MBTA, U.S. Senator Jack Reed, RI Governor Carcieri, RIDOT Officially Open Pawtucket Layover Facility

MBTA General Manager Daniel A. Grabauskas was joined by U.S. Senator Jack Reed, Rhode Island Governor Donald L. Carcieri and Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) Director, James R. Capaldi today at the official opening of the Pawtucket Layover Facility in Rhode Island. A joint venture between the two transportation agencies, the new layover facility boasts a six-track commuter rail yard for the purpose of overnight storage of commuter rail equipment. "With gas prices rising and congestion on our roads, increasing commuter rail service in Rhode Island is vital to our economy and quality of life. I am pleased to have secured $10 million for this facility and proud of the strong partnership among the federal government, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island that made it possible," said U.S. Senator Jack Reed.

Prior to opening the new facility, trains were stored at an overcrowded facility in Attleboro. Touting the many benefits that this new layover facility will ultimately provide Rhode Island residents, MBTA General Manager Daniel A. Grabauskas said, “This state of the art facility is capable of housing more equipment, which means more service for our customers. Our mission is to preserve our customer base, while at the same time attract more customers.?

“Over the last few years, we have made major strides in our effort to upgrade Rhode Island’s transporation system,? Governor Carcieri said. “This new layover facility in Pawtucket will build on work going on in other parts of the state to improve our highways, rebuild our bridges and extend rail service to Warwick and Wickford. This is the type of project that most Rhode Islanders never see, but it is nonetheless essential for ensuring the efficiency of our state’s transportation network.?

"When we invest in transit, we invest in local economies so that reliable, cost-effective transit service can act as a magnet for development and investment," said Sandy Bushue, FTA Deputy Administrator.

The new facility will accommodate the recent expansion of MBTA commuter rail service on the Providence-Boston corridor. On July 24th the number of weekday roundtrips between South Station and Providence increased from 11 to 15. In addition, for the first time weekend service is available providing nine roundtrips on Saturdays and seven roundtrips on Sundays.

Construction of the Pawtucket Layover Facility began in May 2003 at a cost of $18.5 million.

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