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10/1/2009
Yesterday, the New Hampshire Department of Transportation announced it will not apply for stimulus dollars under the Track 2 high-speed rail stimulus program through the Federal Railroad Administration.
The state had planned to submit an application on Oct. 2 requesting $300 million in federal funds to begin upgrading tracks along a 39-mile corridor between Nashua and Concord to accommodate high-speed trains. However, corridor owner Pan Am Railways announced on June 30 that it was no longer interested in operating or hosting passenger-rail service along the route.
Now, the state is in discussions with Amtrak to operate passenger-rail service along the NH Capital Corridor (NHCC), over which the national intercity passenger railroad has been operating Downeaster service for the past decade. The proposed NHCC service would run on upgraded tracks between Boston and Concord, N.H., connecting Concord, Manchester-Boston Regional Airport and Nashua with Boston's North Station.
New Hampshire has applied for $1.4 million in planning funds for the Capital Corridor project as part of the $8 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.