Public Meetings
Boston, Springfield, White River Junction
September 2015
AGENDA

Introduction

What is NNEIRI?

Why is More Service
Needed?

How Did We Get Here? 
What is Recommended?
AGENDA

How Do We Build This?

What Would This Cost?

What Would be the Public
Benefits?

What’s Next?

Questions & Discussion
What is NNEIRI?
What is NNEIRI?
The
purpose
of the Northern
NORTH
STATION
New England Intercity Rail
Initiative (NNEIRI) Study is to
explore the feasibility of
improving intercity rail services
along the 470-mile Corridor that
connects destinations in:
• Massachusetts
• Vermont
• Connecticut
• New Hampshire
• New York
• Quebec
What is NNEIRI?
NNEIRI is a MassDOT, VTrans, ConnDOT & FRA
partnership to create a coordinated plan for the Corridor
to efficiently plan for the implementation of services.
What is NNEIRI?
NORTH STATION
The NNEIRI Corridor includes
two overlapping routes:
Boston-to-Montreal Route
• Boston, MA to Montreal, QC
• Montreal to New Haven, CT
with connections to NYC
Inland Route
• Boston to New Haven with
connecting services to NYC
Why is More
Service Needed?
Why is More Service Needed?

While New England has a diverse transportation network with rail, aviation,
highway, and bus connections between major cities, many of the existing
transportation systems are at or nearing capacity.

Intercity passenger rail could provide better connectivity across the region with
upgrades to service and improved connections.
Why is More Service Needed?
NORTH STATION
Existing intercity rail service along the
NNEIRI Corridor is limited and
constrained. The following Amtrak
service is provided.
 Lake Shore Limited
 Vermonter Service
 Northeast Regional Shuttle
(Springfield – New Haven)
Additional service in New England is on
the Northeast Corridor, Ethan Allen
Express, and Downeaster Services.
How Did We Get
Here?
How Did We Get Here?
Understanding
Related Projects
NORTH STATION
 South Station Expansion
 Springfield Union Station Restoration
and Expansion
 Vermonter Knowledge Corridor
Program platforms at Springfield
Union Station.
 Vermonter Service Extension to
Montreal
 U.S. Customs and Immigration
Checkpoint at Montreal Central
Station
 CT Rail-Hartford Line Service
How Did We Get Here?
Project Work Products

Purpose and Need Statement

Existing Conditions Assessment

Station Site Assessment &
Guidelines

Preliminary Service Options
Performance Report

Alternatives Analysis Report/
Preliminary Environmental
Screening

Environmental Assessment
How Did We Get Here?
Existing Conditions
 Analyzed current conditions:
o Capacity
o Characteristics of the
infrastructure
o Stations
o Communities along the NNEIRI
corridor.

Input from Public and Stakeholder
Meetings

Purpose: Understand the current
state of the NNEIRI Corridor and
improvements previously planned
or ongoing.
How Did We Get Here?
Alternatives Analysis

As part of an Alternatives
Analysis, 18 initial options were
assessed looking at a range of
improvements and services.

The preliminary options evaluated
variations of speed (up to 125 mph),
equipment, service types (local
versus express), and track
engineering.
How Did We Get Here?
Alternatives Analysis

Three build alternatives were
advanced for further analysis of
cost, ridership, infrastructure
improvements, and environmental
impacts.

Purpose: Create viable and
realistic choices for consideration.
This provides the basis for the
Recommended Alternative.
How Did We Get Here?
Included in the Service
Development Plans

20-Year Programmatic Plans for
2015 - 2035

Guide for Infrastructure
Improvements

Assess Equipment Requirements

Develop Service Improvements

Identify Potential Phases and
Implementation Considerations
How Did We Get Here?
Public Meetings

January 2014 in White River
Junction, VT and Springfield, MA
for the Project Kickoff

November 2014 in White River
Junction, VT and Worcester, MA for
the Alternative Analysis Results

September 2015 in Boston &
Springfield, MA and White River
Junction, VT for the Final Project
Study Results
How Did We Get Here?
Stakeholder Meetings
 Quarterly in 2013-2015
Resource Agency Meetings
 Consultation from key
Environmental and Transportation
Agencies
What is
Recommended?
What is Recommended?
Additional
NORTHServices
STATION
 New Haven-to-Montreal
Service – 1 Daily Roundtrip.
Travel time is 8 hours 40
minutes.
 Boston-to-Montreal Service –1
Daily Roundtrip. Travel time is 8
hours 10 minutes.
 Boston-to-New Haven Service
– 8 Daily Roundtrips. Travel time
is 3 hour 40 minutes
What is Recommended?
Station Stops
NORTH STATION
 Massachusetts
 Boston (South Station and Back Bay)
 Worcester
 Palmer
 Springfield
 Holyoke
 Northampton
 Greenfield
 Connecticut
 Windsor Locks
 Windsor
 Hartford
 Berlin
 Meriden
 Wallingford
 New Haven
What is Recommended?
Station Stops
NORTH STATION
 Vermont
 Brattleboro
 Bellows Falls
 Windsor
 White River Junction
 Randolph
 Montpelier
 Waterbury
 Burlington/Essex Junction
 St. Albans
 New Hampshire
 Claremont
 Quebec
 Montreal (Central Station)
What is Recommended?
Sample Travel Times
NORTH STATION

Boston to Springfield: 2 Hours

Springfield to New Haven: 1.5 Hours

Springfield to Brattleboro: 1.5 Hours

Springfield to Worcester: 1 Hour

Springfield to Montreal: 7 Hours
What is Recommended?
Sample Travel Times
NORTH STATION

White River Junction to Brattleboro: 1.5
Hours

White River Junction to St. Albans: 2
Hours

White River Junction to Springfield: 3
Hours

White River Junction to Montreal: 4 Hours

White River Junction to Boston: 5 Hour
What is Recommended?
Ridership
NORTH STATION
Largest Stations:
 New York Penn Station – 347,000
 Boston South Station – 120,000
 Montreal Central Station – 101,000
 Springfield – 97,000
 New Haven – 95,000
What is Recommended?
Ridership
NORTH STATION
Compares with:
 Downeaster (Brunswick, Maine to
Boston) - 560,000 riders/year
 Cascades Service (Eugene,
Oregon to Vancouver, British
Columbia) - 812,000 riders/year
 Empire Service (New York City to
Niagara Falls, New York) 1,081,000 riders/year
How Do We Build
This?
How Do We Build This?
NORTH STATION
Goal of Infrastructure
Improvements
 Resiliency
 Connectivity
How Do We Build This?
NORTH STATION
Infrastructure Improvements
 Second Platform at Worcester Union
Station
 Restoration of Worcester-Springfield
Second Track
 Extension of railroad sidings along
several segments of the corridor in
Vermont.
 Potential additional station in
Palmer, MA.
How Do We Build This?
NORTH STATION
Corridor-Wide
Infrastructure
Improvements:
 At-Grade crossings upgraded to
increase the safety
 Full train control signal system
would be added where not currently
in place
 New track and turnouts
How Do We Build This?
Equipment Sets

10 Equipment Sets for Inland Route Services

5 Equipment Sets for Boston-to-Montreal and New Haven-to-Montreal Service
What Would This
Cost?
What Would This Cost?
NNEIRI Capital Costs C
 Infrastructure: $740-824
 Equipment: $527 million
 Total: $1.26-1.35 billion
million
What Would This Cost?
NNEIRI Operating
 Operating and Maintenance: $56
 Revenue:
$33 Million
 Operating Support: $23
Million
Million
What are the Public
Benefits?
Public Benefits?
Connectivity
NORTH STATION

Access: 2.25 Million people live
within 3-miles of a NNEIRI Station.

NNEIRI Service would connect workers
with key job centers, including business
hubs in Boston, Hartford, Springfield, New
Haven and Montreal.

NNEIRI Service would provide meaningful
transportation options to New
England’s major cultural and recreation
centers for tourists and residents.

NNEIRI Service would enable students to
easily travel to numerous campuses
from Boston, MA to New Haven, CT and
Springfield, MA to Montreal, QC.
Public Benefits?
Congestion and Mobility
NORTH STATION

New England’s Roads and
Airports are increasingly
congested.

NNEIRI Service would provide an
alternative for people wishing to
avoid crowded airports and
highways.

NNEIRI Service would enable the
region’s growing elderly
population to continue traveling
safely and easily without driving.
Public Benefits?
Economic

NORTH
STATION
New England
Must Remain Competitive
in an Increasingly Global Economy

NNEIRI Service would enhance access for
employers and employees throughout the
region.

NNEIRI Service would provide impetus for
redevelopment of historic downtowns and
neighborhoods near stations through added
service frequency.

NNEIRI Service would promote New England
as a progressive region with an integrated
transportation network.

NNEIRI Service would increase foot traffic
around stations, encouraging communities to
improve services catering to pedestrians and
cyclists.
Public Benefits?
Travel Resiliency
NORTH STATION

New England’s Unpredictable
Weather Often Causes Travel
Problems

NNEIRI Services could provide
travelers an alternative for travel
interruptions during inclement or
extreme weather, such as winter
storms. Trains are often able to
operate in conditions unfavorable to
motor vehicle or air travel.

NNEIRI Services could alleviate wear
& tear on other networks, reducing
the burden of maintenance costs.
What’s Next?
What’s Next?
Service
Development
NORTH
STATIONPlans

Provide a rational approach to
implementing the Recommended
Alternative.

Detail the infrastructure investments
needed to improve service.

Purpose: Create a framework to
guide service infrastructure
improvements throughout the
Corridor over the next 20 years.

Due November 2015
What’s Next?
Environmental Analysis
NORTH STATION

Conducted for the Recommended
Alternative to evaluate the environmental
impacts

This analysis will be completed in
accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Tier 1 Service
Level Environmental Assessment process.

The analysis considers the potential major
impacts to physical, biological, and human
resources.

Purpose: Document the potential
environmental impacts of the NNEIRI
program in compliance with federal law.

Due November 2015
Questions &
Discussion
Comments, Questions & Additional Information
scott.bascom@vermont.gov
ethan.britland@state.ma.us
www.mass.gov/massdot/northernnewenglandrail