The United States Federal Railroad Administration has announced support for a long-range plan to repair and expand the Northeast Corridor rail lines. The comprehensive refurbishment is planned to take place over the next 30 years.
For the plan to proceed, the incoming presidential administration and Congress will need to coordinate with state and city leaders as well as railroad operators to review proposals and secure the necessary funding.
“There’s no doubt this is the first time anything of this scope has been done,” said Bruce Becker, vice president of operations at the National Association of Railroad Passengers. “It is the first time there’s been a global approach. It’s about time we think globally for high speed or fast train service in the U.S. We are way behind the world.”
The proposal includes adding new track capacity—bringing track counts to four in many sections—and shortening travel time between Washington, D.C., and New York City by roughly 35 minutes. It also envisions expanding regional and intercity services to better serve the Northeast.
Estimated costs for the project range from $123 billion to $128 billion.
Currently, the Northeast Corridor carries about 750,000 passengers and 70 freight trains each day, making it the busiest rail line in the United States. The corridor also hosts Amtrak’s high-speed Acela service, which is unable to reach its top speeds on many stretches because of the track condition.
Under the plan, which has been under development since 2012, priority would be given to repairs and modernization before larger expansion projects. Planners estimate the program could support roughly 47,000 jobs annually over the 30-year construction period.