Overview of Planning for a New Northeast Corridor

Planning for a New Northeast Corridor puts forth a clear vision for the development of a modern, high-speed Northeast Corridor and broader high-speed rail network throughout the country. First, this report looks at the current state of intercity passenger rail in the United States, including the origins of Amtrak, the Northeast Corridor, and the Acela Express. Next, this report discusses the obstacles to progress that have prevented Amtrak from modernizing the Northeast Corridor and remaining competitive with other global rail systems. Among these challenges, this report focuses on the unchanging, 100-year-old Northeast Corridor right-of-way, the organizational makeup of Amtrak as a business, and the issues with relying on New York Penn Station. Finally, this report puts forth a comprehensive plan with practical steps for not only upgrading the Northeast Corridor itself, but also establishing an organizational framework for financing and constructing our nation’s intercity passenger rail infrastructure in the future.

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