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SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1190 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2217
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Brendan P. Crighton
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act relative to setting deadlines to electrify the MBTA commuter rail.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Brendan P. CrightonThird EssexRebecca L. RauschNorfolk, Worcester and Middlesex1/27/2023Steven Owens29th Middlesex1/27/2023Jack Patrick Lewis7th Middlesex2/8/2023John J. CroninWorcester and Middlesex2/8/2023James K. Hawkins2nd Bristol2/8/2023Sal N. DiDomenicoMiddlesex and Suffolk2/8/2023Thomas M. Stanley9th Middlesex2/8/2023John F. KeenanNorfolk and Plymouth2/14/2023Edward R. Philips8th Norfolk2/24/2023Vanna Howard17th Middlesex2/24/2023James B. EldridgeMiddlesex and Worcester2/24/2023Marc R. PachecoThird Bristol and Plymouth2/24/2023 1 of 4
SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1190 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2217
By Mr. Crighton, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 2217) of Brendan P. Crighton,
Rebecca L. Rausch, Steven Owens, Jack Patrick Lewis and other members of the General Court
for legislation relative to public transit electrification. Transportation.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 2292 OF 2021-2022.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
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An Act relative to setting deadlines to electrify the MBTA commuter rail.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Section 1 of Chapter 90 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
2Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following definitions:-
3 “Zero-emission infrastructure” means electric multiple units, electric battery chargers,
4trolleybus and railway catenary wire, and other equipment to support the operation of electric
5vehicles.
6 SECTION 2. Chapter 21N is hereby amended by inserting after Section 7, the following
7sections:
8 Section 7½. To contribute to the Commonwealth’s greenhouse gas reduction targets, the
9Secretary, in consultation with the department of energy resources, department of transportation, 2 of 4
10department of environmental protection, department of public utilities, and intergovernmental
11coordinating council established by the Acts of 2022, chapter 179, section 81 shall enforce
12targets for public fleet electrification.
13 (a)The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and its commuter rail contractor
14shall operate a fully electric commuter rail system by December 31, 2035 and ensure sufficient
15zero-emission infrastructure is in place to accomplish said timeline.
16 SECTION 3. Chapter 161A is hereby amended by inserting the following paragraphs in
17section 7 after the term “under Section 6C”:
18 (a) The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority shall implement electrification
19along all commuter rail lines by no later than December 31, 2035 and according to the below
20interim deadlines for each phase. Commuter rail lines serving environmental justice populations
21as defined in section 62 of chapter 30 of the General Laws shall be the first lines to electrify in
22Phase I. In Phase I, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority shall operate electric trains
23on the Fairmount Commuter Rail Line from South Station to Readville Station,
24Newburyport/Rockport Line through Beverly Station and the entire Providence/Stoughton Line
25by December 31, 2024. Not later than November 1, 2023, the Massachusetts Department of
26Transportation should begin construction on the Fairmount corridor Newburyport/Rockport Line
27environmental justice corridor to support rail electrification. In Phase II, the Massachusetts Bay
28Transportation Authority shall operate electric trains on the Framingham/Worcester Line by
29December 31, 2026. In Phase III, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority shall operate
30electric trains on the Middleborough/Lakeville Line by December 31, 2027. In Phase IV, the 3 of 4
31Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority shall operate electric trains on the remaining routes
32listed below and remaining sections of the Newburyport/Rockport Lines by December 31, 2035:
33 (1) South Coast
34 (2) Haverhill
35 (3) Lowell
36 (4) Fitchburg
37 (5) Franklin/Foxboro
38 (6) Kingston
39 (7) Greenbush
40 (8) Foxboro Event Service
41 (9) Needham
42 (10) Newburyport/ Rockport (beyond Beverly)
43 The MBTA governing board of directors shall monitor the progress of electrifying the
44commuter rail fleet in four phases.
45 SECTION 4. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority shall implement service
46frequency standards to ensure that rail electrification technology meets the goals of a regional
47rail system. By December 31, 2029, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority shall have
48the ability to operate service on the Fairmount Line, Newburyport/Rockport Line through Salem
49Station, and the Providence/Stoughton Line every 7.5 minutes in each direction. By December 4 of 4
5031, 2029, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority shall have the ability to operate
51service on the Newburyport/Rockport Line branches from Beverly Station to
52Newburyport/Rockport every 15-30 minutes in each direction. By December 31, 2035, the
53Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority shall have the ability to operate service on the
54Worcester Line through Framingham Station every 15 minutes in each direction. By December
5531, 2029, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority shall have the ability to operate
56service on the remaining Lines and portions of Lines not mentioned above every 30-60 minutes
57in each direction. By December 31, 2035, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority shall
58have the ability to operate service on the Fairmount Line, Newburyport/Rockport Line through
59Salem Station, the Providence/Stoughton Line, and the Worcester Line through Framingham
60Station every 5 minutes in each direction. By December 31, 2035, the Massachusetts Bay
61Transportation Authority shall have the ability to operate service on the remaining Lines and
62portions of Lines not mentioned above every 15 minutes in each direction. The Massachusetts
63Bay Transportation Authority Board of Directors shall monitor the progress of the
64implementation of the service frequency standards.
65 The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and Massachusetts Department of
66Transportation shall submit applications, as appropriate, for federal funding to accomplish zero-
67emission infrastructure and electric commuter rail operations.