- Officials at the third track ceremony. Photo courtesy of Sen. Carper’s office.
At a ceremony in Wilmington on Thursday, Delaware Department of Transportation Secretary Shailen Bhatt announced the launch of the Delaware Third Track Construction Project.
The $53 million project involves the addition of a third track along a 1.5-mile segment between Ragan and Brandy Interlockings on the Northeast Corridor, south of Wilmington near Banning Park.
Joining Bhatt as speakers were U.S. Senators Thomas R. Carper and Chris Coons, U.S. Congressman John Carney, and Amtrak’s Stephen Gardner, Vice President of NEC Infrastructure & Investment Development.
Bhatt said, “This nearly $53 million project represents funding from the Federal Railroad Administration, Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transit Administration, Amtrak, and the State of Delaware. It’s a project that epitomizes how far we can go and how much we can accomplish when we have the public and private sector working together, and will provide a more efficient movement and better service along the Northeast Corridor by both commuter and intercity passenger trains.”
The ,project will be financed with state and federal funds.
In addition to a third track to correct a significant choke point on the Northeast Corridor, the project will upgrade infrastructure, rehabilitate two railroad bridges, and improve signals and communication apparatus in the area south of Wilmington. The line should also reduce delays for SEPTA commuter trains.
“We need to reaffirm the fact that infrastructure is a national priority by bringing our existing system to a state of good repair and by creating a more advanced system that meets today’s needs – and this project helps us do that,” said Sen. Carper. “The construction of a third track will help improve service over Amtrak’s 225 mile Northeast Corridor, facilitate the expansion of SEPTA service between Wilmington and Newark, decrease traffic congestion and harmful emissions from cars and trucks. Projects like this one that serve a good public purpose are what federal project dollars are all about.
When the Third Track Construction Project is completed in early 2015, Delaware Transit Corporation will be able to add more SEPTA train frequencies between Wilmington and Newark. The project will also benefit SEPTA, Amtrak’s Acela and Regional train performance and improve service efficiencies. Forecasts for growth in New Castle County have led DelDOT to look at alternatives to the busy I-95 corridor. Amtrak’s Northeast Rail Corridor parallels I-95 and offers the opportunity for commuters to use SEPTA trains instead of their personal vehicles to get to work, school and recreation.
