Rail infrastructure across eight US states will get an upgrade as 11 intercity passenger rail services modernization projects have received financing from the US Department of Transportation. The funding for the projects were provided through Federal Railroad Administration’s Federal-State Partnership for State of Good Repair Program.
Detailing on the allocation of the federal funding, Railway-News reported:
Some of the funding will go towards replacing bridges and tunnels along the Northeast Corridor. This includes replacing the Connecticut River Bridge with a new moveable bridge, designing a replacement for the 115-year-old Susquehanna River Bridge in Maryland and funding New York’s East River Tunnel Rehabilitation project.
The funds will also be used to improve the safety, reliability and sustainability of rail infrastructure in California, Michigan and Massachusetts. These projects include replacing California’s 100-year-old San Luis Rey River Bridge with a double-track concrete bridge and constructing new power substations for the railroad signalling system along Connecticut’s New Haven Line.
Money has also been allocated to make improvements to Chicago Union Station. This is the busiest train station in the Midwest and the fourth busiest in Amtrak’s network.
The Chicago Union Station Concourse Improvement Project involves final design and construction management for the station’s concourse level, which will address issues of passenger flow, bottlenecks, accessibility and directional signage.
