Skirting the Vermont-New Hampshire border from Vernon in the south to St. Albans in the north, Amtrak's Vermonter offers passengers a splendidly scenic journey in winter, spring, summer, and fall.
Now, thanks to a $52.7 million Recovery Act grant, Amtrak has improved speed, reliability, and service on this storied route.
Today, with the sun doing its best to burn through the morning fog along the banks of the Connecticut River, it was my great pleasure to help Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, U.S. Representative Peter Welch, Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph C. Szabo, and RailAmerica Chief Operating Officer Paul Lundberg celebrate completion of this project.
This morning's celebration was made even more festive by the fact that this is one of the first major corridor development projects funded through President Obama’s High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail program.
Even better? Workers completed the project on-time and on-budget, upgrading 190 miles of track and installing 130,000 new railroad ties in under two years.