On Tuesday, the U.S. DOT released a $13.3 million High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail (HSIPR) Program grant to the Delaware DOT. The funds will be used to add a third track just south of the Wilmington, DE station along a 1.5 mile segment of the Northeast Corridor. This will effectively eliminate a major chokepoint, will result in increased speeds, and lead to improved reliability and capacity of Amtrak's intercity and SEPTA's commuter rail services on the corridor. Freight railroads operating on the NEC will also benefit from greater dispatching flexibility. This project also includes improvements to the Newark, DE station.
(Amtrak, SEPTA, and Norfolk Southern)
In a statement released on Tuesday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said, "The Obama Administration's historic investment in the Northeast Corridor will modernize its aging railways, dramatically improve its capacity for high-speed rail and create thousands of good-paying jobs by using materials made in the USA."
While the Federal Railroad Adminisitration is chipping in $13.3 million, the Federal Transit Administration and Federal Highway Administration are also contributing a combined $38.4 million to this project.
View Delaware NEC Project in a larger map
Leave a comment