New Jersey officials call on Trump to replace critical rail tunnel
Source: Reuters
POLITICS JANUARY 28, 2019 / 4:50 PM / UPDATED 2 HOURS AGO
New Jersey officials call on Trump to replace critical rail tunnel
Joseph Ax
3 MIN READ
NEW YORK (Reuters) - New Jerseys top state and federal officials, including Governor Phil Murphy and U.S. Senators Cory Booker and Bob Menendez, toured the deteriorating century-old rail tunnel beneath the Hudson River on Monday in an effort to convince the Trump administration to fund its replacement.
The twin North River Tunnels, which were heavily damaged by flooding during 2012s Superstorm Sandy, carry hundreds of thousands of commuters a day into Penn Station in Manhattan from New Jersey. At peak hours, up to 24 trains pass through the single-track tubes every hour.
Amtraks proposed Gateway project would build a new $13 billion tunnel, doubling the number of tracks from two to four and permitting the rail agency to close down the existing tunnels one at a time for critical repairs. Officials have warned that the damage will eventually force their hand, shutting down one tube and wreaking havoc along the busiest rail line in the country.
The Northeast Corridor, which runs from Washington, D.C., through New York to Boston, carries more than 800,000 passengers a day, including Amtrak and commuter rails like NJ Transit.
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Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-transit-tunnel/new-jersey-officials-call-on-trump-to-replace-critical-rail-tunnel-idUSKCN1PM2HV