Daniel Harris
MassDOT selected South of Palmer Yard for a new train station in Palmer, advancing West-East Rail service in Massachusetts. The station will be part of the Compass Rail program to enhance mobility and economic development.
Shutterstock photo – Yingna Cai
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) announced in February that it had selected South of Palmer Yard as the best site for the future Palmer train station
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) announced in February that it had selected South of Palmer Yard as the best site for the future Palmer train station, a critical milestone in the efforts of Gov. Maura Healey’s administration to advance the state’s West-East Rail.
The site, located in the town of Palmer, east of Springfield, was chosen following months of extensive review that included community engagement and feedback from local stakeholders, according to MassDOT.
In a news release, the agency said, “Based on the comparative evaluation of sites, [the Palmer location] offers the amount of property needed for a platform to accommodate ADA needs and passenger train length and, of nine alternative sites evaluated, is a preferred site as it will have fewer permit requirements and will be more affordable to build.”
Of the sites considered in MassDOT’s Level 2 Comparative Evaluation, public feedback also favored the train station site because of its relative proximity to downtown Palmer.
The project will now advance to the conceptual design phase, MassDOT noted.
“We’re thrilled to have reached another milestone for West-East Rail and our efforts to expand rail service across the state with the selection of a preferred site for Palmer Station,” Healey said in a statement. “This is going to be a major boost for Western Massachusetts and for our state’s economy. We’re grateful for all of the input we received from community members that helped us choose the best site for the station.”
Her colleague, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, added, “Expanding rail capacity and connectivity in Massachusetts is essential if we want to remain economically competitive. We applaud the efforts that have culminated in the selection of a Palmer Station location and look forward to seeing this component of West-East Rail advance to completion.”
Compass Rail Service Expanding in Massachusetts
The new station will be part of Massachusetts’ Compass Rail service, made up of existing and proposed West-East and North-South lines intersecting at a robust hub in Springfield.
Compass Rail — Passenger Rail for the Commonwealth — is a vision for intercity passenger train service within Massachusetts and beyond. Its goal, the state transportation department noted, is to enhance mobility, expand transportation choice and support economic development goals through transportation investments. Compass Rail integrates existing MassDOT-supported services with new, proposed services in a unified vision.
“We are very pleased to see ongoing progress in the advancement of the Compass Rail program, which will give residents the passenger rail connectivity they need and deserve,” said state Transportation Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt. “Throughout the planning and design phase for Palmer Station, we have been committed to working with the community to make a site selection that reflects their needs in the decades ahead. We appreciate all the feedback and look forward to continuing this dialogue.”
“The South of Palmer Yard location has great potential as a future stop within the Compass Rail network, and the local stakeholders’ feedback has been invaluable in helping us reach an informed decision,” said MassDOT Rail and Transit Administrator Meredith Slesinger. “The site’s strategic location within Palmer and its cost-effective geography are significant benefits for the community both short- and long-term.”
The project team will now begin to develop a conceptual design, which will allow MassDOT to engage with railway owner CSX Transportation, the site’s property owner and Amtrak, the proposed service operator, on the feasibility of building a future station.
Existing services supported and managed by MassDOT under the Compass Rail banner include the following Amtrak-operated routes:
• The Vermonter, which runs between Washington, D.C., and St. Albans, Vt., with Mass. stops in Springfield, Holyoke, Northampton and Greenfield.
• The Valley Flyer between New Haven, Conn., and Greenfield, Mass. Its other stops are in Springfield, Holyoke, Northampton and Greenfield.
• The Hartford Line and Northeast Regional between Springfield, Mass., and New Haven, Conn., or Washington, D.C.
• The Berkshire Flyer, a seasonal pilot service between Pittsfield and New York City.
West-East Rail would be part of the new Compass Rail services that focus on improved connections between western and eastern Mass. These routes include the Inland Route, to operate between Boston and New Haven via Springfield, and the Boston & Albany Corridor via Pittsfield, both of which use the same line, and are owned and operated by CSX.
“We are excited to see West-East Rail mark this milestone and move forward with the conceptual design of the project. We look forward to being a partner in helping to create more transportation options for residents here in Palmer and western Massachusetts,” said Kimberly H. Robinson, executive director of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission in Springfield.
