Wednesday, October 21, 2015
MBTA Agrees to Shift Rockport Tracks
Locomotives to
be Moved Away From Evans Field
Boston-
Residents and visitors to Rockport will soon have better and safer access to
Evans field as a result of an agreement secured by legislators and local
officials with the MBTA to relocate tracks at the town’s commuter rail station
within the next several weeks, according to state Senate Minority Leader Bruce
Tarr (R-Gloucester).
The
MBTA has confirmed with my office that they are committed to assigning a crew
to relocate the tracks at Rockport Station so that the locomotives are kept
further away from Evans Field,” said Senator Tarr. “As the terminus of
the MBTA line, Rockport provides an invaluable service for public
transportation and Rockport’s residents deserve to have their concerns heard
and addressed.”
Tarr,
who led discussions to secure the relocation with the assistance of state
Representative Ann Margaret Ferrante (D-Gloucester), said that getting the
tracks moved is the product of intense discussions with MBTA and town officials
over the past several weeks.
“The
town administrator and the selectmen made it clear that safe access to Evans
Field is a major priority for the town that must be addressed, and together we
have worked with the MBTA to get it done,” said Tarr.
Tarr
noted that progress on the track change also resulted from collaboration on
other station improvements, such as the impending upgrade of its electrical
power system to minimize idling time for locomotives remaining at the station
overnight. “Rockport showed good faith in granting the necessary easements for
the power system upgrade, and the MBTA is responding to our concerns,” said
Tarr.
As
the layover facility for the MBTA commuter rail system for the North Shore
branch, locomotives have regularly been left at idle overnight and at other
times in an area immediately adjacent to the heavily used play field.
