The state of Connecticut had asked for $227 million in federal railroad funds.
An Amtrak train leaves the station in Detroit Monday, May 9, 2011. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced that Michigan has been awarded almost $200 million for high-speed rail projects, including infrastructure upgrades. This story updates the story posted at 1:36 p.m. on Monday, May 9, 2011.
SPRINGFIELD - The federal government will spend $30 million double-tracking the railroad line between New Haven, Conn., and Springfield, part of a long-term plan to speed and improve passenger service along the Connecticut River as far north as St. Albans, Vt.
But the state of Connecticut had asked for $227 million from the $2 billion in federal railroad funds originally put toward a project in Florida. The money became available when political power in Florida shifted, and the project was abandoned.
"Connecticut got about 13 percent of what they had asked for," said Timothy W. Brennan, executive director of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission. "At least in this particular round."
In the $227-million request, Connecticut transportation planners had included $20 million for Springfield's Union Station. The money would have gone to repair pedestrian tunnels at the station and bring the platforms at the 1926 building up to modern handicapped accessibility standards.
The city has plans to renovate Union Station into a bus and train station with office space, retail, enclosed parking and a child-care center at a total cost of about $70 million with construction beginning in summer 2012.
Brennan said he doesn't know if Union Station will share in the $30 million Connecticut actually received. The request promised to fund projects on the Massachusetts side of the state line in ratio to the request no matter how much was received. That would have worked out to $3 million to $4 million of the $30 million received, Brennan said. But the federal grant announced Monday specifies double-tracking, or creating two parallel sets of tracks so trains going in each direction can pass safely.
"It appears they went after projects that are shovel-ready with an idea towards getting the projects started and putting people to work," Brennan said. A total of $795 million of the $2 billion available will be used to improve rail service along the heavily-used Boston-Washington Northeast Corridor, according to The Associated Press.
That work would boost train speeds on the well-traveled corridor to 130 to 170 mph, Brennan said.
"We need to get more of that backbone upgraded," Brennan said. "That's where the population is. That's where the traffic is.
"The Boston-Washington Corridor is also the trunk that feeds the Springfield line through the connection at New Haven, Brennan said.
Massachusetts also received $20.8 million to improve Downeaster service from Boston to Portland, Maine, according to a federal news release. The money will go to double-track a 10.4 mile section of right-of-way between Wilmington and Andover, Mass.
Passenger rail in the Connecticut River Valley received Federal funding last year as well. Massachusetts was awarded $73 million in 2010 to improve tracks from Springfield to the Vermont state line. That work could begin later this year once the state, Pan Am Railways and the federal Railroad Administration can reach an agreement.
Pan Am, based in North Billerica, owns the north-south railroad running along the Connecticut River.
Once completed, Amtrak trains will be able to follow the river North, not detour through Palmer as they do today. Once completed, Amtrak will be able to average 65 to 70 mph along the river.
"We need to be competitive with people driving their own car," Brennan said.
Vermont received $50 million and that state signed an agreement with the Railroad Administration and Pan Am earlier this spring and that work has begun.
Connecticut already has received $40 million for a 10-mile section of track in the first round of funding and $121 million for further work in the second round. Work on the $40 million project could begin in the fall, Brennan said.
Construction is expected to last two years with the tracks being ready by 2013 or 2014 at the latest, Brennan said.
Jim Kinney can be reached at jkinney@repub.com