corridor. For everyone to move safely and efficiently, the region needs a robust rail system, and this blueprint will help achieve that goal.”
MassDOT and VTrans will coordinate the Initiative with other projects, including NEC FUTURE, FRA’s planning effort to define, evaluate, and prioritize investments in the Northeast Corridor (NEC).