Massachusetts Wins $30 Million in Federal Rail Funding: West Springfield Grade Crossings to Be Replaced by a Flyover
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey and Congressman Richard Neal announced on October 30 in West Springfield that the state has secured $30 million in federal funding for critical rail infrastructure improvements that will improve safety and reliability and reduce traffic delays. West Springfield is in Hampden County, Massachusetts. The funding, awarded to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) through the Federal Railroad Administration's Railroad Crossing Elimination (RCE) Grant Program, will support the Front and First Street Grade Crossing Elimination Project and continue to lay the groundwork for West-East Rail.
According to the FRA's project listing, the award — listed federally at $30.3 million — funds final design and construction of a flyover separating the Boston & Albany rail line from Front Street and First Street. For years, residents of West Springfield and neighboring Agawam have waited at the two crossings for trains to clear, causing late arrivals and raising concerns about emergency response times; Agawam Mayor Chris Johnson welcomed the funding. The FRA awarded 91 projects in 37 states totaling $1.24 billion in this round, with recipients providing at least a 20 percent match; the Massachusetts town of Andover separately received $4.41 million to eliminate the Pearson Street crossing.
The project is part of MassDOT's Compass Rail program, which aims to expand passenger rail service across Massachusetts, including West-East Rail connections between Boston, Springfield and Pittsfield. The governor's office said the award brings total federal funding secured for Compass Rail to more than $320 million. Governor Healey said the funding will make crossings like Front and First Street safer for rail and road users alike.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: CSX的West Springfield铁路货场（资料图）。CC BY 4.0，4300streetcar摄，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / CSX West Springfield rail yard, Massachusetts (file photo). CC BY 4.0, by 4300streetcar, via Wikimedia Commons.
