MassDOT, FRA issue Draft EA for South Station Expansion

Written by Mischa Wanek-Libman, editor
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MassDOT

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) have published a Draft Environmental Assessment (Draft EA) for the South Station Expansion (SSX) project.

MassDOT says the purpose of the SSX project is to expand South Station terminal capacity to meet current and anticipated future commuter rail and intercity rail service needs. The project would also promote city-building in a key area of Boston, and allow Dorchester Avenue to be reopened for public use and enjoyment for the first time in decades. The expansion of South Station would enable growth in passenger rail transportation within the commonwealth of Massachusetts and along the Northeast Corridor (NEC). Expanding the terminal would improve the passenger experience of using South Station and updating the infrastructure (track and signals) and related layover capacity would improve service reliability.

The project would include improvements to the existing rail infrastructure at South Station Terminal and the approach interlockings. The aging rail infrastructure at the terminal, including tracks, signals, and communication, has been cited as contributing to service delays and upgrading these systems will have a direct improvement to service reliability and capacity.

The Build Alternative outlined in the Draft EA would expand the South Station Terminal by adding seven new tracks and four platforms for a total of 20 tracks and 11 platforms. The Draft EA says the proposed platform upgrades would improve existing access and emergency egress measures. The new tracks, platforms and station expansion would be aligned so that it would not preclude any future air rights development.

The Draft EA notes that the Build Alternative would not “preclude the improvements proposed by the NEC FUTURE program; rather, the SSX project includes investments that can later be leveraged by MassDOT and FRA to implement the additional improvements proposed by the NEC FUTURE program to accommodate service levels beyond 2035.”

The Draft EA is open for public comments through May 27, 2017. Upon completion of the public review period, FRA will issue a Final Section 4(f) Determination, Final EA, and, if appropriate, a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI).

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