Massachusetts DOT opens Deerfield transload facility

The yard is located along the Interstate-91 and Route 2 corridors in Deerfield. It has primarily been used as a switching yard and as a maintenance facility for the Knowledge Corridor, which carries the state-supported Amtrak Vermonter and Valley Flyer routes. The new transload facility improves last-mile connections and access to intermodal rail services in the region, MassDOT officials said in a press release. Project work included construction of new track infrastructure to enable intermodal container movement as well as upgrades to eight existing tracks. Additionally, crews repurposed a section of the yard that was being used as storage to provide truck access for loading and unloading. Federal funding covered 80% of the total $5.6 million project cost, with Massachusetts paying the remaining costs. "MassDOT is pleased to support upgrades at the East Deerfield Rail Yard, which will expand freight capabilities along this vital corridor," said MassDOT Rail and Transit Administrator Meredith Slesinger. She joined Massachusetts Interim Secretary of Transportation Phillip Eng for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the yard.