RI: Governor, Ridot and Others to Discuss Future of High-Speed Rail in Rhode Island

May 27, 2011
Governor Lincoln D. Chafee and members of the Congressional delegation will join the Rhode Island Department of Transportation at Kingston Station on Friday, May 27, at 11 a.m. to talk about the future of high-speed rail in Rhode Island and the $28 million Federal grant recently awarded to the State.

The following information was released by the state of Rhode Island:

Governor Lincoln D. Chafee and members of the Congressional delegation will join the Rhode Island Department of Transportation at Kingston Station on Friday, May 27, at 11 a.m. to talk about the future of high-speed rail in Rhode Island and the $28 million Federal grant recently awarded to the State.

Rhode Island was one of 15 states to share a $2 billion award turned down earlier this year by the governor of Florida. Of the $28 million awarded to the state, $25 million will be used for improvements at Kingston Station, including an additional 1.5 miles of track to enable high-speed Amtrak Acela trains to bypass regional trains, and work to raise the platforms to give the station full ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessibility.

Rhode Island's proposal was rated in the top 1 percent of nearly 100 applications submitted nationwide, and was the only state to receive awards for two projects on the Northeast Corridor main line.

Speakers will include Governor Chafee, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Representative James Langevin and RIDOT Director Michael P. Lewis. They will talk about how these Federal dollars will increase speeds along the Northeast Corridor, increase on-time performance, and improve the stations themselves.

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