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Starting today, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) will hold meetings in the District of Columbia and each of the eight states that make up the Northeast Corridor (NEC) to educate the public and solicit opinions as part of the environmental review process for the NEC Future initiative.

To be held through Aug. 22, the meetings will provide information and feedback on future NEC service, FRA officials said in a prepared statement.

The initiative calls for developing a framework for future passenger-rail investments in the corridor between Washington, D.C., and Boston through 2040, including an environmental impact statement (EIS) to assess alternatives for improvements in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act.

The draft EIS is expected to be completed by mid-2014, with a final EIS and record of decision to follow in 2015. The NEC Future program will include the development of a service development plan (SDP) focused on passenger-rail service and possible alternatives for the corridor. Together, the SDP and EIS will comprise the Passenger Rail Corridor Investment Plan for the NEC.

In addition to D.C., meetings will be held in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Rhode Island.