News Digest: U.S. Transportation Secretary Foxx Announces Grant to Reduce Train Delays and Improve Reliability in Syracuse, NY.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx today announced an $18.5 million grant to reduce passenger and freight train congestion on Amtrak’s Empire Corridor at the Syracuse, NY train station. The grant to the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) is for the final design and construction of track reconfiguration and replacement and signal system improvements. The project includes the upgrade of two sidings or passing tracks, one of which passenger trains use to access the Syracuse station, the other used by freight trains to access the nearby freight yard. Once complete, the enhancements will remove the current 30 mph speed restrictions on the sidings. NYSDOT will contribute $4.6 million to the project. Construction is expected to begin in 2015. The grant comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail Program (HSIPR). Contact: Kevin F. Thompson (202) 493-6024.