Vermonter is 60 miles that runs the Connecticut River Valley route. It’s about 49 miles from Springfield to East Northfield. The Knowledge Corridor project will restore intercity passenger rail service on the Connecticut River Line in Massachusetts, includes rail improvements of 48 miles of track of mainline and some two and a half miles on the second track, rehabilitate about 5.7 miles of side tracks, improve a number of grade crossings, and signal improvements. They also have instituted inspection, rating, repairs of bridges, new stations in Northampton and Greenfield, and being designed to be fully accessible commuter rail type ready stations, and the project will include a bicycle and pedestrian underpass at Northampton at the westerly end of the DCR's Norwottuck rail trail. This is an ARRA Passenger Rail Investment Improvement Act grant for work made in 2011, to MassDOT, through its Rail and Transit Division, and it's been designated to the MBTA to proceed with the design and construction of the project. The majority of it is being performed by Pan Am under an agreement with them, and construction of the stations, underpasses and additional project elements will be contracted out separately through the MBTA. The original ARRA grant was for $72.8 million with a matching $2.25 million component. The Federal Highway Administration funds were allocated to this project, for a current operating budget of $86 million. MassDOT estimate a total budget of $117.3 million. That includes about a $15 million contingency. They have since processed an ISA for the bridge funding of $14.5 million, and the balance is contingency. Mr. Ray noted that they are not looking for any action
Vermonter is 60 miles that runs the Connecticut River Valley route. It’s about 49 miles from Springfield to East Northfield. The Knowledge Corridor project will restore intercity passenger rail service on the Connecticut River Line in Massachusetts, includes rail improvements of 48 miles of track of mainline and some two and a half miles on the second track, rehabilitate about 5.7 miles of side tracks, improve a number of grade crossings, and signal improvements. They also have instituted inspection, rating, repairs of bridges, new stations in Northampton and Greenfield, and being designed to be fully accessible commuter rail type ready stations, and the project will include a bicycle and pedestrian underpass at Northampton at the westerly end of the DCR's Norwottuck rail trail. This is an ARRA Passenger Rail Investment Improvement Act grant for work made in 2011, to MassDOT, through its Rail and Transit Division, and it's been designated to the MBTA to proceed with the design and construction of the project. The majority of it is being performed by Pan Am under an agreement with them, and construction of the stations, underpasses and additional project elements will be contracted out separately through the MBTA. The original ARRA grant was for $72.8 million with a matching $2.25 million component. The Federal Highway Administration funds were allocated to this project, for a current operating budget of $86 million. MassDOT estimate a total budget of $117.3 million. That includes about a $15 million contingency. They have since processed an ISA for the bridge funding of $14.5 million, and the balance is contingency. Mr. Ray noted that they are not looking for any action
Board%20Minutes%205.14.14.docx