Proposed NYC-to-Boston HSR Would Cut Trip to Under Two Hours

The proposed project would use a mix of new and old rail lines and bypass some cities to speed up the trip.

1 minute read

July 19, 2024, 5:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Passengers walking on platform at Boston train station with Amtrak train parked on track.

Passengers at the South Station Train Terminal in Boston, Massachusetts. | Tupungato / Adobe Stock

A proposed high-speed rail line would link Boston and New York via a 100-minute trip, reports Stephen Nessen in Gothamist.

The proposal includes digging a 16-mile tunnel beneath the Long Island Sound between Port Jefferson and Milford, Connecticut. The concept — which is the brainchild of a group called the Northeast High Speed Rail Coalition — would reduce the Amtrak trip between Manhattan and Boston from four hours to just 100 minutes.

The new line would use a mix of new and existing tracks and is supported by labor unions for the thousands of jobs it would bring to the region. “An internal planning document circled among members of the coalition that was obtained by Gothamist frames the proposal as a way to bring the region’s rail network up to speed with those in Europe and Asia.”

The coalition wants to tap into federal infrastructure funds for the project and plans to present a final proposal in September. Federal support is helping high-speed rail projects around the country gain momentum.

Wednesday, July 17, 2024 in Gothamist

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