Dive Brief:
- The Northeast Corridor Commission, a coalition of Amtrak, commuter transit agencies, states and the US Department of Transportation, announced on Nov. 16 an ambitious 15-year plan to rebuild the Boston-Nova rail line York-Washington, DC.
- The plan is an update to one established in 2021 that outlines repair needs, service goals and the infrastructure needed to achieve them, and is estimated to cost $176 billion in adjusted spending-year dollars due to inflation
- “The Northeast Corridor is vital to hundreds of thousands of Americans and the American economy, and investing in it is a priority of the Biden-Harris administration,” said Amit Bose, Administrator of the Federal Railway Administration and co-chairman of the NEC Commission. , in a statement.
Diving knowledge:
Amtrak expects ridership on the Northeast Corridor to return to or exceed pre-pandemic levels by 2024. The NEC also carries transit agency commuter trains serving Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. . Under the Commission’s latest plan, the NEC will handle 60% more commuter trains and 50% more Amtrak trains between Boston and New York. The plan will also nearly double the number of Amtrak trains between New York City and Washington, DC
“Amtrak ridership on the Northeast Corridor is at all-time record levels, and the projects included in this plan will provide the capacity, reliability and service improvements our customers need and deserve.” , Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner said in a statement.
Amtrak announced the start of the procurement process to replace two 116-year-old bridges in New Jersey, called the Sawtooth Bridges, on November 20.
Courtesy of Amtrak
According to the Commission, the planned improvements would accommodate 51 million more passengers each year, which could shift about 38 million car trips and 600,000 short-haul air trips to rail each year. The Northeast Corridor is electrified from Boston to Washington and west to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, although some commuter trains use diesel locomotives. As well as shifting travel to the most carbon-efficient mode of rail transport, the NEC updates aim to improve its climate resilience and make electric power systems less susceptible to disruptions in extreme weather conditions.
The Federal Railroad Administration awarded $16.4 billion to 25 passenger rail projects in the Northeast Corridor on Nov. 6, funded by the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Program, established by the ‘infrastructure of 2021. These projects are included in the Commission’s latest plan. The infrastructure bill provided additional funding, which is expected to represent about a third of the funding available for the NEC plan. In total, approximately 40% of the estimated cost of the Commission’s plan is funded through existing or planned federal, state, and local sources.
According to the Commission, the collective jurisdictions of the corridor will work with the Commission on regional improvements. The plan includes a detailed sequencing of construction that could allow for completion within 15 years with minimal disruption to users.
“Amtrak, the states and the federal government recognize the importance of the Northeast Corridor to the regional and national economy,” Northeast Corridor Commission Executive Director Mitch Warren said in a statement.
