Project Update

MassDOT filed an ENF for the South Station Expansion project on March 14, 2013. 32 comment letters were received from the public, along with verbal comments provided at a public scoping session on April 1, 2013. The Secretary of Environmental Affairs then issued a Certificate on the ENF on April 19, 2013, providing a 'roadmap' for the necessary environmental review of the South Station Expansion project. MassDOT will spend most of the next year preparing the technical reports that will make up the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR).

MassDOT continues to meet with stakeholders, abutters, business, and interest groups to share information about the project and gather input on a wide range of project-related topics. You can sign up for project emails under Get Involved (at right) or share your thoughts with our project manager (Contact Us). Please also contact us if you would like to request a project briefing.

About The Project

The South Station Expansion project is an initiative of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT).

Boston South Station is the premier passenger rail hub in New England. It serves passengers from the Northeast Corridor (NEC) and beyond, connecting them to local and intercity destinations. It is one of the most significant architectural structures in the City of Boston, and one of its most important transportation assets. South Station offers commuters and travelers not only Amtrak and Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Commuter Rail service, but also intercity bus, MBTA rapid transit, and MBTA bus rapid transit services (including direct service to Boston Logan International Airport).

At present, South Station operates above its design capacity for efficient train operations and orderly passenger queuing. When it opened to the public in 1899, South Station had 28 tracks; that number is now 13, significantly constraining current and future rail mobility not only within Massachusetts but throughout New England and the NEC. South Station also lacks comfortable, modern facilities for passenger queuing, leaving riders standing in the elements as they wait to board their trains. In addition, South Station lacks sufficient ancillary vehicle storage capacity, constraining operations today and limiting future growth.

The objectives of the South Station High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Expansion and Layover Facility project are multiple, including:

• To perform an Alternatives Analysis to determine how best to expand Boston South Station and create a new layover facility in order to improve existing rail service – local, regional, and intercity – in and out of Boston. The expansion of South Station will include improvements to tracks, platforms, interlockings, passenger facilities, and other attendant infrastructure.
• To plan for the relocation of an existing U.S. Postal Service General Mail Facility in order to create an appropriate adjacent site onto which to expand Boston South Station.
• To plan and design an enhanced passenger environment at South Station through improved streetscape and pedestrian, bicycle, local transit, and vehicular facilities in and around South Station, including the re-opening of Dorchester Avenue for public use.
• To consider opportunities for joint public/private development over an expanded South Station.

Those actions will allow for the realization of the following benefits:

• To improve the performance of existing and future high-speed and intercity passenger rail service to and from Boston. Today’s NEC on-time performance is approximately 85% for Acela Express and 75% for Northeast Regional trains. The 2030 target for on-time performance is 95% for Acela Express and 90% for Northeast Regional. Without expanding South Station and its support facilities, not only will these targets be missed, but on-time performance will deteriorate even further in the future.
• To enable growth in high-speed and other intercity passenger rail service in the northeastern United States, at a time when both the roadway and aviation networks are at or over capacity.
• To support sustainable economic growth and improved quality of life in NEC metropolitan areas, including Boston.
• To support a more attractive and increased MBTA Commuter Rail service, with associated benefits such as increased statewide transportation access, environmental sustainability, and improved personal mobility.

MassDOT is committed to comprehensive and inclusive civic engagement as part of the South Station Expansion project. Please explore the website for additional information, and feel free to contact katherine.fichter@state.ma.us the South Station Expansion Project Manager.