U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has announced $149.3 million for the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) to upgrade high speed and intercity passenger rail service on the Empire Corridor.
The improvements will increase capacity and reliability, while reducing delays and travel time on several Amtrak routes, including the Empire Service, Lake Shore Limited, Maple Leaf, Adirondack, and Ethan Allen Express.
“These unprecedented investments, using American made materials, will improve passenger travel while creating good paying jobs,” said Secretary LaHood.
“President Obama’s bold vision for passenger rail will change transportation in New York and the United States, helping relieve congestion on our roadways and reducing our dependence on foreign oil.”
A first grant, for $91.2 million, will allow NYSDOT to add a 17-mile second mainline track between the Albany-Rensselaer and Schenectady stations.
The existing single track causes significant delays, requiring trains to wait up to 26 minutes for the rail line to clear when another train is travelling in the opposing direction. Construction is expected to begin in late summer 2012.
A second grant, for $58.1 million, will fund track and platform improvements at the Albany- Rensselaer and Schenectady stations, as well as the relocation of signal wires on the Hudson Line, which have been prone to outages.
These improvements will result in greater reliability and on-time performance, more flexibility in train schedules and reduced congestion between freight and passenger trains.
The Schenectady Station improvements are part of a downtown revitalisation program. Improvements to both stations are expected to begin in late summer 2012.
“Through the cooperation and diligence of NYSDOT and Amtrak, working with CSX, rail partners are coming together to deliver improved service,” said Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph C. Szabo.
“Passengers will see a reduction in delays and better reliability as a result of this additional rail capacity in Central New York.”
