MassDOT kicks off efforts to update state rail plan

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) has begun working on a state rail plan to outline a 20-year vision and four-year plan for its rail system.

The document is an update to MassDOT's 2010 State Rail Plan. The most recent rail plan will comply with the Federal Railroad Administration's requirement that states develop individual rail plans in a six-chapter format, MassDOT officials said in a blog post.

Each plan must provide an overview of a state's existing rail system, the system's overall role in the transportation network, how the system is financed and documentation of coordination for developing the plan.

MassDOT has scheduled a public meeting Jan. 29 to answer questions about the new plan.