Recommendation for new NEC would improve travel times; increase reliability

Written by Mischa Wanek-Libman, editor
image description
Amtrak

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) unveiled recommendations that would enhance the Northeast Corridor (NEC) over the next three decades; focusing on a state-of-good-repair before projects could be executed to enhance and improve service.

The FRA’s vision to build a better and stronger NEC is the result of four years of working with the Northeast states, federal and state partner agencies and “dozens and dozens” of public meetings.

“The Department of Transportation believes that investing in this vision for the Northeast Corridor must happen—because rail does more than take us places; it provides us with opportunities and connects us to the future,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “While building this recommendation would require significant investment, the cost of doing nothing is much greater. The communities and the economies of the Northeast cannot grow and flourish without significant, new investment.”

Since 2012, the Northeast states and FRA have taken on outreach efforts to engage stakeholders and help guide and develop a vision for the corridor. FRA said what became clear was that the NEC of today does not have the capacity to handle the demands of tomorrow.

FRA made clear that while the recommendation made would grow the role of rail along the Northeast Corridor, it prioritizes bringing the current corridor back to good condition, or a state of good repair, first.

With the corridor returned to good condition, the recommendation includes projects that will allow for even faster and more reliable service, along with more options for commuters and travelers. The recommendation is also projected to create 47,000 jobs each year, for 30 years.

FRA’s recommendation aim to increase reliability and provide more options by:

• Adding new tracks to increase the Northeast Corridor to four tracks in most locations, which would allow for more frequent and faster service. Additional tracks would be added to areas with greater demand.
• Providing intercity access to Philadelphia Airport so that passengers do not have to change trains at 30th Street.
• Adding direct and frequent service to Hartford, Conn., and Springfield, Mass.
• Increasing, and in some cases doubling, the number of regional trains and providing up to five times more intercity trains.

Additionally, the FRA said the recommendation would improve travel times by shaving 45 minutes off the trip between Boston and New York City and 35 minutes off the time to travel between New York City and Washington, D.C.

FRA says it will now be up to the states, cities and railroads to take the next steps on its recommendation and decide whether to move forward with any specific projects. FRA pointed out that each individual project would require additional review, environmental studies and significant funding.

“In order to keep moving forward, we need a new vision for the Northeast Corridor – a corridor that can move an ever-increasing population safer, faster and more reliably than before,” said FRA Administrator Sarah E. Feinberg. “We need a corridor that provides more options and more trains for commuters. One that allows for seamless travel between the nation’s capital and New York, and New York and Providence and Boston. A corridor that provides streamlined connections between a city’s airports and its city center. And a corridor that can efficiently and reliably serve a population that is growing quickly.”

Tags: