North-South Rail Link
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The North-South Rail Link is a plan for a passenger railroad tunnel in Boston, Massachusetts to connect South Station to North Station. Currently there is no direct connection between the two stations, which are the terminal points for all MBTA commuter rail lines leading into the city, and for Amtrak services to various points. This gap cuts the long-distance passenger rail system in half, requiring local transportation connections for people traveling from a northern destination to a southern one. Also as a result, the Amtrak Downeaster line to Maine has no direct connection with the rest of the national passenger rail system.
It is possible to traverse the gap via the MBTA Orange Line from Back Bay Station to North Station. But not all of the southern lines pass through Back Bay - namely the Old Colony Lines and the Fairmount Line do not. Transit directly from North Station to South Station requires using two rail lines, either the Green Line and the Red Line or the Orange Line and the Red Line. Amtrak recommends that passengers with luggage take a taxi between the stations.[1]
The North-South Rail Link is intended to fill this gap.
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[edit] Proposal
The consolidated Draft Environmental Impact Review / Major Investment Study envisions a tunnel with three portals, two south of downtown and one to the north. The two approaches to South Station, would be from the southwest (via Back Bay Station) and the south (for southeastern lines not passing through Back Bay). The tunnel would run underground near the existing South Station, with a passenger stop there. Due to foundations laid for the development of air rights over South Station tracks, the tunnel would have to be under the northern edge of the Fort Point Channel. The underground Central Artery had walls built underneath it for the Rail Link as part of the Big Dig. This would provide the underground link between North and South Stations. After a stop under the existing North Station, the tunnel would resurface on the north side of the Charles River.
A new Central Station to be built at Aquarium Station is proposed as an optional element. The other major variation under study is whether to build a tunnel with two train tracks or four. These elements increase the expense of the project, but also its benefits.
The new downtown station would connect with the MBTA Blue Line, the only rapid transit line in Boston that does not already connect with North or South Station. The new station would also eliminate or reduce transfers to the light rail system for many commuter rail passengers with destinations in the central part of the business district. This would relieve transit congestion in the downtown core. The project is also projected to convert tens of thousands of automobile commuters to rail riders, relieving congestion somewhat on the new but still crowded Central Artery.
Like Philadelphia's SEPTA system after the similar Center City Commuter Connection tunnel was built and connected two commuter rail systems, some of Boston's trains would be through-routed from one side of the system to the other. Many services would still continue to terminate at North and South Stations, on existing tracks that do not lead in to the tunnels.
The DEIR/MIS assumes that about one-third of Amtrak service points south would be routed through the tunnel, stopping only at South Station, but with a stop north of Boston in Woburn, Massachusetts. The Downeaster service from Maine and New Hampshire was assumed to stop at North Station only, with a direct connection to more southerly service in Woburn rather than Boston.
[edit] Status
As of May 2006, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has withdrawn its sponsorship of the project due to its high capital cost (projected at several billion dollars, with wide variations depending on which option is chosen). Without matching local funds, the project is ineligible for federal funding, and is no longer listed as an approved project in state and Boston MPO capital plans.
[edit] Alternatives
Currently the MBTA uses the Grand Junction Line for non-revenue moves between the two sides of its network. The line splits from the Worcester Line near Boston University and crosses the Charles River to Cambridge. From there it runs to Somerville and connects to the commuter rail lines running from North Station. The line is single-tracked and slow with a large number of at-grade crossings. Several of the crossings lack gates, requiring trains to come to a complete stop before proceeding.[citation needed]
If it were to be upgraded, right-of-way is limited and the corridor has been proposed as part of the Urban Ring project. Additionally only Worcester Line trains would be directly served. Trains from other southern lines on would have to detour and reverse to reach it.
An above-ground rail link between South and North Stations has been proposed by the local Association for Public Transit (which also supports the underground North-South Rail Link).[2] This would eliminate the need to take multiple rapid transit lines to get between terminals, but would still require two transfers for Amtrak and commuter rail passengers passing through downtown Boston.
