Transit Projects

The Fitchburg Commuter Rail Line Improvement Project

Introduction


The Fitchburg Commuter Rail Line Improvement Project will modernize an existing commuter rail line to provide greatly improved service and reliability to riders and commuters in a 50-mile long corridor extending from Fitchburg to Boston, Massachusetts.  Approximately 10,000 daily riders stick with current Fitchburg Line service due to the lack of reasonably available other commuting options to the Boston job market.

A long established list of infrastructure improvements was prioritized and tested to develop a Locally Preferred Alternative that will confer the following benefits to the riders, communities and even the operators, of the Fitchburg Line:

  • Modernized, state of the art infrastructure allowing 80 mph travel speeds
  • 945 hours/day Travel Time benefits for Existing Riders alone
  • Service reliability increase from 83% to over 95% on-time performance
  • Significantly enhanced passenger experience
  • Support statewide and regional economic development goals
  • Reduced operating and maintenance costs, even while attracting new riders

With the filing of this Alternatives Analysis report, the Fitchburg Commuter Rail Line Improvements Project has completed the Alternatives Analysis phase by recommending a Locally Preferred Alternative consisting of an estimated $150 million worth of improvements.  The Project entered Project Development in May of 2008, with design to be completed in December of 2009.  Construction would take place over three seasons and be complete in 2012.

Purpose and Need

Currently, citizens of the suburban and western study area communities have few options for commuting to and from the Boston metropolitan area. These modes of travel are very unreliable, particularly for a daily commute. Ridership levels on the Fitchburg Commuter Rail Line are adversely affected by poor reliability, infrequent service, and excessive travel times, the longest in the MBTA Commuter Rail system. Although the Fitchburg Commuter Rail Line is the poorest performing line in the system, it has great potential to improve service for existing riders and to attract new riders if quality service were provided.

Results from the previously completed Fitchburg Commuter Rail Line Service Expansion Study and the project′s longstanding public process indicate that improving speeds would have the greatest effect on reducing travel times and would therefore provide the greatest benefit to the study area′s commuters.  Actions to achieve travel time savings were presented in the subsequent Fitchburg Line Improvement Implementation Plan, which was published in the fall of 2005.  The overriding objective of the Implementation Plan was to reduce trip times between Fitchburg and Porter Square. In response to MBTA and FTA input, the project scope for the Alternatives Analysis was modified to address the related issues of on-time performance and service frequency.

The primary goal of the Fitchburg Commuter Rail Line Improvement Project is to increase benefits to users of the transportation system by offering reduced travel times and improved service reliability throughout the corridor.  In order to accomplish these objectives, substantial upgrades are necessary to overcome the significant geographical and infrastructure issues that plague service on the Fitchburg Line.  In sum, the project is necessary to remedy the following issues:

  • The Fitchburg Line has the oldest infrastructure in the MBTA system.
  • The Fitchburg Line is the longest in terms of both distance and travel time.
  • The Fitchburg Line has one of the worst on time performance records in the MBTA system.
  • The Fitchburg Line serves a region with limited commuter options.
  • The Montachusett region is one of the few Massachusetts areas with significant population growth.