On Thursday, Amtrak announced it was making significant infrastructure improvements on the Northeast Corridor (NEC) to improve the track’s reliability, safety and efficiency.
As part of its $260 million for track infrastructure improvements, the company is replacing more than 75,500 railroad ties and 32 track miles of rail; improving track stability to more than 170 miles of track and renewing more than 35 track switches.
“In addition to our ongoing catenary inspection and repair program, we’re renewing our tracks, signals and other railroad infrastructure across the Northeast Corridor and Harrisburg Line, while also advancing major projects for new tunnels, bridges, trains and other historic investments,” Laura Mason, Amtrak Executive vice president for capital delivery, said. “Thanks to new, innovative approaches and the support of our partners, we’re transforming the way we work to advance these upgrades in a more effective and efficient manner, enabling us to complete more work in less time.”
Officials said the investments are a 109 percent increase over last year’s summer infrastructure renewal work, and are an important part of improving service to support the railroad’s goal of doubling annual ridership to 66 million by 2040.
The railroad said that during the renewal work, some customers on the Northeast Corridor may experience minor delays, but that the long-term benefits for customers – increased reliability, enhanced ride quality and improved on-time performance – would outweigh the inconvenience.
Amtrak is also working on, or preparing to work on, several other projects, including replacing 1950s-era rail infrastructure in Pennsylvania; advancing construction of the new Portal North Bridge with partner NJ Transit; and kicking off construction for the Frederick Douglass Tunnel Program to eliminate the biggest rail bottleneck between Washington, D.C. and New Jersey.