The Northeast Corridor Commission has released CONNECT NEC 2040 (C40), the latest iteration of its 15-year service and infrastructure development plan and 5-year capital investment plan, which lays out a long-term vision for the NEC and the capital investments required to advance toward that vision.
This update comes as the need for a world-class rail network has never been more urgent. Service has returned to pre-pandemic levels, and ridership has been steadily increasing to 628,000 trips per weekday. The NEC is the busiest passenger rail corridor in the western hemisphere and a critical economic engine for the United States. The corridor connects a region that is home to 1 out of 6 Americans, generates a $5.9 trillion economy, and boasts some of the world’s most important financial institutions, universities, hospitals, and cultural centers.
Despite its significance, much of the NEC’s infrastructure is outdated and in urgent need of repair or replacement, including century-old major bridges and tunnels as well as basic infrastructure like electric traction power and signal systems. As rail infrastructure remains in service beyond its useful life, the system is vulnerable to infrastructure failures and service disruptions, which delay passengers and impact the region’s productivity. Current estimates indicate that an unplanned, one-day shutdown of the NEC would cost the economy over $170 million, even accounting for new ways of working.
While federal and state investments spurred by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act have provided a significant downpayment on long-deferred NEC infrastructure investments, continued investment is essential to ensuring this critical asset can provide the level of service and amenities needed to maintain America’s economic leadership in the world.
Through its planning processes, the Commission provides transparency and facilitates collaborative decision-making around NEC investment priorities, funding needs, operations, and project and program delivery. C40 lays out the Commission’s long-term vision for the corridor: providing NEC passengers with reliable train service, world-class fleet and stations, and more and faster travel options. Significant investment is required to advance toward this vision with almost 120 projects funded and under construction, more than 80 investments in early planning and design stages, and nearly 100 long-term, unfunded projects necessary to realize the full potential of the NEC.
The Project Information Appendix includes the full list of C40 investments as well as additional details on investments planned over the next five years. Developed collaboratively by NEC agencies, the appendix includes project scopes, costs, schedules, and funding sources for near-term projects providing a transparent, coordinated picture of how the region’s rail partners are investing today to build the NEC of tomorrow.
