The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) has announced plans to develop an updated regional strategy that will enable a transformation of its rail system.
The strategy, known as the Rail Modernization Plan, aims to identify both near-term investments and long-term needs, providing insight on how the MBTA may be able to enhance frequency, reliability, and accessibility across the communities served by rail whilst advancing decarbonisation strategies.
The plan will seek to enhance existing services
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Upcoming enhancements to the MBTA’s rail network are also expected to, ultimately, increase service to the public whilst aiming to support the Commonwealth in achieving broader housing, climate, mobility, and economic development goals.
The MBTA has stated that the new Rail Modernization Plan will focus primarily on how to better serve passengers from across its service area by investing in ‘more frequent, more reliable and more accessible service’.
Interim MassDOT Secretary and MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng said:
Transportation has no boundaries – as MassDOT Secretary and MBTA General Manager, I know how important it is that we create a robust and complete transportation network across the Commonwealth that facilitates access to jobs, homes, economic opportunities, and more.
Working with the highway system, municipal roadways, and regional transit authorities, rail modernization – bidirectional travel, shorter trips, and tackling congestion through mode shift – is a key piece in making all movement both viable and appealing. None of this would be possible without the leadership of the Healey-Driscoll Administration and support of the Legislature, and I thank the entire MBTA team for their dedicated work in continuing to move this forward and make the Rail Modernization Plan a reality.