Recommendations for Regional Rail Stakeholder Engagement and Project Prioritization Amid Technical and Capital Constraints
September 18, 2026
This document was prepared by the author as part of a summer internship project. The views, findings, and opinions expressed in this work are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of A Better City.
Earlier in August 2026, A Better City published parts one—"What is Regional Rail, and What is the MBTA Doing to Get There?"—and two—"Infrastructural Constraints Pose Challenges for the Commuter Rail Transformation"—of the blog post series entitled "A Primer on the Transformation of the MBTA Commuter Rail: Presented by A Better City 2026 Summer Transportation Interns." Part One introduced and defined the MBTA’s new vision for “Regional Rail,” and gave an update on the recent work in making critical steps to support the Regional Rail transformation. Part Two discussed some of the major infrastructural constraints that the MBTA faces in modernizing the Commuter Rail system. This third and final part in the series will focus on what’s next: Given the MBTA’s progress to-date and the existing technical constraints, what are some recommendations to help create a smooth and successful transformation of the Commuter Rail into a frequent, fast, reliable, and accessible Regional Rail system?
Recommendation #1: Analyze Riders’ Comprehension of the Impacts of Constraints on the MBTA’s Ability to Deliver Improved Service
Recently, the MBTA has initiated several projects such as the Fairmount Line BEMU procurement and the North Station Draw One Bridge Replacement, which make early progress towards advancing their Rail Modernization plan. However, as discussed in the previous blog post, technical challenges and limited funding will dictate the pace and prioritization of future Regional Rail transformation. Since many community stakeholders across the MBTA’s service area desire the service improvement benefits that stem from modernizing their local Commuter Rail corridors, it may be of interest to study to what extent the public understands these infrastructure constraints and what they may mean for them as riders. This study would aid in understanding if the current outreach efforts, which the MBTA have already crucially identified and begun during the launch of the Regional Rail Modernization Plan in Spring 2026 are reaching the riders who would benefit from understanding the system constraints the most. While the MBTA hosts briefings such as the one held at A Better City in June 2026, most people do not have the time, resources, or capacity to neither attend these meetings nor conduct their own research to understand the constraints and translate them into what it may mean for them in terms of the timelines for service improvements. It also may be hard for a rider to know where to look for this information, if they would know to look for it at all. Developing a thorough, high-touch engagement plan to reach riders who cannot attend public meetings can help the MBTA navigate potential frustration, confusion, and a general feeling that the MBTA is not meeting its riders’ needs when having conversations about project prioritization amid limited available funding. Information on project prioritization is publicly available from the MBTA directly, but not always in ways that every rider would be able to access or understand.
Recommendation #2: Publish a Brochure to Communicate the Impact of Regional Rail Constraints
Explaining the constraints facing the Commuter Rail is also an opportunity to show potential benefits and also develop stronger relationships with community stakeholders. While the MBTA does plan to conduct future outreach events such as tabling at stations, many riders may not have the capacity to attend these events. It may be of interest for the MBTA to explore outreach solutions that come in a simpler and more accessible form to supplement public meetings, such as a comprehensive brochure that could give a snapshot view of the infrastructure constraints facing the current Regional Rail system. Brochures could be held at MBTA community outreach events or could be disseminated on Regional Rail trains prior to departure. By leaving these guides on trains specifically, the information will be sure to reach the riders that it affects the most, and acts as an introduction to system constraints that riders would not be aware of if it were not directly in front of them.
Recommendation #3: Line Prioritization—Modernize the Framingham/Worcester Line
While it is important for riders to understand what constraints may face their line as riders, it is also important for the MBTA to begin making decisions on which capital improvement projects to prioritize. Technically speaking, when considering the infrastructure already in place and capital improvements that are immediately planned, the most logical step forward in rail modernization would be starting with the Providence Line following the completion of Fairmount Line electrification. Since the Providence Line runs through Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor, which is already electrified, the Providence Line is an obvious next step in advancing the Regional Rail vision. The line also connects two major cities, Boston and Providence, and provides mobility across state lines. The MBTA also identified in its 2020 Rail Vision report that the Newburyport/Rockport Line is a high-priority route for electrification, serving the third-highest ridership across all lines on a dense Environmental Justice (EJ) corridor.
In addition to considering the Newburyport/Rockport Line, the MBTA should also prioritize electrifying the Framingham/Worcester Line next. According to a 2024 TransitMatters analysis, the Framingham/Worcester Line has historically had the second highest ridership across the Regional Rail system and provides access to 81,094 jobs within half a mile of current stops on the corridor, excluding two major hubs, Back Bay and South Station.
Prioritizing the Framingham/Worcester Line also works to help support the planned I-90 Allston Multimodal project, which lies along the corridor. While the project is long overdue and critically needed, during construction, the project is expected to be disruptive to traffic patterns. As referenced in a Winter 2024 TransitMatters report entitled “Modernizing the Framingham/Worcester Line,” one aspect of an effective mitigation plan would be improved service along the Framingham/Worcester line to reduce traffic congestion on this corridor. Furthermore, at the completion of the I-90 project, the Framingham/Worcester line will be a key point for people who will then live in housing within the development. Having fast, frequent, reliable, and accessible rail service will ensure that the I-90 corridor is connected to the ample economic regional opportunities from Worcester to Boston.
Recommendation #4: Prioritization of Double Tracking and Level Boarding
Breaking down the complicated modernization process from line prioritization to specific infrastructure recommendations, two aspects that are crucial in making the most impact across the system are prioritizing double tracking at critical junctions, as well as prioritizing level boarding at all regional hub stations.
Critical junctions include those such as the South Station-JFK/UMass-Quincy Center-Braintree corridor, which serves four lines; Greenbush, Kingston, Fall River/New Bedford, and the seasonal CapeFlyer. Prioritizing double tracking at critical junctions ensures that the highest traffic areas can support the frequency of service desired within the Rail Modernization Plan. The ability for trains to be able to easily and safely pass will improve service frequency and reliability, and starting with critical junctions such as this bottleneck will ensure that improvements reach the highest number of riders possible when considering existing restraints.
Additionally, while level boarding is a goal for all MBTA Regional Rail stations in order to both meet the highest ADA standards and achieve increased efficiency in boarding, the MBTA should prioritize fully upgrading regional hub stations first while funding for platform improvements is limited in the current Capital Investment Plan (CIP). Regional hub stations are where the most riders are boarding and alighting Regional Rail trains, and where the most dwell time may be added at each stop. This ultimately leads to cumulative delays and creates a barrier to achieving the 15-to-30-minute frequency goal outlined in the MBTA’s Rail Vision. While many regional hub stations such as North and South Stations already have complete level boarding, it is essential to make sure that all regional hubs, beginning with Back Bay Station, meet the highest standard to ensure the greatest service improvements within the complicated tradeoffs facing the MBTA.
Next Steps
On June 8, 2026, A Better City hosted the MBTA’s first external stakeholder engagement meeting to kick-off its work on the Regional Rail Modernization Plan, which you can recap here. A Better City will continue to stay engaged with Regional Rail modernization efforts and convene conversations around prioritizing critical projects and developing transportation finance strategies. If you have further questions about this work, or would like to get involved, please reach out to A Better City Staff.
