Press Releases
GOV. MALLOY: CONNECTICUT AWARDED $30 MILLION FOR NEW HAVEN-HARTFORD-SPRINGFIELD HIGH SPEED RAIL PROJECT
(HARTFORD, CT) - Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that the State of Connecticut has been awarded $30 million in federal funding for the third phase of the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield (NHHS) high-speed intercity passenger rail project. The money is part of the $2 billion that the U.S. Department of Transportation opened for applications in March after it was declined by Florida Governor Rick Scott.
"This is great news and a win for the State of Connecticut as we seek to increase mass transportation throughout the region in order to create new jobs and make our state more attractive to businesses," said Governor Malloy. "The rail project will form the backbone of an interconnected, regional rail network linking key economic centers through the northeast corridor. Supporting up to 50 daily passenger trains and reaching speeds up to 110 miles an hour, this line will provide some of the best rail service in the nation."
After the funding became available,
Governor Malloy directed
the Connecticut Department of Transportation to "aggressively pursue" the funds while he personally wrote letters, made phone calls and met with various federal officials, including President Obama and U.S. Transportation Secretary LaHood. The State of Connecticut submitted its application in April.
"This is a significant step forward for Connecticut when it comes to strengthening our transportation infrastructure, which for too long has been neglected and had the wrong kind of impact on our economy," Governor Malloy said. "I want to thank the efforts of the state DOT in addition to our state's Congressional delegation, and in particular Congressman Larson for his efforts in securing this funding."
Governor Malloy also thanked Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin for their support of Connecticut's application. In addition to the $30 million for Connecticut, Amtrak received $450 million, to be used on the Philadelphia-New York City portion of the Washington-Boston rail corridor. Gov. Malloy noted that upgrades to the line will help ease congestion in other parts of the system, including the Stamford-New Haven portion.
Plans for the rail project include service every 30 minutes during peak rush-hour periods and every 60 minutes during the rest of the day. Projections anticipate 1.26 million riders annually by 2030. The state expects to complete all design work on the project in 2013 and launch the new service in 2016. The 62-mile rail corridor between New Haven and Springfield is owned by Amtrak.
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For Immediate Release: May 9, 2011
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