February 2, 2001

Fore River Railway Grant Awarded

The state Executive Office of Transportation and Construction has awarded MWRA a $390,000 grant to help build storage for rail cars on MWRA property at the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy. The project will provide welcome relief to residents along Front Street in Braintree who live near rail sidings where cars are now stored.

The railroad cars are used to remove fertilizer pellets from the MWRA’s sludge-to-fertilizer plant at Fore River. The railroad is also used by another nearby facility, Twin Rivers Technology.

"Governor Cellucci and Lieutenant Governor Swift have long advocated for policies that allow government agencies to maximize the efficiency of their operations," said Transportation Secretary Kevin J. Sullivan. "Not only is that goal achieved through this grant, but it also allows for a significant improvement in the aesthetics of the Front Street area."
"This has been a difficult issue for us but I am pleased that our efforts have produced such positive results," said House Transportation Committee Chairman Joseph C. Sullivan (D-Braintree). "This grant will help us meet the long-term goal of removing the trains permanently from Front Street. The construction of the additional storage space within the Fore River Shipyard in conjunction with the recently constructed fence will greatly improve the aesthetic quality of the Front Street neighborhood."

Since MWRA began using the railroad in the early nineties when the pellet plant was built, freight cars have been stored in small off-site storage lots in Braintree, some of which border residential areas. The most notable lots were off of Front Street and Elm Street.

MWRA executive director Douglas B. MacDonald said, "The efforts of Rep. Sullivan and the attention from Secretary Sullivan have produced a result that we and the Braintree neighbors all welcome. These are the kinds of cooperative benefits that help us all improve the quality of out communities. MWRA couldn’t be more pleased or grateful."

The design of the storage space is currently underway the MWRA hopes to have enough room for 30 additional cars this summer.