On time, on budget: Vermonter work pays dividends Rail corridor positions New England for economic growth

Skirting the Vermont-New Hampshire border from Vernon in the south to St. Albans in the north, Amtrak's Vermonter offers passengers a splendidly scenic journey in winter, spring, summer, and fall.

Now, thanks to a $52.7 million Recovery Act grant, Amtrak has improved speed, reliability, and service on this storied route.

Today, with the sun doing its best to burn through the morning fog along the banks of the Connecticut River, it was my great pleasure to help Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, U.S. Representative Peter Welch, Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph C. Szabo, and RailAmerica Chief Operating Officer Paul Lundberg celebrate completion of this project.

This morning's celebration was made even more festive by the fact that this is one of the first major corridor development projects funded through President Obama’s High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail program.

Even better? Workers completed the project on-time and on-budget, upgrading 190 miles of track and installing 130,000 new railroad ties in under two years.

In addition to the new rail ties, upgrades include heavier, continuously-welded rail installation and ballast work. These improvements will enable Amtrak to reduce the scheduled running time for the Vermonter by about a half hour, with track speeds in signaled territory increasing by nearly 60 percent, from 50 to 79 miles per hour. That's a boost in connecting passengers from St. Albans all the way to Boston, New York, and our nation's capital.

Passengers aren't the only ones benefiting from this modernization effort. The upgraded track also increases weight-capacity for freight cars by almost nine percent, from 263,000 pounds to 286,000 pounds.That means better economic competitiveness for shippers and businesses in Vermont and throughout New England.

And to improve safety and reliability for everyone, the project also repaired and strengthened more than 50 bridges and improved warning devices at 52 highway-rail grade crossings. That's a win for everyone on rail and road.

A project that offers benefits to rail passengers, shippers, and even motorists? That's good news for the region's safety and its economy, and it’s one more sign of how President Obama’s support for infrastructure is paying dividends in New England and across the nation.

Three years ago, the President laid out a bold vision for a 21st century American rail network. The completed Vermonter modernization that we dedicated today brings us one step closer to fulfilling that vision.