US Rail Officials Seek Public Guidance on NE Corridor Long-Range Planning
By Pat Loeb
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Federal Railroad Administration has some big plans for the northeast rail corridor: super high-speed trains, more stations in Philadelphia, and new routes to Boston and Washington.
And they want riders to help them decide which proposals will become reality.
Imagine boarding a train at Philadelphia International Airport and travelling 220 miles per hour, getting to New York in a mere 40 minutes for a connection to Eastern Long Island.
Those are some of the options the agency is presenting for comment as part of the "Northeast Corridor Future" planning process.
FRA director Rebecca Reyes-Alicea says growth in the region demands improvements to the rail network.
"We certainly have a lot of work ahead of us, but the proposals are out there for discussion, to arrive at a final vision for the Northeast Corridor," she tells KYW Newsradio.
Riders can weigh in at NECfuture.com and also at a series of station visits planned for April and May.
But don't look for the changes anytime soon. The planning process alone is scheduled to take two more years, and the work is projected to be completed by 2040.
