CONCORD – New Hampshire may yet complete a commuter rail study, as the $4 million in federal funding is again part of the Department of Transportation’s latest 10-year plan.

Legislators voted 166 to 160 on Thursday to amend the plan to keep the $4 million for the Capitol Corridor study, which looks into bringing commuter rail service to Nashua, Manchester and Concord.

Rep. Michael O’Brien, D-Nashua, and a city alderman, said the plan will have to be approved by the Senate next, but he’s optimistic about the prospects.

“We cleared the first hurdle famously,” O’Brien said.

The money, once opposed by Gov. Chris Sununu, went into the 10-year Transportation proposal as part of the state’s bid to bring Amazon’s planned second headquarters to the state. Sununu said all options were on the table when it came to Amazon’s desire for public transportation.

In the face of efforts in the state house to cut the federal funding out of the 10-year plan, Nashua aldermen sent a letter of support for the funding to the state last month.

Nashua is seriously pursuing a commuter rail system, and Mayor Jim Donchess said the city is working two different paths to get the service. While advocating in the Legislature for rail service, Nashua is also partnering with a private company, Boston Surface Railroad, on trains. Boston Surface is exploring a boutique rail service connecting Bedford, near the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, to Nashua and Lowell, Massachusetts, where people could then catch a train into Boston.

Donchess has said it’s time for the rest of the state to realize the benefit of getting the service for Nashua and Manchester, which drives the economy for much of the state. More than 35 percent of New Hampshire’s gross domestic product is generated in Nashua and Manchester, and commuter rail service is seen as a way of helping to grown the already-vibrant economies.

Damien Fisher can be reached at 594-1245 or dfisher@nashuatelegraph.com or @Telegraph_DF.

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