(The following story by Priyanka Dayal appeared on the Telegram & Gazette website on June 8, 2010.)
WORCESTER, Mass. — The MBTA board has approved a deal that allows the state to purchase a section of railroad track to expand commuter rail service from Worcester to Boston through Ayer, but passengers won’t be able to travel that route any time soon.
Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Murray said yesterday the Ayer option is still under consideration, but on the state’s long-range plan.
“I think that’s quite a ways away,” he said, adding that the state is already concentrating on a $200 million investment in the Fitchburg commuter rail line and on closing a long-sought deal with CSX Corp. The state is purchasing several miles of track from CSX with the goal of increasing the number of passenger trains between Worcester and Boston, through Framingham.
As for the Worcester-to-Ayer route, expanding commuter rail service there is not conditional on the state’s purchase of the track, Mr. Murray said, but the issue needs much more study.
The cost of acquiring the line and making all the improvements necessary for fast passenger trains would be $100 million to $200 million, he said. “Significant capital improvements are needed along the line to make trains fast enough.
“Sometimes these acquisitions take decades,” he added.
A trackage rights agreement approved by the MBTA board last week, however, seeks to avoid “protracted negotiations,” such as the ones between CSX and the state.
The agreement “establishes a procedure to acquire the ownership of the rail line,” MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo said in an e-mail. “This acquisition is to protect that option for the future.”
The deal between the MBTA and Pan Am Railways and Pan Am Southern also allows the state to expand commuter rail service to a new train station near Route 2 in Fitchburg. The new station is scheduled to open in 2012.
The agreement lets the MBTA access $55.5 million in federal funds to pay for the cost of commuter rail expansion and track improvements.
When improvements are complete, trains will be able to move passengers from Fitchburg to Boston, about 50 miles, in an hour and 13 minutes. Currently, the ride is several minutes longer.
“Travel time will be shorter because of the projects to upgrade the signal systems and add second tracks,” Mr. Pesaturo said.
State and local officials say additional rail service in Fitchburg will be good for commuters and help development in and around the city.
“It would be good for the whole region,” said Westminster Town Administrator Karen M. Murphy.
Mr. Murray said, “(This) is something that is going to make North Worcester County more attractive for investment.”
The new Wachusett Station in Fitchburg is expected to divert traffic from the often-congested Route 2 and bring about 400 additional commuters to trains.
A layover station will be constructed nearby to house inactive trains. Most, if not all, of the layover station will be in Westminster, rather than in Fitchburg, Mr. Pesaturo said.
Ms. Murphy said the Westminster Board of Selectmen will be reviewing plans for the layover station and has already sought public comment on the issue.
The MBTA’s new agreement with Pan Am also states that the MBTA will no longer charge Pan Am for using state-owned tracks, and in return, the MBTA will be able to use Pan Am’s track for free.
A Pan Am spokeswoman was not immediately available for comment yesterday.