Project on track to double capacity at Union Station, 10th busiest in commuter rail network

Cyrus Moulton, Telegram & Gazette
·2 min read
From left, City Manager Eric Batista, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and Secretary of Transportation Jamey Tesler tour Union Station.
From left, City Manager Eric Batista, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and Secretary of Transportation Jamey Tesler tour Union Station.

WORCESTER - The project to build a center platform at Union Station is “on track” at roughly 50% completion and should be ready by next winter, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito said during a visit to the station Tuesday morning.

“It’s obviously time not only to preserve historic elements of this building but to enhance it and modernize it so that it can serve where Worcester is today and, more importantly, where it is heading,” Polito said, noting that the station dates to 1911. “We need to make sure we can accommodate more trains - more than one.”

The project to build a high-level center platform at Union Station will enable the station to handle two trains at once, effectively doubling the station’s capacity.

Union Station
Union Station

The station is currently the only station on the Worcester line that can only accommodate a single train at a time, despite being the 10th busiest station in the commuter rail’s roughly 130-station network, MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak said.

“It’s obviously time not only to preserve historic elements of this building but to enhance it and modernize it so that it can serve where Worcester is today and, more importantly, where it is heading.”

Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito

The press conference was held overlooking a massive hole through which the interior of the tunnel connecting the station with the center platform could be seen.

Project manager Anthony DeDominicis, center, takes MBTA, city and state officials on a tour of Union Station.
Project manager Anthony DeDominicis, center, takes MBTA, city and state officials on a tour of Union Station.

Stairs and an elevator up to the platform, the platform itself and a pedestrian bridge still need to be completed, project manager Anthony F. DeDominicis said.

Aside from the increased capacity, officials cited several additional benefits of the project, including that it comes as the neighborhood surrounding the station grows with housing and as nearby Polar Park provides a draw for visitors.

Secretary of Transportation Jamey Tesler speaks of ongoing improvements at Union Station as State Sen. Harriette Chandler, left, and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito stand by.
Secretary of Transportation Jamey Tesler speaks of ongoing improvements at Union Station as State Sen. Harriette Chandler, left, and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito stand by.

“This is so important for the future of Worcester,” state Sen. Harriette L. Chandler said at the event. “It will make a difference, it will make an enormous difference.”

The visit also comes as the outgoing administration highlights its work on public transportation projects it has championed.

Ongoing improvements at Union Station.
Ongoing improvements at Union Station.

Officials celebrated the extension of South Coast Rail to Fall River Monday, and also announced they have applied for a $108 million grant toward the $135 million East West Rail project. The final section of the Green Line Extension is scheduled to open Dec. 12. Moreover, Polito mentioned that the state had recently procured 80 bi-level coaches that will add 14,000 seats to the commuter rail.

Officials said the project at Union Station should be opened in winter 2023-24.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Doubling Union Station capacity, 10th busiest in rail network, on track