Amtrak unveils ‘Connects US’ map that suggests new corridors

Citing the need to finally attack a multi-billion dollar backlog of century-old Northeast Corridor bridge and tunnel replacements, Amtrak CEO Bill Flynn followed President Joe Biden’s American Jobs Plan announcement with the first outlines of a proposal that would jump-start expansion of state-supported intercity corridors with an infusion of upfront capital assistance.

“President Biden’s infrastructure plan is what this nation has been waiting for,” Flynn says in a statement, adding, “Amtrak must rebuild and improve the Northeast Corridor, our National Network and expand our service to more of America.” The wide-ranging $2 trillion Biden plan includes $621 billion for transportation infrastructure, with $80 billion of that for passenger and freight rail.

Along with Flynn’s statement, the company released a “Amtrak Connects US” fact sheet and map, available here, that shows existing routes, including those with “enhanced service,” and suggests where new routes might be added as part of what Amtrak calls “Our 2035 Vision.”