Massachusetts DOT taps Arup to study proposed rail connection in Boston

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) has chosen Arup to conduct a feasibility reassessment of a proposed commuter-rail connection between Boston's North and South stations.

Arup will evaluate design options and impacts of the project, as well as costs and benefits. The report is slated for completion in spring 2018, Arup officials said in a press release.

Known as the North South Rail Link, the project entails construction of 2.8 route miles of tunnels between the stations, as well as three below-grade stations.

"While significant challenges exist to implementation, understanding these challenges, as well as the project's costs and benefits, are essential to inform MassDOT's decisions on next steps," said Anthony Bruzzone, who will serve as Arup's project manager.

Arup's contract is worth $1.5 million, the Boston Business Journal reported earlier this month.

Boston is served by two separate commuter-rail networks — one that extends to the north of the city and the other to the south. The systems aren't connected to one another, and neither fully connects to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's subway system.

Connecting the two networks through North South Rail Link would transform the state's "hodgepodge of 19th century rail lines into a world class regional rail system," according to the project's website.