MassDOT, CSX Strike Deal to Boost Pittsfield Rail Capacity

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation and railroad company CSX have reached an agreement meant to reduce conflicts between freight trains and the state's passenger rail plans in the Berkshires, the Healey administration said on Oct. 8.

Under the deal, MassDOT will pay for a new siding and related track upgrades near Pittsfield to add rail capacity, and will study whether a new platform could be added at Pittsfield Station. CSX owns the tracks, and the agency did not say what the railroad agreed to do, though it said the project would help both freight and passenger trains move more reliably.

The investment is meant to support the Berkshire Flyer, a seasonal weekend passenger service between Pittsfield and New York City that Amtrak has run since 2022 with MassDOT's backing, and to advance the state's broader East-West Rail plan linking Boston, Worcester, Springfield, Pittsfield and Albany, New York. MassDOT has said the service's on-time performance has suffered because of conflicts with freight trains, citing long single-track stretches on the CSX corridor between Albany and Pittsfield.

Pittsfield Mayor Peter Marchetti called the rail connection to New York City "an important asset" for the city. MassDOT set aside $31 million for the Pittsfield capacity work in its latest capital spending plan.

This story was first reported by CommonWealth Beacon.