The rail corridor between Boston and D.C. sees around 800,000 trips per day, making it the most heavily traveled in the U.S.
President Biden himself has taken Amtrak for decades, including as a senator commuting between Delaware and Washington, D.C.
Twenty-five rail projects will receive funding, which will come from the $66 billion investment in rail included in the bipartisan infrastructure law.
The funds will go toward rebuilding 100-year-old tunnels and bridges, upgrading tracks, power systems, signals and stations, and advancing future projects that aim to improve travel times by increasing operating speeds and reducing delays.
Projects include $4.7 billion for the Frederick Douglass Tunnel in Maryland, which officials said would increase train speed to 110 mph from 30 mph.
Another $3.8 billion will go toward the Gateway Hudson River Tunnel in New York and New Jersey that was damaged by Superstorm Sandy in 2012.
The projects are an effort to move “the United States closer to his vision for world-class passenger rail,” an official said.
Officials added that the administration is also aiming to “ensure that train service is more convenient and climate-friendly than either driving or flying.”
Nearly $9 billion of the total funding will be dispersed in fiscal year 2022 and 2023 funds, with $7.4 billion in future commitments.
The Hill’s Alex Gangitano has more here.
