Rebecca Reyes-Alicea is FRA’s program manager for NEC FUTURE. She described the nature of the planning process, the challenges in working on a corridor that crosses eight states and is served by commuter, intercity and freight railroads, and the steps NEC FUTURE is taking to develop a long-range investment program.

Population and employment in the Northeast is expected to grow some 25-35 percent over the next 25 years, bringing the prospect of economic prosperity and the reality of even more traffic and congestion. The Washington-Boston Northeast Corridor rail line already carries a significant portion of the region’s travelers to and from work and other destinations. Its ability to absorb the crush of new travelers in the coming decades, and to support the region’s economic development, will require a significant investment to grow capacity, improve reliability and serve new markets. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), an agency within the U.S. Department of Transportation, is leading development of a Passenger Rail Corridor Investment Plan – called NEC FUTURE – to define the investment required to keep the Northeast Corridor vibrant and to prepare the roadmap for federal, state and private investment.  For the event video and photos, please visit the event’s website at: utrc2.org/events/vss-future-rail-investments