Press Release: 2025-02-04
MassDOT Announces Selection of Palmer Station Site
New milestone for West-East Rail; project team to now work on conceptual design for South of Palmer Yard location, after extensive public feedback
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
2/03/2025
MEDIA CONTACT
Jacquelyn Goddard, Director of Communications, MassDOT
Phone
Call Jacquelyn Goddard, Director of Communications, MassDOT at (857) 368-8500
Online
Email Jacquelyn Goddard, Director of Communications, MassDOT at jacquelyn.goddard@dot.state.ma.us
PALMER — The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is announcing that it has selected South of Palmer Yard as the best site for the future Palmer train station, a critical milestone in the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s efforts to advance West-East Rail. The site, located about a half mile from downtown Palmer, was chosen following months of extensive review that included community engagement and feedback from local stakeholders. Based on the comparative evaluation of sites, this site offers the amount of property needed for a platform to accommodate ADA needs and passenger train length, and, of nine alternative sites evaluated, is a preferred site as it will have fewer permit requirements and will be more affordable to build. Of the sites included in the Level 2 Comparative Evaluation, public feedback also favors Site B, for its relative proximity to downtown. The site will now advance to the conceptual design phase.
“We’re thrilled to have reached another milestone for West-East Rail and our efforts to expand rail service across the state with the selection of a preferred site for Palmer Station. This is going to be a major boost for Western Mass and for our state’s economy,” said Governor Maura Healey. “We’re grateful for all of the input we received from community members that helped us choose the best site for the station.”
“Expanding rail capacity and connectivity in Massachusetts is essential if we want to remain economically competitive,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “We applaud the efforts that have culminated in the selection of a Palmer Station location and look forward to seeing this component of West-East Rail advance to completion.”
“We are very pleased to see ongoing progress in the advancement of the Compass Rail program, which will give residents the passenger rail connectivity they need and deserve,” said Transportation Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt. “Throughout the planning and design phase for Palmer Station, we have been committed to working with the community to make a site selection that reflects their needs in the decades ahead. We appreciate all the feedback and look forward to continuing this dialogue.”
“The South of Palmer Yard location has great potential as a future stop within the Compass Rail network, and the local stakeholders’ feedback has been invaluable in helping us reach an informed decision,” said MassDOT Rail and Transit Administrator Meredith Slesinger. “The site’s strategic location within Palmer and its cost-effective geography are significant benefits for the community both short- and long-term.”
The project team will now begin to develop a conceptual design which will allow MassDOT to engage with railway owner CSX, the site property owner, and proposed service operator, Amtrak, on the feasibility of constructing a future station.
Compass Rail is made up of existing and proposed West-East and North-South services intersecting at a robust hub in Springfield. Compass Rail – Passenger Rail for the Commonwealth – is a vision for intercity passenger rail within Massachusetts and beyond. The goal of Compass Rail is to enhance mobility, expand transportation choice, and support economic development goals through transportation investments. Compass Rail integrates existing MassDOT-supported services with new, proposed services in a unified vision.
Existing services supported and managed by MassDOT under the Compass Rail banner include the following Amtrak-operated routes:
- Vermonter between Washington, D.C. and St. Albans, VT with Massachusetts stops in Springfield, Holyoke, Northampton, and Greenfield
- Valley Flyer between New Haven, CT and Greenfield with Massachusetts stops in Springfield, Holyoke, Northampton, and Greenfield
- Hartford Line and Northeast Regional between Springfield and New Haven, CT or Washington, D.C.
- Berkshire Flyer, a seasonal, pilot service, between Pittsfield and New York City.
West-East Rail represents proposed, new Compass Rail services that focus on improved connections between western and eastern Massachusetts. These routes include:
- Inland Route to operate between Boston and New Haven, CT via Springfield
- Boston & Albany Corridor via Pittsfield.
It is expected that future passenger service through Palmer would be included in the proposed West-East routes, which would be operated by Amtrak and would include an Inland Route between Boston and New Haven through Springfield and a Boston and Albany route. Both routes would use the Boston & Albany Line owned and operated by CSX Transportation (CSX).
For more information on Compass Rail, please visit https://www.mass.gov/compass-rail
Statements of Support
“We are excited to see West-East Rail mark this milestone and move forward with the conceptual design of the project. We look forward to being a partner in helping to create more transportation options for residents here in Palmer and western Massachusetts,” shared Kimberly H. Robinson, Executive Director of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission.
“We are pleased to see that there is forward movement on a station in Palmer. I thank everyone on the steering committee and community members who gave feedback about this process. We look forward to working with MassDOT on this next phase,” saidPalmer Town Manager Brad Brothers.