Vermont will receive $50 million for major rail improvements along Amtrak’s Vermonter line.  This stimulus funding, announced today by President Obama, is part of $8 billion in nationwide funding for high-speed rail.  The funding will help pay for construction of track, roadbed and bridge improvements along 190 miles of railroad used by Amtrak Vermonter service between St. Albans, Vt., and Springfield, Mass. The upgrade will reduce trip times and improve reliability.

Sen. Bernie Sanders said, “This is great news. It will create jobs for Vermont in the immediate future and provide a long-term investment in our economy. I am very excited about this project. I thank President Obama and the Department of Transportation for understanding Vermont’s important role in the northeastern United States transportation network.”

Another $500,000 was awarded for planning studies for a proposed rerouting of Amtrak’s Ethan Allen Express service between Rutland and New York. The proposed rerouting will introduce service to communities that now lack intercity passenger rail service. Communities along the existing route would continue to be serviced by intercity passenger rail service.

The White House also announced that Massachusetts will receive $70 million for additional rail upgrades that will provide a shorter and more direct route for the Vermonter between Springfield and East Northfield, Mass., and improve rail access to densely populated areas along the Connecticut River. 

The upgrades will allow trains to travel up to 59 mph – and even 79 mph in some sections – cutting valuable time off the route between St. Albans and Washington, D.C.  The improvements could cut an hour off of the trip through Vermont and Massachusetts.

To see a map of the Northeast Region of the high-speed intercity passanger rail program, click here.