(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today is praising the multi-state, multi-agency rail infrastructure plan CONNECT NEC 2035 (C35) that was released by the Northeast Corridor (NEC) Commission. The governor said that C35 is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to replace aging bridges and tunnels, add rail capacity, improve performance, and enhance customer experience on the Northeast Corridor.
The 15-year rail service and infrastructure plan represents the collaboration between Connecticut and other state governments in the Northeast, the federal government, eight commuter rail agencies, and Amtrak through the NEC Commission. It outlines specific details for 150 infrastructure projects in the region, including major projects in Connecticut that will among other things create a one-seat ride from Waterbury to New York City and will establish express service from both Hartford and New London into New York City.
“Last month, Connecticut released Time for CT, a roadmap to bring faster and more frequent train service between Connecticut and New York. Today, C35 builds on Connecticut’s vision to better connect people and places in the state and beyond our borders along the Northeast Corridor,” Governor Lamont said. “The C35 proposal complements and builds on Connecticut’s vision, which is about jobs, combating climate change, and better connecting communities.”
“We know rail investments are the building blocks that will shape our country’s future and transform the Northeast and passenger service here in Connecticut,” Connecticut Transportation Commissioner Joseph Giulietti said. “C35 represents a unified approach to making tangible social, equitable and economic impacts in countless communities and when paired with Time for CT, we have an opportunity to transform how people move – where and why – for this generation and the next.”
The Northeast Corridor Commission was established by Congress in 2008 to develop coordinated strategies to improve the Northeast’s core rail network. Connecticut is a voting member of the Northeast Corridor Commission, which includes the U.S. Department of Transportation, seven other states, the District of Columbia, and Amtrak.
To read the full C35 report, click here.