Boston's North and South stations serve as critical transit hubs but remain disconnected despite a century of failed attempts to link them.
• North Station serves 40,000 daily commuters from northern suburbs and connects to Amtrak's Downeaster route
• South Station handles 60,000 daily commuters and serves as terminus for multiple Amtrak routes including Acela
• Transferring between stations requires a 16-25 minute journey using multiple subway lines
• Five major attempts to connect the stations have failed since the 1930s due to funding issues and political obstacles
• The Big Dig highway project complicated future connection possibilities by placing a tunnel between the stations
• Current estimated costs for connecting the stations range from $12-21 billion
• Engineering challenges include tunneling under existing infrastructure, electrifying commuter rail, and working in a dense urban environment
• Advocates continue pushing for the connection citing climate goals and regional transit equity
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