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Dukakis And Weld Push Baker On North-South Rail Link

Gov. Charlie Baker had what he called a "very interesting conversation" with two former governors who have teamed up to push for an underground rail link between North and South stations.

Baker says he and former Govs. Michael Dukakis, a Democrat, and Bill Weld, a Republican, spent about an hour discussing the proposed North-South rail link Wednesday afternoon. The concept has been discussed off-and-on for decades.

"I have some homework to do with respect to this, but my view on this, and I said this to both governors, is when it comes to projects like this the devil is very much in the details," Baker told reporters after the private State House meeting.

Baker says he plans to treat the project with a high degree of respect and that he plans to read a report the former governors submitted about the project.

Dukakis and Weld project the tunnel would cost between $2 and $4 billion.

Dukakis said connecting the two stations is the best option for the state and an alternative proposal to expand South Station doesn't solve the transportation problem.

Backers of the rail link say it would unite the state's commuter rail system and close a gap that prevents direct Amtrak service from Washington, D.C. to Maine.

With reporting by WBUR's Fred Thys and the Associated Press

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