CSX to move Massachusetts operations

Written by jrood

CSX Corp. is set to begin discussions with officials in Worcester, Westboro, East Brookfield and West Springfield, Mass., about plans to shift more freight operations out of Boston to freight yards in those communities, the Worcester Times reports. The changes come as part of a plan to expand commuter rail service on the Boston to Worcester line and to raise bridges between Route 128 and New York to make room for double-stacked freight trains.

Massachusetts Secretary of
Transportation Jeffrey B. Mullan said the project will not only give the city
access to expanded commuter rail, but will also make Worcester the freight rail
hub for all six New England states with east-west and north-south rail
connections with access to highways.

"This transaction makes
Worcester a very significant New England regional hub for rail because it would
become the significant termination point for much of what CSX does and all of
the collateral benefits that come with that," Mullan said. "These are large job-producing
activities," which should attract many new shipping and receiving jobs from
trucking operations that will locate nearby.

He said the state has put
out bids for work for 14 rail bridges between Westboro and the New York line
that have to be repaired or raised to accommodate double-stacked freight cars
and free up more rail time for commuter trains. That work is expected to cost
the state about $25 million, while CSX is expected to complete other repairs
and bridge elevations over the next two years to accommodate double-stacked
freight cars.

Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Murray,
who has headed up efforts to expand commuter rail service, said the
developments mean another step toward a goal of getting up to 25 daily commuter
trains in and out of Worcester over the next few years. The work is being
completed according to an agreement reached between CSX and the state last
October after years of negotiations.

Murray said the project
holds numerous benefits. It will bring more jobs to the region and use of double-stacked
freight trains will reduce truck traffic on highways. He said the expanded
commuter rail service should help redevelopment plans in downtown Worcester and
areas adjacent to downtown while also reducing traffic congestion and polluting
emissions. More commuter rail service, he said, will also give workers more
options in the job market and lower commuting costs.

State officials said CSX would
be moving freight operations from its Beacon Park yards in the Allston section
of Boston to existing rail yards in Central and Western Massachusetts. That
would mean more freight activity at the company’s rail yards along Franklin
Street in Worcester, as well as smaller sites the company owns in Westboro,
East Brookfield and West Springfield.

Murray said the deal, which
also involves state purchase of the property rights to the Boston to Worcester
rail line from CSX and state takeover of dispatching and maintenance of that
line, is going to be reviewed by the federal Surface Transportation Board.
State officials expect to receive approval next month.

State Rep. Vincent A.
Pedone, D-Worcester, whose district includes the CSX freight area, said he
views it as a positive step toward expanding commuter rail service to the city
and said he is interested in meeting with CSX officials about their plans. "The
administration has been working very hard to get to this point and I think we
should be trying to facilitate some kind of agreement between CSX and the
communities along this line," Mr. Pedone said.

He said while there may be
noise associated with expanded freight operations in the city, there are
already freight operations ongoing at the site. He said he would look for more
specifics on noise as well as truck traffic. "We need to increase our commuter
rail service. If this is how we are going to accomplish that I think we should
be exploring it," Pedone said.

"I’m not looking to
shoehorn anything that is not a good fit," Pedone said. "This is the
beginning stage of a discussion and we should be working toward a comfortable
fit for both the residents of Worcester and CSX. But we should not compromise
our neighborhoods’ safety and the peaceful neighborhood settings of the East
Side," he said.

Mullan said he expects the increased
truck traffic will be associated with parts of Grafton Street near Franklin
Street as well as through Washington Square as trucks access Interstate 290. He
encouraged the city to explore the possible impacts.

"I think the city is right
to be focused on them and I think it is something CSX needs to pay attention
to," Mullan said.

Officials said it is not
yet clear if CSX may expand its operations beyond the current footprint of its
freight yard in Worcester.

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