Funding, infrastructure delays have held up electrification of the commuter rail

For years, the idea to replace the existing diesel engines on the Massachusetts commuter rail system with electric ones has promised a slew of potential benefits across the region. Decreased carbon emissions and air pollution, increased economic opportunities and more frequent, reliable and quiet services are among them.

So why is the idea still just an idea?

The Fairmount line was chosen as the test line for a variety of reasons. Its current emissions negatively and disproportionately affect environmental justice communities predominantly made up of Black, brown and immigrant residents. It’s also the shortest of the 12 commuter rail lines and it is fully within the city of Boston.

“The hope of the [Fairmount line] project is that we can show that we can really do this. That is just the first step towards the electrification of the entire commuter rail,” said Daniel Gatti, director of the Transportation Program at the Acadia Center.

“We know that trains that are powered by electricity, they accelerate faster, they stop faster. They’re more reliable in their service in difficult conditions,” Gatti said. “They just provide a better passenger experience. But can we come up with the upfront cost? Can we come up with the capital that we need to make these kinds of investments? That’s the issue that we’re seeing in climate policy again and again.”

To read the full article from Boston Business Journal, click here.