N.H., Mass. passenger rail service would be an 'economic engine'
Proponents of commuter rail service from Concord, N.H., to Boston have taken a new tack.
"We want people to view passenger rail service as a spark for economic development," said Mark Richardson of Bedford, N.H., a member of the New Hampshire Revitalization Association.
Richardson was among the speakers at "Rail As the Economic Engine for NH: A Time for Action," a forum held at St. Anselm College in Manchester, N.H., last week. The keynote speaker was former Massachusetts governor and onetime presidential candidate Michael S. Dukakis.
"It was a timely discussion," Richardson said on July 15. "Dukakis said the price of gasoline may reach as much as $7 a gallon. That certainly makes rail look a lot more attractive."
But he said rail service should not be seen as just a way to get gas guzzlers off the road. "I think there has to be a mind shift in the way people look at rail. It should not be seen as a cost to the state, but as an economic engine."
The forum was designed to generate support for a $200 million project that would establish a passenger rail system from Concord to Boston with stops in Manchester, Bedford, and Nashua before linking up with the commuter rail system in Lowell.
There hasn't been daily rail service between Nashua and Boston since 1967, except for a one-year pilot program that provided daily service in 1981.
In the last year or so, the state has taken steps to facilitate the return of service, including the creation of a 27-member rail authority.
Richardson estimated that a return to service will cost $200 million. "There have been a lot of naysayers, particularly about the cost, but the federal government will pay for 80 percent," he said.
That leaves $40 million to be raised by the state or other sources. "It shouldn't be seen as a cost, but an investment," said Richardson. "That's why they subsidize rail in Europe and Asia - it leads to greater economic investment."
Richardson envisions donations of $5 million apiece from business groups in Manchester, Concord, and Nashua as well as the Boston-Manchester Regional Airport. "It's in their interest. It will spur their economic development," he said, "and that would bring the state's contribution down to $20 million that could be funded with bonds."
He said the group Northern New England Passenger Rail has funded studies that have found that the daily Downeaster rail service between Boston and Portland, Maine, that began in 2001 will eventually lead to $7 billion in investment, including the construction of 40,000 new homes and creation of 17,000 new jobs in the state over the next decade.
"We have 35 miles of tracks that already exist through areas that need economic development. And if you look at the overall economic benefit, it will pay for itself," Richardson said. "It makes sense economically, socially, politically, and environmentally. It's a no-brainer. I know people have talked about it for years, but I think the stars are finally aligned."
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