Boston South Station serves passengers from the Northeast Corridor and beyond, connecting them to local and intercity destinations in New England. It is a significant architectural structure in the City of Boston, and one of its most important transportation assets.

MassDOT secured a High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program (HSIPR) grant in 2011 from the FRA to complete environmental review and preliminary engineering for the South Station Expansion (SSX) project. The SSX project consists of the expansion of the existing Boston South Station, development and expansion of rail layover facilities, and multi-modal improvements. The project contains the following components:

• Expansion of Boston South Station
• Development of rail vehicle layover facility sites at Readville-Yard 2 and Widett Circle
• Pedestrian, Bicycle, Public Transit, and Vehicular Access Improvements services

Environmental Assessment

The Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) environmental review process for this project concluded with the issuance of a final Certificate on August 12, 2016, on the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR). [link: https://www.mass.gov/lists/south-station-expansion-documents]

In order to use federal funding, the project also required review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). In cooperation with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Amtrak, and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), MassDOT reviewed the expansion of South Station through an Environmental Assessment (EA). This EA identifies a No Build Alternative and a Build Alternative; provides an assessment of positive and negative impacts  on the natural and built environment for both alternatives; and identifies measures to avoid, minimize, or mitigate any negative effects.

MassDOT held a public meeting on July 20, 2016, during the public comment period for the FEIR. At this meeting, MassDOT also presented the status of the federal environmental review process, including the preparation of this EA and continuation of the Section 106 review process.

On April 26, 2016, FRA and MassDOT released the Draft EA. On November 28, 2017, FRA and MassDOT released the Final EA and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). You may view and download the FONSI here. The Draft EA, the Final EA and FONSI can all be accessed at the project website, via the following link: https://www.mass.gov/lists/south-station-expansion-documents

With the issuance of the NEPA decision (the FONSI), the federal environmental review is now complete.

More Information

Further information can be found on the SSX project website: https://www.mass.gov/lists/south-station-expansion-documents

For more information on the project, please contact Amishi Castelli, FRA Environmental Protection Specialist, at Amishi.Castelli@dot.gov, or via mail at:

Amishi Castelli, Ph.D.
Environmental Protection Specialist
Office of Program Delivery
One Bowling Green, Suite 429
New York, NY 10004

Permitting Dashboard

The U.S. Permitting Dashboard is an online tool for Federal agencies, project sponsors, and interested members of the public to track the Federal government’s environmental review and authorization processes for large or complex infrastructure projects. The Dashboard is part of a government-wide effort to improve coordination, transparency, and accountability. A link to this project’s page on the Dashboard is below.

• Permitting Dashboard Link