Amtrak asks for $299M to fix Northeast Corridor problems that constantly delay commuters

By Larry Higgs | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Amtrak officials have applied for $299.7 million in federal grants to replace trouble-prone overhead wiring that powers trains, and has been blamed for delays and service suspensions this summer.

Amtrak applied for four Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements Federal Railroad Administration grants, including $13.4 million to replace overhead electric catenary wires between North Brunswick to Newark, with an award announcement expected in the fall, said Jason Abrams, an Amtrak spokesman.

Amtrak officials also applied for an $18.6 million grant to upgrade signal systems between New Brunswick and Elizabeth, $80.277 million to replace electrical substation 41 in Kearny and $187.5 million to replace the Sawtooth Bridges in Kearny.

The two-track Sawtooth Bridges would be replaced with new structures carrying four Northeast Corridor through tracks over NJ Transit’s Morris & Essex lines and PATH tracks. Those bridges were built in 1907 and are deteriorating.

https://www.nj.com/news/2024/08/amtrak-asks-for-299m-to-fix-northeast-corridor-problems-that-constantly-delay-commuters.html

(paywall)