Major investment in passenger rail: President Biden announced $16.4 billion in funding for passenger and commuter rail at a November 6 press conference. (Image from White House YouTube video)
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The Biden administration announced on November 6 that it will invest $16.4 billion for 25 passenger rail projects along the Northeast Corridor (NEC). This unprecedented investment will support over 100,000 good-paying construction jobs and will help speed rail passengers to their destinations. It is expected that these improvements, when completed, will shave 30 minutes from train travel between Washington and New York and a comparable time savings between New York and Boston. President Biden traveled to an Amtrak maintenance facility in Delaware this week to make the announcement. This investment tackles several long-standing infrastructure needs, and major upgrades will improve tunnels, bridges, tracks, power systems, signals, stations, and more, allowing for increased speeds. Projects include expansion of the Gateway Hudson River Tunnel between New York and New Jersey, replacement of the Frederick Douglass Tunnel in Baltimore, replacement of the Susquehanna River Bridge in Maryland, replacement of the Connecticut River Bridge in Connecticut, and improved Penn Station access in New York City. The NEC runs from Boston to Washington, D.C., and is one of the highest volume passenger rail corridors in the world and the busiest in the United States, with hundreds of thousands of daily riders. It also supports billions of dollars in annual economic activity, making it key to the national economy. More information: The White House published this Fact Sheet with detailed information about the major awarded projects.Video: Rail union members introduced President Biden as he announced $16.4 billion in funding for passenger and commuter rail.