Can you take a very important action to support Northern Tier Passenger Rail?
MassDOT is completing an application to the Federal Railroad Administration’s Corridor Identification and Development (Corridor ID) Program which is the next necessary step for Northern Tier (also known as Route 2) Passenger Rail to move forward.
Remember, Northern Tier Passenger Rail would connect North Adams with Greenfield, Athol, Fitchburg, and Boston! See the yellow highlighted route below.
The Corridor ID Program is an intercity passenger rail planning and development program that helps to guide intercity passenger rail development throughout the country and create a pipeline of intercity passenger rail projects ready for implementation.
We want to include a flood of support letters with MassDOT’s application.
This is where you come in. Can you contribute a letter of support for this application?
Below is a draft letter for you to edit. You can email your completed letter to Beth Giannini, FRCOG Transportation Planning Manager at giannini@frcog.org, who will collect all letters and send them to MassDOT.
Please send completed letters of support to Beth by Friday, September 5, 2025.
We need your voice once again as it will take every one of us, acting together, to win.
Thank you for your ongoing support of Northern Tier Passenger Rail.
***
DRAFT letter for your use
[Letterhead or Sender Information]
[Organization Name]
[Address]
[City, State, ZIP Code]
[Date]
The Honorable Sean Duffy
Secretary of Transportation
U.S. Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
Dear Secretary Duffy:
I am writing to express [my/our] strong support for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s (MassDOT) application to the Federal Railroad Administration’s Corridor Identification and Development (Corridor ID) Program for the Northern Tier corridor. MassDOT is seeking $500,000 to advance planning and development activities that will help lay the foundation for expanded intercity passenger rail service along this critical route.
This proposed corridor would strengthen regional connections, support economic growth, and provide more reliable, safe, and accessible transportation options. The Corridor ID funding will help move this effort from concept to construction, enabling “shovel-worthy” projects to become “shovel-ready” and, ultimately, underway.
This project reflects the values of the U.S. Department of Transportation, prioritizing real benefits for children and families, breaking ground on transformative infrastructure, leveraging innovation and technology, and investing in rural communities that have long been left behind.
Expanding passenger rail through the Northern Tier Corridor will reduce commute burdens, expand job access, and deliver safer travel options.[Insert a paragraph about your organization’s stake in this project – e.g., regional planning, local government, transit agency, community group.]
We appreciate MassDOT’s leadership and collaboration in moving this corridor forward and urge the Federal Railroad Administration to fully fund this proposal. [My/Our] organization is committed to supporting this initiative and contributing to the development of a modern transportation network.
Sincerely,
[Name]
[Title]
[Organization]
