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Lautenberg, Menendez Applaud $450 Million in High-Speed Rail Funding for Amtrak Project in New Jersey
Stretch of Rail from New Brunswick, NJ to Morrisville, PA Will Be Fastest in U.S.
Lautenberg Press Office, 202-224-3224
Monday, May 09,
2011
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following today's announcement that Amtrak will receive $450 million in federal funding for high-speed rail upgrades benefiting New Jersey, U.S. Senators Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Robert Menendez applauded the Department of Transportation grant as a boon for the state’s economy and transportation future.
“New Jersey will gladly take this money that was rejected by Florida’s governor. This funding is about thinking big and acting smart. This investment will make New Jersey home to the fastest stretch of rail in the entire nation,” Lautenberg said. “This is also an important step forward for the Gateway Tunnel Project, which will increase the number of commuter trains under the Hudson River, reduce congestion, and improve access to jobs for thousands of New Jerseyans.”
"This investment in high-speed rail projects across the country will create jobs for thousands of American workers and usher in a new era in transportation for the nation," said Menendez. "A majority of the upgrades to the Northeast Corridor will be made in New Jersey, so not only will it speed trains along the corridor, it will also create hundreds of local jobs. This is a win-win, creating New Jersey jobs and improving the way America travels."
During an event this morning at New York’s Penn Station, Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced $450 million for power, catenary, signal and track upgrades along a segment of the Northeast Corridor from New Brunswick, NJ to Morrisville, PA. The improvements would lift maximum speeds from 135 mph currently to 160 mph by 2017, make this segment of the Northeast Corridor the fastest and best performing stretch of passenger railroad in the United States, and support more frequent high-speed service. The project will also complement the Gateway Tunnel Project with infrastructure upgrades along the Corridor in New Jersey and upgrades to the western entrance to New York's Penn Station to mitigate congestion.
The $450 million high-speed rail grant for New Jersey and the Northeast Corridor was made available as part of the redistribution of Florida’s rejected High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program funds. The recent designation of the Northeast Corridor as a federally-recognized high-speed rail corridor allowed Amtrak to apply for grant funding directly for projects along the corridor.
A complete list of the high-speed rail awards announced today can be found here: http://www.dot.gov/affairs/2011/dot5711.html.
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