The dollars will be focused on the Northeast Corridor line, Connecticut's New Haven to Springfield line, the Downeaster route in Maine and the Vermonter service, according to a department press release.
"These are the kinds of investments that will improve reliability and on-time performance and attract more passengers," said LaHood in a statement. "We are creating jobs throughout New England, building our rails with American-made materials and growing the New England economy."
Some highlights include: $26.2 million to Rhode Island to pay for an electrified third track parallel on the Northeast Corridor's main line and a new platform for the station in Kingston, R.I.; $20.8 million to the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority to reduce congestion and delays along Amtrak's Downeaster service; and $30 million to Connecticut to construct six miles of new double-tracks from Hartford to Windsor.
The Department of Transportation has now doled out $10.1 billion toward new and expanded rail projects through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and annual appropriations, according to the press release.
