Amtrak has completed most electrification design work and tie
replacement for the upgrade of the New York-Boston segment of its
Northeast Corridor line. Amtrak says these improvements, along with
curve realignments and a new signal and traffic control system, will
allow enable train speeds up to 150mph in the corridor. Connecticut
stands to benefit from the additional travel and from specific
improvements like track reconfiguration to accommodate more train
traffic at the New Haven and Stamford stations. Yet Governor Rowland
fears more high-speed passenger trains could complicate access to
Long Island Sound for recreational boaters who pass under movable
railroad bridges and could disrupt freight rail service to shoreline
businesses. To address these concerns and better chances for the
requisite CT permit approvals for the project, Amtrak has planned
$80 million in capital improvements (such as the replacement and
renovation of several bridges), as well as operational changes.
In December, the Hartford Courant urged CT to clear the way for the
project, reasoning "one state should not stand in the way of an
improvement that promises transportation, environmental and economic
improvements to the Eastern Seaboard." Electrification work in
Massachusetts and Connecticut will begin this year.
Mobilizing the Region Number 60, 5 January 1996, published by
the Tri-State Transportation Campaign