Section 1. It is hereby declared that rail transportation offers economic and environmental advantages with respect to land use air and noise pollution, energy efficiency, safety, and costs per ton mile of movement to the extent that the preservation, development and maintenance of such services is a public purpose and in the public interest; that […]
Section 3. The executive office shall take such steps as may be necessary to provide for the development, promotion, preservation, and improvement of an adequate, safe, efficient and convenient rail system for the movement of passengers and freight in the commonwealth. In carrying out the purposes of this chapter, the executive office shall seek to […]
Section 4. The executive office or the department of highways acting pursuant to paragraph (f) of section six is hereby authorized and directed to expend such funds as may be appropriated or otherwise made available for the acquisition, construction, preservation, rehabilitation, reconstruction, or other improvement, whether directly, jointly or under contract with other public or […]
Section 5. The executive office or the department of highways acting pursuant to paragraph (f) of section six of this chapter may enter into contracts or agreements to provide financial assistance, from such funds as may be provided for the purpose, for all or part of the costs of maintaining rail rights-of-way or related facilities […]
Section 6. The secretary, in addition to any other powers and duties conferred or imposed upon him by this chapter or any other general or special law, shall have the following powers and duties: (a) To serve as the principal source of rail transportation planning for the commonwealth. In doing so, the secretary may conduct […]
Section 7. (a) To the extent not inconsistent with federal law, no railroad company which conducts or has conducted operations within the commonwealth shall sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of railroad rights-of-way or related facilities without first offering such rights-of-way or facilities for sale, transfer or disposition to either the executive office, acting on behalf […]
Section 8. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the secretary of transportation may offer and convey surplus rail and other track material, surplus rail-related equipment, such as signals, and surplus railroad bridge materials to freight railroads operating on tracks in the commonwealth to which they have rights and to the freight railroads […]
