The Federal Railroad Administration has decided to make improvements along the Northeast rail corridor that could get people from New Haven to New York City in one hour and five minutes, and from New Haven to Boston in two hours.
Those improvements are contained in a long-awaited “record of decision” the FRA released on Wednesday.
The Harp administration and the Economic Development Corporation issued a joint statement praising the decision.
“These improvements will greatly expand access to greater New Haven market by connecting the major innovation centers in the Northeast,” the statement read. “[G]iven the prominence of New Haven as a Top 15 Amtrak market, this work will mean even more jobs and more opportunity to live and work in New Haven’s vibrant Hill to Downtown community.
“Of note, the Record of Decision calls for a study to identify additional infrastructure as needed to achieve the service and performance objectives between New Haven and Providence. This work should begin as soon as possible.”
In Connecticut, more attention was focused on a different part of the FRA decision — the part that kills a plan to lay down new track speeding Amtrak trips along the Shoreline from Old Saybrook into Rhode Island. Click here to read a full story about that by the CT Mirror’s Ana Radelat.
And click here for a Branford Eagle article about how Shoreline activists helped kill that part of the plan.
New Haven U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro issued this statement in reaction to the news: ““With this decision, the Federal Railroad Administration is making a prudent choice in planning for the future of our communities. While improving the NEC is long overdue, there were a number of issues that my constituents raised in the last version of the plan. I am pleased that the FRA has addressed these concerns, while also finding a solution that will deliver hourly service between New York City and New Haven and add a station in Orange. Improving the most important rail segment in the country is critical to the millions of people who rely on it, and I look forward to continuing to work with the FRA going forward.”
Everyone is excited about a plan for which there is no funding in place and which has a 25-year proposed timeline, which is itself probably unrealistic. I doubt that I will live to see the promised one-hour train ride from New Haven to New York City.