Massachusetts candidate for governor Maura Healey said she supports east-west rail and other public transportation initiatives in the western part of the state.
Healey was in western Massachusetts Friday for her first visit to the region since winning the Democratic primary for governor.
She said her vision goes beyond just rail service connecting Pittsfield to Boston via Springfield.
"It's not just a west-east rail. It's our buses. It's our regional transit authorities. It's our rails. It's our microtransit," she said. "We need to find ways to support (all of this) because it will bring about the kinds of opportunities that all of us want to see here."
U.S Rep. Richard Neal, D-Springfield, also spoke at the event outside Springfield's Union Station.
He said the reality of east-west rail has never been closer.
"I know the availability of funding for the state right now," he said. "It's the best in my lifetime."
Neal said that's because of various sources of federal money.
