Happening Now
Coronavirus Resources for Transit and Intercity Rail
January 28, 2021
A resource page tracking financial aid for intercity rail operators and transit agencies, and potential projects to help get our economy back on track.
The Biden Administration has called on Congress to pass a final COVID-19 relief bill to fund vaccine distribution and help state and local governments maintain essential services. Senate leaders, who have said transportation and transit will benefit from this legislation, are targeting passage by the end of March 2021.
Based on conversations with congressional allies, Rail Passengers believes this legislation will allow us to restore daily service to Amtrak's long-distance routes, maintain Amtrak's State-supported and commuter trains, support the Northeast Corridor, and provide a critical lifeline for public transit agencies across the U.S.
We need your help! Please write or call your members of congress asking them to support passenger rail and bring back service!
Write your Members of Congress
Thank you for supporting our effort. If you think passengers deserve a voice in the halls of Congress, I hope you can make a special donation. Your generosity allows us to keep fighting on behalf of passengers.
Donate Now
With gratitude,
Jim Mathews, President & CEO
Rail Passengers Association
Investing in Passenger Rail for Economic Recovery
Rail Passengers believes that intercity passenger rail and transit have an important role to play in getting our economy back on track. As Congress considers further phases of coronavirus response, we will be developing a list of shovel-ready rail projects that are able to move quickly if funding becomes available. These projects will get Americans back to work by creating construction and manufacturing. They are also investments in a better, more efficient U.S. transportation system that will return dividends for generations to come.
State Project List
|
Location |
Agency |
Project |
Impacted Region |
Total Project Cost (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
CA |
Caltrans |
Pacific Surfliner: Raymer to Bernson Double-Track PE/NEPA |
Southwest |
$86 |
|
CA |
Caltrans |
Pacific Surfliner: Elvira to Morena Double-Track PE/NEPA |
Southwest |
$87 |
|
CA |
The High Desert Corridor Joint Powers Authority |
High Desert Corridor |
Southwest |
$1,760 |
|
CA |
California High Speed Rail Authority (CAHSR) |
San Jose to San Francisco |
Southwest |
$2,300 |
|
CA |
California High Speed Rail Authority (CAHSR) |
Burbank to Anaheim |
Southwest |
$5,000 |
|
CA |
California High Speed Rail Authority (CAHSR) |
Valley to San Jose |
Southwest |
$15,000 |
|
CA |
California High Speed Rail Authority (CAHSR) |
Palmdale to Burbank |
Southwest |
$17,000 |
|
CA |
Van Nuys North Platform Preliminary Engineering/National Environmental |
Southwest |
$36 |
|
|
CA |
Eastbrook to Shell Double-Track Bridge PE/NEPA CA - Pacific Surfliner |
Southwest |
$50 |
|
|
CA |
San Dieguito Bridge and Del Mar Platform PE/NEPA CA - Pacific Surfliner |
Southwest |
$162 |
|
|
CA |
Ortega Siding PE/NEPA CA - Pacific Surfliner |
Southwest |
$25 |
|
|
CA |
Seacliff Track Realignment and Siding Extension PE/NEPA CA - Pacific Surfliner |
Southwest |
$32 |
|
|
CA |
Carlsbad Village Double-Track PE/NEPA CA - Pacific Surfliner |
Southwest |
$33 |
|
|
CA |
Sorrento to Miramar Phase 2 Double-Track PE/NEPA - CA - Pacific Surfliner |
Southwest |
$85 |
|
|
CA |
California High Speed Rail Authority (CAHSR) |
Transbay Transit Center Program |
Southwest |
$3,004 |
|
CA |
LA Union Station SCRIP/LINK |
Southwest |
$2,246 |
|
|
CN, MA |
NHHS, ConDOT, MassDOT |
Hartford to Springfield |
Northeast |
$433 |
|
DC |
Washington Union Station (NEC Future) |
Mid-Atlantic |
$7,500 |
|
|
DC, VA |
DCDOT |
Mid-Atlantic |
$1,900 |
|
|
DC, VA |
VDOT |
Mid-Atlantic |
$2,000 |
|
|
GA, NC |
GDOT, SCDOT, NCDOT |
Atlanta to Charlotte |
Southeast |
$1,600 |
|
IA, IL, NE |
IA DOT, IL DOT |
Chicago - Iowa City - Omaha |
Midwest (GLW), Mountain & Plains |
$1,200 |
|
IL |
Chicago Union Station |
Midwest (GLW) |
$1,041 |
|
|
IL, IN, MI |
MDOT |
Chicago - Detroit |
Midwest |
$2,980 |
|
IL, MO |
Chicago-St. Louis Doubletrack: Springfield Track Relocation |
Midwest (GLW) |
$315 |
|
|
IL, MO |
IDOT |
Chicago to St. Louis HSR |
Midwest (GLW) |
$2,000 |
|
KS |
City of Lawrence, KS - Amtrak Station Improvements - PE/NEPA |
Moutains & Plains |
$1 |
|
|
KS, NE, TX |
Extending Heartland Flyer to Newton, KS; new daytime Fort Worth-Kansas City train |
Mountains & Plains, South Central |
$475 |
|
|
MA |
Housatonic Line Project |
Northeast |
$400 |
|
|
MA |
MassDOT |
Northeast |
$3,000 |
|
|
MA |
Boston South Station Expansion and Layover Facility Project (NEC Future) |
Northeast |
$325 |
|
|
MD |
PE/NEPA for BWI Area Improvements (NEC Future) |
Mid-Atlantic |
||
|
MD |
Susquehanna Bridge Reconstruction and Expansion Project (NEC Future) |
Mid-Atlantic |
$1,442 |
|
|
MD |
Baltimore & Potomac Tunnel - Preliminary Engineering and National Environmental Policy Act Study (NEC Future) |
Mid-Altantic |
$4,520 |
|
|
MD |
Howard Street Tunnel |
Mid-Atlantic |
$445 |
|
|
MN |
MnDOT |
Northern Lights Express (NLX) |
Midwest (GLW) |
$820 |
|
MO |
MO DOT |
St. Louis to Kansas City |
Midwest (GLW) |
$500 -1000 |
|
MO |
Hermann Universal Crossover St. Louis - Kansas City |
Midwest (GLW) |
$6 |
|
|
MO |
Bonnots Mill Universal Crossover St. Louis - Kansas City |
Midwest (GLW) |
$6 |
|
|
MO |
Knob Noster Passing Siding Extension St. Louis - Kansas City |
Midwest (GLW) |
$15 |
|
|
MO |
Preliminary Engineering and Environmental Review for the Construction of a Second Main Track between Lee's Summit and Pleasant Hill St. Louis - Kansas City |
Midwest (GLW) |
$147 |
|
|
MO |
Kingsville Passing Siding St. Louis - Kansas City |
Midwest (GLW) |
$17 |
|
|
NC, VA |
NCDOT, VDOT |
Mid-Atlantic, Southeast |
$5,000 |
|
|
NC, VA |
Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor PE/NEPA - Richmond to Releigh |
Mid-Atlantic, Southeast |
$240 |
|
|
NJ |
Portal Bridge Capacity Enhancement Project (NEC Future) |
Mid-Atlantic |
$941 |
|
|
NJ, NY |
New Hudson River Tunnels/Gateway (NEC Future) |
Mid-Atlantic, Northeast |
$11,049 |
|
|
NY |
NYSDOT |
NY - Albany - Buffalo - Niagara Falls |
Northeast |
$1,660 - $14,710 |
|
NY |
Livingston Avenue Bridge Preliminary Engineering and Project NEPA |
Northeast |
$281 |
|
|
NY |
Niagara Falls Maintenance Facility Project |
Northeast |
$14 |
|
|
NY |
Moynihan Station (NEC Future) |
Northeast |
$1,594 |
|
|
NY |
New East River Tunnels (NEC Future) |
Northeast |
$213 |
|
|
OK, TX |
TXDOT |
Texas-Oklahoma Passenger Rail Study: Northern Section (Oklahoma City to Dallas/Fort Worth) |
South Central |
$1,800 |
|
OR |
Northwest |
$3,622 |
||
|
OR |
North Portland & Peninsula Junction Connection Improvements |
Northwest |
$17 |
|
|
OR, WA |
Willbridge Crossovers: PE/NEPA Eugene - Portland - Seattle - Vancouver BC |
Northwest |
$8 |
|
|
PA |
PennDOT |
Phil - Harrisburg - Pittsburgh |
Mid-Atlantic |
$13,100 |
|
PA |
ABS/Centralized Control Project Philadelphia - Harrisburg - Pittsburgh |
Mid-Atlantic |
$9 |
|
|
PA |
Keystone Corridor Interlockings Program Philadelphia - Harrisburg - Pittsburgh |
Mid-Atlantic |
$2,810 |
|
|
PA |
Philadelphia 30th Street Station (Early phases) (NEC Future) |
Mid-Atlantic |
$240 |
|
|
PA |
Philadelphia 30th Street Station (Later phases) (NEC Future) |
Mid-Atlantic |
$900 |
|
| PA | PNRRA + NJDOT |
|
Mid-Atlantic | $288 |
|
RI |
Providence Station Improvement Project (NEC Future) |
Northeast |
$22 |
|
|
TX |
Texas-Oklahoma Passenger Rail Study: Southern Section (San Antonio to South Texas) |
South Central |
$1,300 |
|
|
TX |
Texas-Oklahoma Passenger Rail Study: Central Section (Dallas/Fort Worth to San Antonio) |
South Central |
$6,000 |
-
Amtrak Project List
| Federal Share | Total Project Cost |
Amtrak FY20-FY25 Budgeted Amount |
Remaining Federal Funds Needed |
Location | Construction Start Date |
Construction Duration (years) |
Impacted Regions |
| Rolling Stock | ||||||||
| Amfleet I Replacement | $2.000B | $2.000B | $1.200B | $800M | N/A | 2020 | 5 to 10 | Systemwide |
| NEC | $900M | $900M | $540M | $360M | ||||
| State Supported | 1,040M | 1,040B | $624M | $416M | ||||
| Long Distance | $60M | $60M | $36M | $24M | ||||
| Superliner and Amfleet II Replacement | $2.000B | $2.000B | — | $2.000B | N/A | Mid-2020s | 4 to 8 | Systemwide |
| Diesel Locomotive Replacement | Approx. | Approx. | $469M (includes payments made to date) | Approx. | N/A | Underway | 5 to 8 | Systemwide |
| (base order plus options) | $1.500B | $1.500B | $1B | |||||
| Additional Fleet for New Corridors (for FY21-FY25 routes) | $510M | $510M | — | $510M | N/A | Mid-2020s | 5 to 10 | Systemwide |
| Additional Fleet for New Corridors (for FY26-FY35 routes) | Approx. | Approx. | — | Approx. | N/A | Mid-2020s | 5 to 10 | Systemwide |
| $3.500B | $3.500B | $3.500B | ||||||
| Bridges & Tunnels | ||||||||
| Portal North Bridge | $977.0M | $1.8B | $325.0M | $703.0M | Northern New Jersey | 2020 | 6 | Northeast, South & Midwest |
| East River Tunnel Rehab | $250.0M | $750.0M | $556.0M | ($153.0M) | New York, NY | 2024 | 4 | Northeast, South & Midwest |
| Hudson Tunnel Project | $6.4B | $12.7B | $601.0M | $6.0B | New Jersey/ New York | 2019 | 11 | Northeast, South & Midwest |
| Sawtooth Bridge | $800.0M | $1.6B | $83.0M | $717.0M | Northern New Jersey | 2022 | 5 | Northeast, South & Midwest |
| B&P Tunnel | $3.6B | $5.0B | $357.0M | $3.0B | Baltimore, MD | 2020 | 12 | Northeast, South & Midwest |
| Susquehanna River Bridge | $1.4B | $1.7B | $251.0M | $1.3B | Havre de Grace, MD | 2024 | 6 | Northeast, South & Midwest |
| Pelham Bay Bridge | $410.0M | $410.0M | $35.0M | $511.0M | New York, NY | 2025 | 5 | Northeast |
| Connecticut River Bridge | $470.0M | $660.0M | $326.0M | $214.5M | Old Saybrook, CT | 2024 | 6 | Northeast |
| Stations & Facilities | ||||||||
| Washington Union Station Expansion Project | $3.5B | $7.0B | $135.6M | $3.4B | Washington, | 2025 | 11 | Northeast, South & Midwest |
| D.C. | ||||||||
| Washington Union Station Near-Term Improvements | $323.5M | $323.5M | $323.5M | — | Washington, | 2018 | 8 | Northeast, South & Midwest |
| D.C. | ||||||||
| Philadelphia Intermodal Station Connector | $60.0M | $60.0M | — | $60.0M | Philadelphia, | 2026 | 2 | Northeast, South & Midwest |
| PA | ||||||||
| Baltimore Penn Station Concourse Expansion | $70.0M | $70.0M | $40.0M | $30.0M | Baltimore, | 2023 | 2 | Northeast, South & Midwest |
| MD | ||||||||
| Chicago Union Station (CUS) Critical Façade Repairs | $10.0M | $10.0M | — | $10.0M | Chicago, IL | 2020 | 1 | Midwest & Systemwide |
| CUS Concourse Improvements | $22.4M | $30.0M | — | $22.4M | Chicago, IL | 2021 | 2 | Midwest & Systemwide |
| CUS Ventilation Improvements | $300.0M | $300.0M | — | $300.0M | Chicago, IL | 2023 | 5 | Midwest & Systemwide |
| CUS Platform Expansion | $400.0M | $400.0M | — | $400.0M | Chicago, IL | 2023 | 5 | Midwest & Systemwide |
| (1/3, 2/4, 6/8, 10/12) | ||||||||
| Platform Heating (systemwide where relevant) | $35M | $35M | $35M | $35M | Systemwide | 2020 | 6 | Systemwide |
| Vertical Transportation Monitoring System | $10M | $10M | $10M | $10M | Systemwide | 2020 | 5 | Systemwide |
| Austin, TX Station Rebuild | $11.5M | $19M | $11.5M | $7.5M | Austin, TX | 2020 | 2 | South |
| Bryan, OH Station Construction | $2M | $3M | $2M | $1M | Bryan, OH | 2020 | 2 | Northeast & Midwest |
| Elko, NV Trackwork and Station Improvement | $6.3M | $15M | $6.3M | $8.7M | Elko, NV | 2019 | 2 | West |
| Atlanta, GA Station Relocation | $20M | $30M | $20M | $10M | Atlanta, GA | 2022 | 3 | South |
| Lancaster, PA Station Improvements | $0.4M | $30M | $0.4M | $29.6M | Lancaster, PA | 2023 | 4 | Northeast |
| Fl. Station Improvements (MIA-WPB, ORL) | $2.0M | $2.0M | $0.00 | $2.0M | Florida | 2021 | 4 | Florida |
| Infrastructure | ||||||||
| Network Hub Improvement | $1.88 | $1.875B | $0.00 | $1.88 | Chicago, IL | 2021 | 5 | Midwest |
| Safety, Security & Accessibility | ||||||||
| ADA Compliance | $1.2B | $1.2B | $544M | $656M | Systemwide | 2017 | 10 | Systemwide |
| PTC and PTC Equivalent | TBD | ~$300M | $34 | $266M | Systemwide | 2019 | 6 | Systemwide |
| New or Improved Corridors | ||||||||
| Corridor Development | $10-15B | $10-15B | $0.00 | $10-15B | Systemwide | 2021 | 15 | Systemwide |
CARES Act Aid for Intercity Rail Operators and Transit Agencies
The 28,000 members of the Rail Passengers Association are extremely appreciative of the resources Congress is providing for intercity rail operators and transit agencies in Phase 3 legislation currently being negotiated, which meet or exceed our COVID19 request. This financial aid includes:
Amtrak Grants - $1.018 billion
-
Northeast Corridor - $492 million;
-
National Network - $526 million;
-
State Supported Corridors: $239 million
-
Mass Transit Grants - $25 billion
-
Urban Area - 13.9 billion
-
Rural Area - $1.8 billion
-
State of Good Repair - $7.6 billion
-
Fast-Growth & High-Density State - $1.7 billion
"The National Association of Railroad Passengers has done yeoman work over the years and in fact if it weren’t for NARP, I'd be surprised if Amtrak were still in possession of as a large a network as they have. So they've done good work, they're very good on the factual case."
Robert Gallamore, Director of Transportation Center at Northwestern University and former Federal Railroad Administration official, Director of Transportation Center at Northwestern University
November 17, 2005, on The Leonard Lopate Show (with guest host Chris Bannon), WNYC New York.
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