Vermont pushes for federal money to fund Western Corridor high-speed rail project

Written by jrood

Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) was joined by Governor Peter Shumlin and business and community leaders recently as they welcomed Deputy Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration Karen Rae to push for federal funding of Vermont's Western Corridor high-speed rail project. With the rejection of high-speed rail funds by several states in recent months, Vermont's congressional delegation has been pushing for those funds to be reallocated to Vermont's Western Corridor project, which runs from Rutland to Burlington. Welch invited businesspeople, community members and state and local officials to explain to Rae the importance of rail to Vermont's economy and the potential benefits that will come with improving the passenger and freight rail line along the state's western corridor. As Deputy Administrator for the Federal Railroad Administration, Rae is tasked with developing and implementing the Obama Administration's freight and passenger rail policy. "High-speed rail is a real priority for Vermont businesses and local communities," Welch said. "A strong rail network will not only tie entrepreneurs, small businesses and towns to regional hubs like New York, Albany, Boston and Montreal, it will bring people from those places to Vermont. Vermonters are ready and willing to put this money to good use creating good jobs, improving our transportation infrastructure and expanding travel and tourism businesses." "Vermont is working closely with other states in the northeast and Quebec to make sure that reliable and efficient service is available to travelers and rail shippers," Shumlin said. "The extension of the Ethan Allen Express up to Burlington is a direct and tangible next step that will be followed by links to Manchester and Bennington. This project and the planned extension of the AMTRAK Vermonter into Montreal are major steps in the transformation of our passenger rail system."

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