Free Daily Headlines :

  • COVID-19
  • Vaccine Info
  • Money
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Health
  • Justice
  • More
    • Environment
    • Economic Development
    • Gaming
    • Investigations
    • Social Services
    • TRANSPORTATION
  • Opinion
    • CT Viewpoints
    • CT Artpoints
DONATE
Reflecting Connecticut’s Reality.
    COVID-19
    Vaccine Info
    Money
    Politics
    Education
    Health
    Justice
    More
    Environment
    Economic Development
    Gaming
    Investigations
    Social Services
    TRANSPORTATION
    Opinion
    CT Viewpoints
    CT Artpoints

LET�S GET SOCIAL

Show your love for great stories and out standing journalism

Amtrak favors one rail overhaul plan, Old Lyme pans another

  • Transportation
  • by Ana Radelat
  • July 28, 2016
  • View as "Clean Read" "Exit Clean Read"
An artist's rendering of an Amtrak high speed train in Boston.

Amtrak 2012 report

An artist’s rendering of an Amtrak high-speed train in Boston.

Washington – Amtrak is backing an ambitious plan proposed by the Federal Railroad Administration to overhaul rail transportation in the Northeast corridor, a proposal that would cost more than $300 billion and calls for new lines to be built from New Haven to Hartford through Meriden and from Hartford to Providence.

“(It is) the closest version of Amtrak’s vision for the Northeast,” Amtrak President and CEO Joseph Boardman wrote the FRA.

Boardman’s letter was one of hundreds of public comments released to the Connecticut Mirror Thursday in response to a Freedom of Information request for all comments on the agency’s NEC Future plan.

The public comments were collected by the FRA from Nov. 10, 2015 to Feb. 16, 2016. But the FRA did not make them public until Thursday.

The plan to modernize the Northeast Corridor, and perhaps introduce high-speed rail to the area, has been in the works since 2012. The aim is to modernize and prioritize future investments in the Northeast Corridor (NEC), from Washington, D.C., to Boston.

A draft environmental plan released by the FRA late last year has three alternatives as well as an option to do nothing at all. The FRA will select a preferred alternative in the fall, taking into account testimony it has collected at public hearings and the flood of public comments it has received.

The first proposed alternative is the most modest, keeping most of the existing routes from Washington, D.C., to Boston, while adding a new line near New London, a new New London-Mystic station and other lines that would circle Baltimore and New York.

That alternative that has raised the most concern in Connecticut because the rail lines would be re-routed  through Old Lyme.

Northeast Corridor Improvement Alternative 1

Northeast Corridor Improvement Alternative 1

“I oppose Alternative 1 of the Northeast Corridor Futures Program because it would destroy the campus of the Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts at the University of New Haven,” said tens of dozens of comments to the FRA.

Christina Achorn wrote, “I am an alum from the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts. Please let the tradition of fine arts so precious in the area (to) remain intact and find somewhere else to disrupt.”

Someone who gave her name only as “Alison” said, “As a resident of Old Lyme since I was four years old, I have been surrounded by the beauty, culture, history and environment of this town. Alternative 1, the plan to upgrade the rail system by essentially sacrificing an historic town, is beyond comprehension.”

Northeast Corridor Rail Improvement Alternative 2

Northeast Corridor Rail Improvement Alternative 2

Last week, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. and Chris Murphy, D-Conn., as well as Rep. Joe Courtney, Dnd District, who represents Old Lyme, called on the FRA to meet with the Old Lyme community before moving forward with any plans for a new rail route through the historic town and reiterated their opposition to Alternative 1.

The proposed realignment outlined in Alternative 1 would shift the main rail line northward just before the Old Saybrook Station and run through several Connecticut and Rhode Island shoreline communities before reconnecting to the existing segment in Kenyon, R.I.

“One of the major proposals envisioned by NEC Future would re-route Amtrak through the heart of many historic towns and communities in our state, including Old Lyme,” the lawmakers wrote FRA Administrator Sarah Feinberg.

Northeast Rail Corridor Improvement Alternative 3

Federal Railroad Administration

Northeast Rail Corridor Improvement Alternative 3

“We reject such a proposal, and call on you to ensure the final (decision) is absent any scenario that sends rail through Old Lyme,” they said.

Amtrak backs new inland lines

Alternative 2 would be more ambitious, with the hope of making rail travel the dominant mode of transportation for intercity travelers and commuters in the Northeast. It would upgrade existing rail lines and provide additional tracks along much of the NEC “spine,” that is the Washington to Boston route.

This alternative calls for the corridor to run from New Haven to Hartford through Meriden, and then adds a new line from Hartford to Providence, R.I., with a stop near the University of Connecticut in Storrs.

Michael P. Adams-Kearns was among those writing in favor of this proposal.

“It is wonderful to think I could go to Willimantic and/or Storrs to get the train to Boston, and of course connect with the rest of the rest of the NEC system,” Adams-Kearns said.

The most ambitious, and expensive, proposal, backed by Amtrak, is  Alternative 3. It also calls for lines from New Haven to Hartford and from Hartford to Providence. But it would add another rail route from New York to Boston through Danbury.

Alternative 3 also includes another new option — from New York, through Long Island, to New Haven. This would require construction of a tunnel under Long Island Sound.

An Amtrak Acela train bound for Washington, D.C.

Federal Railroad Administration

An Amtrak Acela train bound for Washington, D.C.

Alternative 3 would also introduce high-speed trains, traveling at up to 220 miles per hour, to the Northeast Corridor.

Amtrak said this alternative “provides stakeholders flexibility to choose from the largest menu of infrastructure investment options.”

In his comments to the FRA, Boardman also said “Alternatives 1 and 2 offer only minimal capacity for growth,” while Alternative 3 would provide “true high-speed rail service comparable with the proven systems found internationally.”

Boardman also said he understood the FRA might decide on a “blend” of the alternatives it proposed.

With that in mind, the Amtrak CEO said, “The New Haven-Hartford-Providence-Boston route presents an alignment with more commercial activity within the proposed markets than the alternative New England routes evaluated.”

The NEC Future plan would take decades to complete. A major obstacle is finding funding for the ambitious proposal. Estimates of the cost of overhauling the Northeast Corridor run from $64 billion for Alternative 1 to $308 billion for Alternative 3.

Sign up for CT Mirror's free daily news summary.

Free to Read. Not Free to Produce.

The Connecticut Mirror is a nonprofit newsroom. 90% of our revenue comes from people like you. If you value our reporting please consider making a donation. You'll enjoy reading CT Mirror even more knowing you helped make it happen.

YES, I'LL DONATE TODAY

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ana Radelat Ana has written about politics and policy in Washington, D.C.. for Gannett, Thompson Reuters and UPI. She was a special correspondent for the Miami Herald, and a regular contributor to The New York TImes, Advertising Age and several other publications. She has also worked in broadcast journalism, for CNN and several local NPR stations. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland School of Journalism.

SEE WHAT READERS SAID

RELATED STORIES
Capitol cop: ‘I don’t trust the people above me’
by Joaquin Sapien and Joshua Kaplan | ProPublica

How failures of leadership put Capitol cops at risk; allowed rioters to get dangerously close to members of Congress.

Miguel Cardona is one step closer to becoming next U.S. education secretary
by Jacqueline Rabe Thomas

In a swift meeting, senators voted 17 to 5 to forward Cardona's nomination to the U.S. Senate for final approval.

Lamont’s budget keeps transportation program afloat through 2026 with new truck fee
by Keith M. Phaneuf

Gov. Ned Lamont's new budget would keep Connecticut's transportation program solvent through 2026 with a new fee on trucks.

Two decades in the making, Rosa DeLauro’s plan to cut child poverty in half is on the brink of passing
by Chabeli Carrazana | The 19th

Since 2003, Rep. Rosa DeLauro has pushed to expand the child tax credit to the nation’s poorest children.

The return of the regulators
by Jesse Eisinger | ProPublica

So far in the Biden administration, Americans have been treated to an unusual sight: regulators who believe in regulation.

Support Our Work

Show your love for great stories and outstanding journalism.

$
Select One
  • Monthly
  • Yearly
  • Once
Artpoint painter
CT ViewpointsCT Artpoints
Opinion The Board of Regents’ changes must not shortchange its students or faculty
by Carrie Andreoletti, PhD

As a university professor and a lifespan developmental psychologist, I tend to approach my work from a developmental perspective. This means I aim to foster a lifelong love of learning and to help others find a sense of meaning and purpose, as well as confidence in their ability to reach their goals. My approach to higher education is shaped by my desire to provide the best possible education for my students. This is why the recent Board of Regents’ proposed changes at the four state universities have me worried.

Opinion How to close schooling opportunity gaps created by the pandemic
by Carol Gale

We ask school district leaders to trust your public servants whose daily work life involves assessing student needs and planning or modifying instruction to meet those needs. Listen to their voices, as we have, and allocate precious resources on interventions that will offer increased opportunities for Hartford students to succeed.

Opinion A new guide for schools: How to work with families this spring
by Michael Arrington and Erika Haynes

With months of remote and hybrid learning to go, families and educators continue to adapt and innovate to meet the moment. Since August, we’ve spoken with hundreds of parents, caregivers, family support groups, educators, and students across Connecticut and the country about things things that have worked --strategies, big and small, that have made this time more manageable and helped children learn and stay connected with peers.

Opinion Housing is a human right
by Tenaya Taylor

Nonprofit Accountability Group is a queer- and trans-led group based in Hartford that is dedicated to creating racial equity by directing resources to Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) and disabled children and families. NAG was founded in 2020 as an organization with a transformative approach to implementing nonprofit accountability by creating relationships within the community, nonprofits, and their funders.

Artwork Grand guidance
by Anne:Gogh

In a world of systemic oppression aimed towards those of darker skintones – representation matters. We are more than our equity elusive environments, more than numbers in a prison and much more than victims of societal dispositions. This piece depicts a melanated young man draped in a cape ascending high above multiple forms of oppression. […]

Artwork Shea
by Anthony Valentine

Shea is a story about race and social inequalities that plague America. It is a narrative that prompts the question, “Do you know what it’s like to wake up in new skin?”

Artwork The Declaration of Human Rights
by Andres Chaparro

Through my artwork I strive to create an example of ideas that reflect my desire to raise social consciousness, and cultural awareness. Jazz music is the catalyst to all my work, and plays a major influence in each piece of work.”

Artwork ‘A thing of beauty. Destroy it forever’
by Richard DiCarlo | Derby

During times like these it’s often fun to revisit something familiar and approach things with a different slant. I have been taking some Pop culture and Art masterpieces and applying the vintage 1960’s and 70’s classic figures (Fisher Price, little people) to the make an amusing pieces. Here is my homage to Fisher -Price, Yellow […]

Twitter Feed
A Twitter List by CTMirror

Engage

  • Reflections Tickets & Sponsorships
  • Events
  • Donate
  • Newsletter Sign-Up
  • Submit to Viewpoints
  • Submit to ArtPoints
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Commenting Guidelines
  • Legal Notices
  • Contact Us

About

  • About CT Mirror
  • Announcements
  • Board
  • Staff
  • Sponsors and Funders
  • Donors
  • Friends of CT Mirror
  • History
  • Financial
  • Policies
  • Strategic Plan

Opportunity

  • Advertising and Sponsorship
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Use of Photography
  • Work for Us

Go Deeper

  • Steady Habits Podcast
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Five Things

The Connecticut News Project, Inc. 1049 Asylum Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105. Phone: 860-218-6380

© Copyright 2021, The Connecticut News Project. All Rights Reserved. Website by Web Publisher PRO