Transportation

Federal and state officials on Tuesday agreed on a path forward to extend passenger rail service west of Worcester to the cities of Springfield and Pittsfield, an effort designed to finally connect the eastern and western parts of the state by rail.

The new service is meant for local businesses to be able to meet consumer demand for faster delivery service.

The Worcester Line of the MBTA Commuter Rail will temporarily reduce its weekday train schedule starting May 2.

In the latest round of the fight between Silicon Valley and Massachusetts regulators over whether workers for companies like Uber and Lyft should be considered full-time employees, the businesses are pushing a UCLA study showing gig workers have had an economic impact of $899 million in Worcester County.

National Grid, the utility which provides electricity and natural gas to communities throughout Central Massachusetts, announced it intends to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, seeking to eliminate fossil fuels entirely from its gas networks. 

The Worcester Redevelopment Authority approved at its latest meeting to increase the contract price for further accessibility and side platform work at Worcester’s Union Station by an additional $3.8 million. 

What is the name of the public facility currently at Foster and Mechanic streets, where the Blake Building once stood?

Country Bank, Crossroads Continuum, Advantage Truck Group, the Worcester Red Sox, and Bartholomew & Co. had recent hires, promotions, and accomplishments.

The Massachusetts Port Authority Board of Directors unanimously approved a three-year $1.3 billion spending plan Thursday, which will yield $18 million for the Worcester Regional Airport. The plan invests about $300 million into new projects like roadway optimizations, runway rehabilitation, and net-zero carbon emission initiatives.

Fitchburg transportation company R.A. Aldrich Trucking received a $44,000 loan from the North Central Massachusetts Development Corp. to assist with the purchase of a new semi-truck.