Members of the Rail to Boston Coalition, a group that advocates for expanding railroad commuter trains between Boston and southern Massachusetts, gathered at Dartmouth’s UMass Law School on Friday, April 5 to recognize State Representative William Straus as well as Jean Fox, the project manager of South Coast Rail.

“The Rail to Boston Coalition is delighted to recognize these two individuals who have been instrumental in the progress of South Coast Rail,” said Rail to Boston Coalition Chair Paul Chasse.  “South Coast Rail is on track to become operational in the near future providing transformative economic benefits to our communities and the Commonwealth.”

Fox thanked the staff in the Department of Transportation for their work on the project to expand commuter rail to communities in southern Massachusetts. 

“This ended up being my ‘dream job’ because I am so passionate about seeing this important transit connection come to fruition,” Fox said.

Straus, who recently announced that he would not be seeking reelection, has dedicated a large part of his career to ensuring that this rail connection is completed. 

“I believe South Coast Rail, and the efforts by so many, has been about equity as much as transportation,” Straus said. “With the return of commuter rail to Boston for our region later this year, we can now say that our region and its economy is fully connected within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.  I’m just pleased that I could be a part of this positive effort benefitting the south coast."