Press Release  MassDOT Awards $1.5 Million to Improve Rail in Massachusetts

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) today announced three grants totaling $1.5 million from the Industrial Rail Access Program (IRAP) to improve rail infrastructure in Massachusetts. The grants awarded to companies in Framingham, Haverhill and Ware will be used to increase freight rail access, reduce truck traffic and create new jobs.

IRAP is a competitive state-funded, public-private partnership program that provides financial assistance to companies investing in rail infrastructure that directly leads to their increased use of the rail network and related reduction in regional truck traffic. Grant recipients must match the MassDOT grant funds with other sources of funds totaling at least 40 percent of a project's total cost.

“Continued investment in our freight rail network is essential to help meet the needs of our business community,” said Transportation Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt. "We congratulate the selected applicants and commend them for their commitment to further enhance the rail connectivity we need to remain economically competitive, to reduce our collective greenhouse gas emissions, and to cultivate a greener, cleaner economy for future generations.”  

“Our team is proud to support projects that can meet the freight needs of businesses in Massachusetts and move us in the right direction on meeting our ambitious climate goals,” said Rail and Transit Administrator Meredith Slesinger. “We are pleased to see such ingenuity from the private sector in delivering the infrastructure that will lead to improved delivery times and cargo loading and unloading capabilities.”

The IRAP program received applications from freight rail-supported businesses across the state. Projects were approved based on meeting program requirements and the level of public benefits they offered such as system preservation, mobility, economic development, and safety.

The Fiscal Year 2025 recipients include the following:

• Transload X – $700,000 grant to support the Framingham Transload Facility project, which includes the rehabilitation of a former railroad auto terminal for use as a rail transload facility. The project is expected to eliminate about 4,000 regional truck trips annually and create approximately six new jobs, including transload operators.
• ECR Services – $415,101 grant to support the creation of the rail loading/unloading facility in Ware that will benefit the construction industry in transporting crane mats by rail. The project is expected to reduce the need for truck traffic and to add jobs to the community.
• Broco Energy – $479,180 grant to support the construction of additional tracks at an existing rail facility in Haverhill to increase capacity and enable the distribution of new types of renewable fuel. The project is expected to eliminate over 300 regional truck trips annually and support the distribution of additional renewable fuels to Eastern Massachusetts.

For more information about the Industrial Rail Access Program (IRAP) please visit: https://www.mass.gov/industrial-rail-access-program

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