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U.S. NEWS Saturday 17 december 2016

Feds back ambitious plan to speed up Northeast rail service

MICHAEL R. SISAK as Amtrak and commuter
Associated Press railroads.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Fed- Now it’s up to the states,
eral railroad regulators en- railroads and President-
dorsed an ambitious and elect Donald Trump to give
costly plan to rebuild the their approvals and figure
congested Northeast Cor- out which aspects of the
ridor over the next 30 years plan to prioritize.
by shoring up crumbling in- Not everyone is on board.
frastructure, running more After residents of Old Lyme
trains and building new — a Connecticut shoreline
tracks that would allow community with a popula-
speeds of up to 220 mph tion of 7,600 — vowed to
on a stretch of the Wash- fight part of the plan that
ington-Boston route. called for adding tracks
The Federal Railroad Ad- through historic neighbor-
ministration’s plan un- hoods, marshlands, com-
veiled Friday aims to cut mercial districts and tourist
down on delay-causing attractions, the FRA opted
bottlenecks and increase to recommend a tunnel in-
capacity and reliability by stead.
upgrading outdated bridg- U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-
es and tunnels — including Conn., said the change An Amtrak train passes a New Jersey Transit train stopped to discharge and board passengers
ones into New York City “moves the needle on the in Elizabeth, N.J. On Friday, Dec. 16 federal regulators endorsed a plan to rebuild the congested
that are more than a cen- original plan” but raises Northeast Corridor over the next 30 years by shoring up crumbling infrastructure, running more
trains and building new tracks that would allow speeds of up to 220 mph.
tury old — and realigning questions about cost. He (AP Photo/Mel Evans)
tracks to eliminate speed- said one estimate put the
restricting curves. cost of the proposed tunnel plan without the support replace a 143-year-old tun- makes stops at a variety of
The FRA estimates the $120 at $20 billion, leaving local and agreement of state nel in Baltimore. commuter rail stations and
billion plan would cut trav- activists concerned that leaders. Among other provisions major city hubs. Straighter
el times between Washing- cheaper above-ground Elsewhere, work has be- in the plan: a new Amtrak tracks would enable trains
ton and New York by 35 tracks could still be built. gun on some projects in- stop at Philadelphia’s air- to reach 220 mph between
minutes, to about 2 hours Matthew Lehner, public corporated into the FRA’s port, eliminating the need Baltimore and Wilmington,
and 10 minutes, on the affairs director for the FRA, plan. They include a $20 for some travelers to reach Delaware. The fastest trains
fastest trains and save 45 said that Friday’s recom- billion project to build new, the city and switch to a on the system currently top
minutes to an hour on trips mendation is just one step expanded tunnels under commuter train; increased out at 150 mph, with a proj-
between Boston and New in the process and that the Hudson River between service to parts of south- ect underway to boost that
York, which now take close construction couldn’t be- New York and New Jersey ern New England; and a to 160 mph near Trenton,
to 4 hours. gin on any aspect of the and a $4 billion project to new level of service that New Jersey.q
Amtrak’s Stephen Gard- Report:
ner, who’s in charge of
business operations on the Chemical leak reported week before public was warned
corridor, said the plan af-
firms the railroad’s “long- DAVID WARREN the leak as a “backflow ing on for that long. And requests for comment.
held view that rebuilding Associated Press incident from a chemical why did it take so long for The TCEQ report indicates
and expanding the North- DALLAS (AP) — A chemical tank impacting the public TCEQ to get notified?” that Indulin AA-86 or hydro-
east Corridor is essential for leak from an asphalt plant water system.” It was re- asked Luis Moreno, chief chloric acid, or perhaps a
the growth and prosperity that led Corpus Christi of- ported Dec. 7 at Ergon As- of staff for state Sen. Juan combination of both, may
of the entire region.” ficials to warn residents this phalt and Emulsions. Hinojosa, whose district have leaked into the water
The FRA’s plan is the first week not to drink the water The email doesn’t indicate includes Corpus Christi. supply.
comprehensive look at the was apparently reported a who filed the report or who “Those are all things that I Indulin is an asphalt emul-
future of the 500-mile cor- week earlier, according to received it, but it indicates think are starting to be fig- sifying agent that’s corro-
ridor, which handles about an email from a state envi- that the state agency only ured out right now.” sive and can cause burn-
2,200 trains and 750,000 ronmental official that was learned of the leak on Dan McQueen, the may- ing if a person comes into
passengers each day on obtained Friday. The inter- Wednesday, when city of- or of the Gulf Coast city contact with concentrated
commuter and intercity nal email sent Wednesday ficials warned the public. of about 300,000 people, amounts. It is considered a
trains. The agency said it’s by Susan Clewis, a regional “Obviously we are con- has said local officials also hazardous material by the
the product of a four-year director for the Texas Com- cerned about that initial only learned of the leak on Occupational Safety and
process that sought input mission on Environmental report, that this may have Wednesday. Health Administration and
from state and local offi- Quality, contained an inci- been known for seven days Neither Clewis nor city of- could cause damage to in-
cials and residents, as well
dent report that described and it may have been go- ficials responded to Friday ternal organs.q