The federal government on Monday awarded Amtrak nearly $10 billion to modernize the Northeast Corridor. The grant money will support 25 projects to improve bridges, tunnels, tracks, and train stations from Boston to the District of Columbia.
On social media, President Joe Biden called the investment “the largest investment in rail since the creation of Amtrak.” He added that the total grants awarded Monday amounted to $16.4 billion.
According to the announcement, the investment is part of the Biden administration’s Bipartisan infrastructure law, which passed in November 2021 to provide aid to repair and update highways and public transportation.
The projects include:
- Frederick Douglass Tunnel Program (up to $4.7B)
- Susquehanna River Rail Bridge Project (up to $2.08B)
- East River Tunnel Rehabilitation Project (up to $1.26B)
- Connecticut River Bridge Replacement Project (up to $826.64M)
- Dock Bridge Rehabilitation Project (up to $300.18M)
- Sawtooth Bridges Replacement Project (up to $133.32M)
- Baltimore Penn Station Redevelopment (up to $108.32M)
- Pelham Bay Bridge Replacement Project (up to $58.27M)
- Gunpowder River Bridge Replacement Program (up to $30M)
- NEC South End Infrastructure Renewal and Speed Improvement Planning Study (up to $21.6M)
- Bush River Bridge Replacement Program (up to $18.8M)
- New Haven to Providence Capacity Planning Study (up to $4M)
- Hudson Tunnel Project – Gateway Development Commission (up to $3.79B)
- Penn Station Access – MTA (up to $1.64B)
- Walk Bridge Replacement Project – CTDOT (up to $465M)
- Devon Bridge Replacement Project – CTDOT (up to $245.92M)
- Delco Lead – NJ TRANSIT (up to $180.9M)
- New Haven Line Power Improvement Program – CTDOT (up to $122.8M)
- Devon Bridge Interim Repairs – CTDOT (up to $119.32M)
- Hartford Line Rail Program Double Track (Phase 3B) Project – CTDOT (up to $104.86M)
- New Haven Line Track Improvement and Mobility Enhancement Part 1 and 3 – CTDOT (up to $71.64M)
- Newark Penn Station Vertical Circulation Improvements – NJ TRANSIT (up to $59.2M)
- Reconstruction of Cornwells Heights Station – SEPTA (up to $30.5M)
- Saugatuck River Bridge Replacement – CTDOT (up to $23.2M)
- New Haven Line Network Infrastructure Upgrade Project – CTDOT (up to $15.4M)
Stephen Gardner, Amtrak’s chief executive officer, explained that the grants will help the company “modernize” its busiest rail system and “unlock major bottlenecks on the busiest passenger rail corridor in America.” The northeast corridor serves at least 800,000 daily riders.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg along with 30 elected officials and transportation leaders applauded the investment. “We are finally delivering the generational investments in passenger rail that Americans have wanted for years,” Buttigieg said.