Federal grant to aid ‘Knowledge Corridor’

BOSTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded $70 million for final design and construction of the “Knowledge Corridor” along the Connecticut River rail line in western Massachusetts.
The project, which has a total budget of $75.6 million, will rehabilitate the existing Connecticut River rail line which runs from Connecticut, through Massachusetts, to Vermont. According to a news release, Amtrak Vermonter service will be rerouted to the line providing “a more direct route, faster service and restored access” to Northampton and Greenfield. The project will create an estimated 626 jobs during construction and 155 permanent jobs by the fifth year of operation.
The $70 million competitive-grant award is part of $485 million in federal stimulus funds that will be invested to improve rail lines in the Northeast Corridor through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail program. In July 2009, Gov. Deval L. Patrick and all New England governors announced plans to work together on a coordinated regional vision for high-speed rail that will connect major cities and airports, aiming to create economic growth throughout the region. •