BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority will seek public comment as it develops an updated strategy for regional rail service, the agency announced on Thursday (Feb. 26).
The MBTA’s Rail Modernization Plan will aim to identify near-term investments and long-term needs to improve frequency, reliability, and accessibility while pursuing decarbonization strategies.
MBTA General Manager and Interim Massachusetts Department of Transportation Secretary General Manager Phillip Eng said in a press release that the effort emphasizes the importance of creating “a robust and complete transportation network across the commonwealth that facilitates access to jobs, homes, economic opportunities, and more. Working with the highway system, municipal roadways, and regional transit authorities, rail modernization – bidirectional travel, shorter trips, and tackling congestion through mode shift – is a key piece in making all movement both viable and appealing.”
The agency says 64% of Massachusetts residents and 39% of those in Rhode Island live within 3 miles of an MBTA station, and network improvements can address both current travel times and goals for development near transit facilities.
The plan will look to address investments needed to address frequency through infrastructure work to eliminate bottlenecks; enhance accessibility by introducing level boarding at stations that lack handicapped access features; and increase reliability through moves such as the purchase of new locomotives announced this week [see “MBTA seeks new battery-electric, diesel locomotives …,” Trains.com, Feb. 25, 2026]. It will also seek to pursue decarbonization through electrification, including installation of discontinuous catenary, charging, and transmission infrastructure.
The MBTA will hold public meetings and other events to gather public comment, as well as holding virtual events. More information is available here.
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