12/4/2018 State Sen. Eric Lesser pledges to keep East-West rail a top issue in wake of 2018 election | masslive.com

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State Sen. Eric Lesser pledges to keep East‑West rail a top issue in wake of 2018 election

Updated Nov 15; Posted Nov 15

State Sen. Eric Lesser brought his statewide whistle‑stop tour to a close with a rally at Union Station in Springfield on Monday evening, drawing dozens of people who support linking to Springfield with a high‑speed rail line. June 19, 2017.

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By Shannon Young, [email protected]

SPRINGFIELD ‑‑ With a proposal to connect Boston and Western Massachusetts via rail gaining widespread support and attention from candidates ahead of the 2018 election, state Sen. Eric Lesser committed Wednesday to ensuring the issue remains at the forefront of lawmakers' agendas in the coming months and years.

The Longmeadow Democrat, who has been the driving force behind the "East‑West" rail proposal, told reporters that while he appreciates politicians like Massachusetts U.S. Sen. and U.S. Rep. 's focus on the issue in 2018, he's not done pushing for it to become a reality.

"It's not going to fall by the wayside. There's way too many people who care too deeply about this and know how important it is ‑‑ from the business community to the advocates, to just everyday people," he said following an event at Western New England University. "We're not going to let it go away."

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Arguing that "rail is meeting its moment," Lesser pointed to the state's decision to study the feasibility of increasing rail traffic between Western Massachusetts and Boston.

Beyond that, he offered, federal lawmakers could soon set aside funding for such a project, with both Neal, D‑Springfield, and U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, D‑Worcester, expected to hold some of the most powerful positions on Capitol Hill come 2019.

"The stars are hopefully aligning for some major forward momentum," he said.

Lesser said it is expected to take the Massachusetts Department of Transportation about 12 to 15 months to conduct its $1 million study on the feasibility of East‑West rail, which began this fall.

Following the study's completion, the state senator said he will push lawmakers to "get to work."

"We start to build the political will and the consensus to make it happen," he said. "We've lost our sense of ambition, I think, in this country about what we can do. Much harder projects have been pulled off ‑‑ the Erie Canal was built well over 100 years ago without power tools. So, we can make it happen if we build the political will to make it happen."

Stressing that "this is no longer a Western Mass. project," Lesser argued that "the whole state is involved in this, the whole state is excited about it, the whole state is invested in it."

Warren, who initially backed East‑West rail in March 2017, reiterated her support for the transportation proposal throughout her 2018 campaign, calling East‑West rail "one of (her) priorities" during an October U.S. Senate debate in Springfield.

Neal, who is expected to take over as the next U.S. House Ways and Means Committee chairman, also touted East‑West rail during his 2018 re‑election bid. He joined Gov. in announcing the state's feasibility study in June.

State officials said in October that they had retained a consulting firm to study the feasibility of East‑West rail from Boston through Worcester to Springfield, and as far west as Pittsfield.

Consultants will look at six options, each with different speeds and a different number of stops along the way, including a 90‑minute service from Springfield's Union Station to Boston's South Station.

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For years, Beacon Hill legislators have toyed with the idea of east‑west rail.

In 2016, a proposal to study the measure made it into the final state budget, but was vetoed. Baker recommended replacing the study with another that would also consider other forms of transit. The House did not override Baker's veto, and the measure died.

A year later, the study was included in the Senate's version of the budget before it was cut in secret budget negotiations with the House prior to reaching Baker's desk.

MassDot's 2018 rail plan included a proposal to study ways to connect Boston and Springfield with passenger rail.

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