One of the USA’s “largest and most complex” infrastructure projects has taken a major step forward with US$11bn (£8.5bn) in support from the Biden-Harris administration and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The Hudson River Tunnel project will construct a critical new rail tunnel between New York and New Jersey along a vital economic corridor.
The announcement forms part of a US$66bn (£51bn) investment in passenger rail and reportedly represents the largest project in the history of the US Department of Transportation (USDOT).
In New York, USDOT officials signed a ‘Full Funding Grant Agreement’ through the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA’s) Capital Investment Grants (CIG) programme.
This allows FTA to invest close to US$6.9bn (£5.3bn) to help build the tunnel and rehabilitate the existing North River Tunnel, reportedly representing the largest grant ever signed by the FTA.
What’s more, US transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg approved three Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) loans through USDOT’s Build America Bureau, totalling US$4.1bn (£3.2bn), which will provide financial support at below-market interest rates.
“For decades, Americans watched one of the most heavily-used train tunnels in the hemisphere deteriorate and become a bottleneck that affected travellers from New England to the Mid-Atlantic and beyond,” said Buttigieg.
“Using funds from the president’s infrastructure law, we are building a new tunnel that improves train travel for millions of Americans and revitalises a rail corridor that is essential to so much of the nation’s economy.
“And as one of the cathedrals of American infrastructure, this project can demonstrate America’s capacity to build big things together in the 21st century.”
The Hudson Tunnel Project encompasses a range of components, including a new double-track tunnel between the Bergen Palisades in New Jersey and Manhattan in New York City, rehabilitating the North River Tunnel damaged by Superstorm Sandy in 2012, and creating a concrete casing at Hudson Yards to allow the new tunnel to connect to New York-Penn Station.
These elements aim to collectively enhance service, improve reliability, modernise design, and mitigate the impact of future natural disasters, ensuring a seamless rail network.
“It is important to realise that as we improve New Jersey Transit and Amtrak service in and out of Manhattan, we will improve train and transit service for a region that impacts more than 20% of the nation’s economy,” said FTA acting administrator Veronica Vanterpool.
“FTA is proud to invest in the Hudson Tunnel project so these rails can continue to carry millions of people who keep the American economy humming.”
When the new tunnel and the rehabilitated tunnel open, estimated by 2038, the project will provide four modern rail tunnels for Amtrak and NJ Transit trains. In addition, the project will provide the capability to significantly expand capacity in the future.
Additional project benefits include building resiliency and safeguarding rail operations against future extreme weather events, managing floods on both sides of the Hudson River, and creating a safer environment for first responders, maintenance workers, and the public, especially in the event of an evacuation.
Achievements and innovations in public transport planning will be celebrated at the third annual CiTTi Awards, which will be held on 26 November 2024 at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. Nominations are open now! Please visit www.cittiawards.co.uk to learn more about this unmissable event for the UK’s transportation sector
