“Boston Massachusetts Commuter Train” by Margalit Francus is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
By William Burke, Director of Research
In 2018, the state commissioned a consultant to conduct a study on the feasibility of an East-West rail-link. The proposed rail link would allow passengers to travel from Boston to Springfield or potentially further west to Pittsfield.
Western Massachusetts is dramatically under-served in terms of passenger train travel. As of today, the state’s westernmost commuter rail stations are in Worcester and Fitchburg. The MBTA and other state entities should unquestionably explore new ways to expand public transit for western Massachusetts and other under-served areas. But as preliminary data recently released from the study shows, the costs of the proposals put forth drastically outweigh the benefits, with estimated price tags ranging from about $2 billion to nearly $25 billion.
It is unclear exactly how the proposed plan would be financed or how long the plan would take to complete. Thus far, the state has not arrived at any consideration for financing the plan. Officials are reportedly evaluating different alternatives, but they have not been revealed yet.
Under the cheapest East-West railway link option proposed so far — the $2 billion plan — the Department of Transportation has estimated the service would attract a measly 36 daily riders. Even if underestimated, the increase in ridership would not nearly be enough to justify the hefty price tag of the plan. While an expansion of the MBTA would undoubtedly provide benefits through new cheaper and more convenient commuting options for workers and a reduction in roadway congestion, they will be severely outweighed by the substantial costs of even the smallest proposal.
The Department of Transportation needs to address the current situation faced by the MBTA, including a variety of issues such as time delays, overcrowding, and more recently undercarriage problems. In addition, the MBTA already faces issues covering its pension fund, with over $2.91 billion in liabilities and only $1.45 billion in reported assets, the Globe reported last June. According to the MBTA’s fiscal 2020 budget, it had a structural deficit of $36.5 million.
Easily accessible and affordable rail services are a significant issue facing the state’s economy. Lawmakers need to prioritize their policies to reflect the realities concerning actual utilization of proposed railway links.
This article appeared in the March 29, 2020 edition of the Boston Sunday Globe.
