FRA Announces $1.5 Billion in Upgrades for Northeast Corridor

FRA has announced nearly $1.5 billion for 19 projects along the Northeast Corridor (NEC), the busiest rail corridor in the U.S. Funding made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and administered through FRA’s Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Program (Fed-State NEC) will further repair and replace vital NEC infrastructure to provide faster, safer, and more reliable service.

Projects in this round of selections will replace aging catenary structures susceptible to failures that contribute to travel delays; improve several signal systems necessary to increase capacity, operating speeds, and safety; and support planning activities to expand Washington Union Station, DC, among other projects.

“The Biden-Harris Administration continues to make good on its promise to deliver the long-awaited, much-needed investments to modernize this critical route,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “With the nearly $1.5 billion in funding we’re announcing today, we’re upgrading our rail infrastructure to support our economy and make service safer, faster, and more reliable for hundreds of thousands of passengers who depend on this route.”

Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, USDOT is investing billions of dollars in NEC projects that will benefit riders and the economy, up and down the corridor, with dozens of new projects that will create more than 100,000 jobs, opportunities for small businesses, and new economic activity.

“With today’s announcement, FRA has now announced grants for all major backlog projects in our NEC Project Inventory, a transparent and well-organized approach announced under the Biden-Harris Administration to modernize and improve America’s busiest rail corridor,” said FRA Administrator Amit Bose. “The Biden-Harris Administration put forth a bold vision for rail in America, and thanks to unprecedented investments in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and support from this Administration, that vision is taking hold in the Northeast and every region across the country.”

Fed-State NEC projects receiving funding this round include:

• Pennsylvania: Mid-Atlantic OCS Replacement Program Phase 1: Zoo to Paoli Project (Up to $397,251,476)
• District of Columbia: Washington Union Station Expansion Project (Up to $24,000,000)
• New Jersey: County-Newark Catenary Upgrades Project (Up to $13,418,592)
• Connecticut: Hartford Station Relocation Project (Up to $2,560,000)

View the full list of FY24 Fed-State NEC project selections here.