Politics

Hither'south what Amtrak's vision for 2035 looks like for New England

The national rider rail operator's "bold vision" includes new service in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont.

Amtrak'southward expansion map. Amtrak

Amtrak says information technology could attain "millions" of new customers with increased funding from President Joe Biden's new infrastructure plan — including some in New England.

Post-obit the release of Biden'south program Wednesday, the quasi-public national passenger track operator released a new version of its 2035 expansion proposal, which includes more than than 30 new routes and more frequent service on over twenty lines (you can view the full map here). According to Amtrak, the plan could serve up to 160 new communities across the country over the next 15 years.

Several of them would be a short trip from Boston.

Amtrak's proposal includes a new route from Boston north to New Hampshire, including stops in Manchester and Concur. Information technology also includes extending the Amtrak Downeaster line in Maine past Brunswick to Rockland, which officials have been because for several years. And there would be new connections between Rutland and Burlington, Vermont, likewise every bit a new route connecting St. Albans, Vermont, with Montreal, which would allow people in Massachusetts to take the Vermonter line directly from Springfield into Canada.

The vision also includes "new service" betwixt Springfield and Boston, which is currently served by but a single daily ii-hour Amtrak train. A state study released this past January found that a then-called "e-west" runway link between Boston, Worcester, Springfield, and Pittsfield could serve between 922 and i,554 passengers each weekday, depending on the speed and frequency of the trains.

There would also be enhanced service along the two north-due south Amtrak lines running through New England.

New service denoted in light blue; enhanced service marked in xanthous.

Amtrak has notwithstanding to provide more details on what the new and enhanced service in the region would wait like merely says it plans to do so presently.

"In the coming weeks, Amtrak will present to Congress our reauthorization program that will include expanding service in key city pairs that are non served well by rider rail today," Jason Abrams, a spokesman for the rail agency, told Boston.com in an email Thursday.

Biden's sweeping $2 trillion infrastructure plan calls for a full of $80 billion in new rails funding to address Amtrak's repair excess, modernize the Northeast Corridor, improve existing corridors, connect new cities, and enhance programs to support rider and freight rail prophylactic, efficiency, and electrification, according to the White House.

With that funding, Amtrak — which is publicly funded and privately operated — said Wednesday that it would be able to execute on many of those goals, including improving Northeast Corridor trip times and expanding service to underserved communities beyond the nation.

The proposal would be the start major expansion in the 50-yr history of the agency, which was budgeted profitability prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since its creation in 1971, Amtrak has barely seen whatsoever changes to its route map and has faced local opposition to expansion in some parts of the land, as The New York Times recently reported. However, Amtrak CEO Bill Flynn said Wednesday that Biden's programme could finally gear up those plans in motion.

"Amtrak has a bold vision to bring energy-efficient, world-class intercity rail service to upward to 160 new communities across the nation, equally we besides invest in our fleet and stations beyond the U.S.," Flynn said. "With this federal investment, Amtrak will create jobs and improve equity across cities, regions, and the unabridged land – and we are fix to deliver."

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