The $1.3 billion supplemental budget signed by Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey Wednesday includes $1 million in funding for the MBTA’s Haverhill Commuter Rail Line, which serves Andover and other Merrimack Valley communities.
Local legislators say the funding will support infrastructure improvements and accessibility upgrades on the line, part of a broader investment in public transportation across the state. The Haverhill Line runs from Haverhill through Andover and north suburban communities into Boston’s North Station.
The allocation was secured with the support of the Merrimack Valley legislative delegation, including state Sen. Barry Finegold (D-Andover), and state Reps. Frank Moran (D-Lawrence) and Tram Nguyen (D-Andover).
“We worked hard to secure these investments to improve rail service on the Haverhill line,” Finegold said in a statement. “Reliable commuter rail service is essential for our economy and our quality of life here in Andover and throughout the Merrimack Valley.”
Rep. Moran, Second Assistant Majority Leader, called the supplemental budget “the Legislature’s ongoing commitment to providing critical funding to support much-needed investments into our public transportation systems.”
According to the MBTA, the Haverhill Line has faced service disruptions in recent years due to track work and infrastructure limitations, including the need to restore double tracking in some sections. Prior plans have identified Andover and Ballardvale stations as candidates for accessibility improvements, including the installation of elevators and high-level platforms.
Rep. Nguyen emphasized that the funding will help make commuter rail more accessible to all riders.
“This $1 million investment … will fund important accessibility upgrades—improving station infrastructure so that all riders, including those with disabilities, older adults, and families, can travel safely and comfortably,” she said.
The supplemental budget package uses revenues from the new Fair Share Amendment, also known as the “millionaires tax,” which adds a 4% surtax on annual income over $1 million. Of the $1.3 billion package, $716 million is allocated to transportation initiatives and $593 million to education, according to state officials.
Further details on how the new funding will be spent have not yet been released by the MBTA or the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.