ABSTRACT

The Northeast Corridor improvement program was created to improve passenger and freight rail service in the corridor between Washington, DC and Boston. Its goal is to facilitate safe, dependable high-speed service. The program provides funds for track improvement, bridge repairs, elimination of grade crossings, station improvements, electrification, installation of signaling and communication systems, and construction of railway maintenance facilities. The reconciliation act directed the secretary of transportation to complete planned construction of the corridor. The act also authorized funds for fiscal years 1982 and 1983. The Department of Transportation and Related Agencies Appropriations Act reduced the amount of funding available for the Northeast Corridor program in fiscal year 1982 by $30 million from the amount allowed in the reconciliation act. Reconciliation and appropriation actions changed the focus of this program from creating a faster train system to completing a reliable and serviceable rail system.