SerpApi.Org
PALMER — State Sen. Jacob Oliveira announced Wednesday he’s secured an additional $5 million toward the Palmer passenger rail stop hoped for as part of the West-East Rail initiative.
The funding was secured after the Massachusetts Senate adopted Oliveira’s amendment to the Senate’s $325 million Economic Development Bill.
Oliveira said the funding in his amendment builds upon more than $270 million in previous state and federal investments for West-East Rail.
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation plans to add new Amtrak train service from Springfield to Boston in 2030. But the state’s Compass Rail plan doesn’t intend to open a train station in Palmer until 2033.
MassDOT said it has completed a state-funded planning and design study to support the proposed intermodal station. It’s envisioned as a park-and-ride stop serving the suburbs east of Springfield, as well as the University of Massachusetts in Amherst via bus connections.
In February 2025, MassDOT selected a now-vacant site on South Main Street in Palmer, just south of the railyard, for the station.
“For years, we’ve worked to move West-East Rail from a vision into a reality,” Oliveira said in a news release. “MassDOT has completed the planning, selected the site, and finished the conceptual design. My priority was making sure we didn’t lose momentum.”
By securing this $5 million investment, we’re giving the Healey-Driscoll Administration the resources and authority needed to move the Palmer Passenger Rail Stop forward. That’s a tremendous win for Palmer, for Western Massachusetts, and for everyone who has worked to make West-East Rail a reality."
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