Cuomo Seeks Federal Money for High-Speed Rail in New York State
A Shenzhen to Guangzhou China Railway high-speed train departs from the East Railway Station in Guangdong province, China. Photographer: Forbes Conrad/Bloomberg
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is seeking about $517 million in U.S. funds for eight projects that would advance high-speed-rail in the state, according to a statement from his office.
Cuomo and other U.S. governors are angling for federal rail funds returned by Florida Governor Rick Scott, who rejected $2.4 billion for an 84-mile (135-kilometer) passenger line connecting Tampa and Orlando. Scott said he didn’t want his state’s taxpayers to face potential extra costs for the project.
“New York is embracing high-speed rail as a faster way to move people and products and drive our economy in the 21st century, and these federal resources would help us achieve these goals,” Cuomo said in the statement.
The projects include $294.7 million for a two-mile route for Amtrak trains that avoids conflict with Long Island Rail Road traffic, the statement said. A congestion bypass would help Amtrak’s Boston-to-Washington trains avoid delays along the Northeast Corridor tracks and permit high-speed passage.
Cuomo is also asking for $49.8 million for the final design of phase two of the Moynihan Station Project. The decades-long plan would turn a landmark Manhattan post office near Madison Square Garden into a railway depot, augmenting Pennsylvania Station and adding stores and offices.
To contact the reporter on this story: Martin Z. Braun in New York at mbraun6@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Mark Tannenbaum at mtannen@bloomberg.net
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