Northeast states, Amtrak seek improved rail service

February 14, 2001 Eleven Northeast states from Maine to Maryland, with close support from Amtrak and the Coalition of Northeastern Governors (CONEG), said they submitted a multi-state proposal requesting that the Federal Railroad Administration lead a planning effort to further define the role that intercity and high-speed passenger rail can play in helping improve the region's transportation network, expand capacity, relieve highway and aviation congestion, and stimulate sustainable economic growth along the Northeast Corridor.

The joint proposal is
being submitted to the FRA with support from the following states: Maine, New
Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New
Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland.

The proposed study will
build off the successful three-year collaboration among 12 states – including
the Northeast states mentioned above and Virginia – Amtrak and commuter and
freight railroads to produce the Northeast Corridor Infrastructure Master Plan,
which also is being released May 21 as the foundational document for the
proposed multi-state planning effort.

The proposed study will
document capacity constraints across the entire transportation system in the
Northeast from Maine to Maryland through 2050, including highways and airports.
The scope of the study is designed to: identify projects contained in the
Master Plan that are ready to move forward in the short to medium term; perform
a multi-modal systems analysis; develop a preferred rail configuration plan;
and lead to a revised Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for the NEC
Main Line from Washington to Boston. The last PEIS was done in the late 1970s.

"The proposed study
represents the collective efforts of the states that clearly recognize the need
for a coordinated and systematic approach to the overall rail network in the
east. Regional collaboration is what will keep our high-speed rail initiative
moving forward. It’s what we have agreed to do together, and the best way to
achieve long-term success," said Joseph Marie, Commissioner of the Connecticut
Department of Transportation, representing CONEG’s Transportation Chairman.

"Amtrak greatly
appreciates its close working relationship with all the states and other
railroads and stakeholders who participated in developing the NEC Master Plan,"
said Amtrak President and CEO Joseph Boardman. "We look forward to continuing
our region-wide partnership as we move forward with the goal of developing the
next-generation Northeast Corridor, including expansion of high-speed rail
services."

The NEC Master Plan is
designed to accommodate growth needs for all users of the NEC through 2030,
expand service, particularly to outlying areas of the region, and improve the
high-speed Acela Express travel times by 20 to 30 minutes from Boston to New
York and New York to Washington, respectively. The plan is intended to support
future economic growth, environmental and energy goals for the Northeast
region.

Specifically, the Master
Plan identifies an initial baseline of infrastructure improvements needed to
maintain the current NEC system in a state of good repair; integrate intercity,
commuter and freight service plans; and move the NEC forward to meet expanded
service, reliability, frequency, and trip time improvement goals.

Amtrak will be
coordinating work they are doing on the potential for next- generation
high-speed rail with the Northeast states from Maine to Maryland, as part of
the multi-state planning study.