East-west passenger rail connecting all of western and central Massachusetts to Boston — without the traffic-clogged MassPike — is the region’s number one economic development priority.
That’s what U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, said, after an hour-and-a-half-long meeting between local lawmakers and state transportation officials tasked with making the project happen, including track improvements and a park-and-ride station in Palmer.
