Future Palmer Station Site

MassDOT “has selected South of Palmer Yard as the best site for the future Palmer train station… This site offers the amount of property needed for a platform to accommodate ADA needs and passenger train length, and, of nine alternative sites evaluated, is a preferred site as it will have fewer permit requirements and will be more affordable to build. Of the sites included in the Level 2 Comparative Evaluation, public feedback also favors Site B, for its relative proximity to downtown.”

 

“The project team will now begin to develop a conceptual design which will allow MassDOT to engage with railway owner CSX, the site property owner, and proposed service operator, Amtrak, on the feasibility of constructing a future station.”

 

 

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MassDOT Documents

MassDOT’s Palmer Station Planning + Design web page links to the following documents:

• Study Background
• Public Meeting Presentation, 12/16/24
• Alternatives Analysis Report (January 2025)
• Appendix A, Public Meeting Summary
• Alternatives Analysis Executive Summary
• Frequently Asked Questions (January 2025)

For anyone wanting more information about the sites evaluated during the past year, we recommend the Alternatives Analysis Report for its comparative site analysis leading to the selection of Site B, South of Palmer Yard, at 1199 South Main St., as the best site for the passenger rail station.

The FAQ answers a number of questions, including:

• What is Compass Rail, and how does it relate to Palmer?
• How were potential station sites identified?
• Why is the Central Corridor not part of this evaluation?
• Why does the platform need a station siding – why can’t it be directly on the CSX mainline?
• Why does the platform need to be 800’ long?
• Why does the station need high-level platforms?
• What is the role of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) in this project?
• Why was the historic depot (Site H) not advanced through the full alternatives analysis?

 

What’s Next?

We are thrilled that MassDOT intends to complete the conceptual design of the station by summer 2025. “The conceptual design phase will begin to outline the details for a station, including access and amenities, and its potential implementation.” Construction would begin in 2027, and trains between Boston and New York City will stop here in 2029-30.

Let’s keep working together to make this happen!