MassDOT is undertaking The Springfield Area Track Reconfiguration Project to facilitate a design for improved operational capacity and fluidity of railroad operations in Springfield, Massachusetts.
The track configuration has evolved over time to respond to the particular need-of-the-day and was not specifically developed to efficiently serve the existing rail traffic. The configuration often presents a bottleneck for daily operations and for future growth. The Springfield Area Track Reconfiguration Project is focused on optimizing the railroad tracks and related infrastructure in a way to accommodate existing and future rail operations.
The design project includes portions of the Amtrak-owned Hartford Line including the Springfield Union Station tracks, the CSX-owned Boston & Albany Line and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation-owned Knowledge Corridor line that provides a connection to communities north of Springfield.
In 2022, MassDOT was awarded a $1.75 million grant from the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Consolidated Rail Infrastructure Safety and Investments (CRISI) Program to complete preliminary engineering and environmental review. In October 2024, the project received a second CRISI grant of $36.8 million to complete final design.