NEC avoids budget cut, gets $745 million

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has finalized the Department of Transportation’s grant of nearly $745 million for construction along the Northeast Corridor, including two long-delayed projects. Earlier this summer House Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.) sought to divert the funding toward flood relief in the Midwest, puzzling many of his constituents who support Amtrak and the NEC.

As of now, the NEC will receive $449.94 million to upgrade electrical systems and tracks, with most of the work occurring between Morrisville, Pa. (just south of Trenton, N.J.) and New Brunswick, N.J., including the installation of constant-tension catenary, resulting in improved on-time performance and reliability and an initial increase in top operating speeds up to 160 mph, and potential future maximum speeds of 186 mph.

About $294.78 million will alleviate major delays for trains coming in and out of Manhattan, with most of that funding targeted for use at Harold Interlocking rail junction in Queens, currently a bottleneck for Amtrak and Long Island Rail Road train traffic. A new flyover at the site, long planned, will separate Amtrak trains running between New York and Boston.

“These grants are a win for our economy and a win for commuters all along the Northeast Corridor,” said LaHood in a statement. “We are creating new construction jobs, ordering American-made supplies and improving transportation opportunities across a region where 50 million Americans live and work.”

Both projects are expected to generate 12,000 jobs. Pre-construction work between Trenton and New York City will begin in late 2011, with initial construction commencing in 2012. Construction on Harold Interlocking will begin in September 2012.

Though Amtrak and the NEC will benefit from both major projects, Amtrak was the official recipient only of the New Jersey upgrade portion, while New York’s Department of Transportation was awarded the funding for Harold Interlocking.

The Northeast Corridor became eligible for federal high speed rail funding last spring after Florida Gov. Rick Scott formally rejected nearly $2.4 billion in such funding for the Sunshine State’s HSR project, which would have linked Orlando and Tampa.