CCB MEDIA PHOTO: Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority Administrator Tom Cahir
BARNSTABLE – Local legislators are calling on the MBTA to establish commuter rail service between Boston and Buzzards Bay, with potential plans to extend further on Cape Cod to towns including Barnstable.
But it could be a challenging process according to officials.
Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority Administrator Tom Cahir said the idea of extending the commuter rail down into the Cape is a great idea, but is far more complicated than just starting the process.
“What it really calls for is, the MBTA will need to do a thorough comprehensive study of what the impediments will be or what the obstacles might be, in getting the rail to Cape Cod,” Cahir said.
He went on to say that the Cape has unique features including the Cape Cod Canal which would force the project to include a train bridge for the area.
Cahir also cited rail infrastructure as a possible impediment for the project as there is nothing in place to accommodate the commuter rail as it is used currently.
“The commuter rail travels at about 69 miles per hour, the rail infrastructure on Cape Cod is class B restricted freight use with restricted speeds of about 25 miles per hour,” said Cahir.
Getting commuters to and from work in an efficient and expeditious manner would be the key to the form of transportation, and currently the Cape infrastructure would not support that.
Cahir believes the plan is not one that could be executed in the short term, but he does applaud the move and believes with the right funding the project would be very useful for the future.
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