Mass DOT invites public for State Rail Plan presentation

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is undertaking an update to the 2010 State Rail Plan to document the current state of the rail system, identify planned improvements and outline the Commonwealth’s 20-year plan for the statewide rail system.

The plan update will include both passenger and freight rail. MassDOT highlights these facts and figures regarding Massachusetts rail:

• Amtrak provides passenger rail service for inter-city travel within Massachusetts and to cities across the Northeast United States. Annually, approximately 2.6 million trips are taken in Massachusetts on Amtrak’s services.

• The Massachusetts freight rail system consists of a mix of Class I, Regional and Short-line railroads serving freight shippers and receivers. Data from 2012 indicated that almost 400,000 carloads of freight weighing 15 million tons were moved in the state by rail.

• The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Commuter Rail network is among the largest systems in the country, providing access to key job centers and highway congestion relief in the Metropolitan Boston area. Annually, almost 40 million trips are taken on the MBTA Commuter Rail system.

The public is invited to a presentation on Tuesday, June 14 at 4:00 – 6:00 PM, in person at Union Station, (2nd Floor), 2 Washington Street, Worcester or by webinar by contacting: [email protected] .