U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced a $13.3 million grant for the Delaware Department of Transportation to add a third track immediately south of the Wilmington, DE station.  The additional track will eliminate a chokepoint on Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor (NEC), improving on-time performance, with increased schedule flexibility on Amtrak’s high-speed Acela and Northeast Regional services, as well as local commuter rail service.

“The Obama Administration’s historic investment in the Northeast Corridor will modernize its aging railways, dramatically improve its capacity for high-speed rail and create thousands of good-paying jobs by using materials made in the USA,” said Secretary LaHood.

The project includes construction of 1.5 miles of a third track near Wilmington Station, two additional crossovers, and a bridge replacement that will help reduce congestion and deliver increased on-time performance. In addition to Amtrak's intercity operations between Washington, DC and Boston, MA, commuter trains operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) will also benefit from this additional track capacity, through improved reliability.  Freight operations will be enhanced as a result of the greater dispatching flexibility within the NEC. The Federal Transit Administration and Federal Highway Administration will contribute a combined $38.4 million to this project.

The NEC is Amtrak’s most heavily traveled route, servicing both the high-speed Acela and Northeast Regional services, which carried more than 10 million passengers in 2010 with an expected increase of approximately six percent in 2011.  Last month, the NEC received $449.94 million to upgrade electrical systems and tracks between Trenton, NJ and New York City, with an initial increase in top operating speeds up to 160 mph and future maximum speeds of 186 mph.  Another $294.78 million for New York’s Harold interlocking, will alleviate major delays for trains coming in and out of Manhattan with new  tracks that allow Amtrak trains to bypass the busiest passenger rail junction in the nation.  In addition, $29 million was recently announced for NEC improvements in Rhode Island.

Thirty-two states across the U.S. and the District of Columbia are currently laying the foundation for high-speed rail corridors to link Americans with faster and more energy-efficient travel options. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and annual appropriations have provided $10.1 billion to put America on track towards providing new and expanded rail access to communities and improving the reliability, speed and frequency of existing service.