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Blumenthal Applauds Biden Administration Advancing Gateway Program

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), a member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, released the following statement applauding the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for moving forward on an important step toward completing the Gateway Program and committing to finish its environmental review of the Hudson Tunnel Project by May 28:

“I’m glad to see the Biden Administration swiftly advancing the Gateway Program—so critical to Connecticut and the bustling Northeast Corridor. I’ve long sounded the alarm about the dangers of stalling these vitally important rail improvements. In my conversations with Secretary Buttigieg, we agreed that repairs to the decrepit and degrading Hudson tunnels on our country’s busiest rail hub are of utmost priority. After years of delay by Trump’s DOT, this administration’s quick actions will strengthen our rail network and provide certainty for commuters.”

Blumenthal has long emphasized the need to move forward on the Gateway Program to advance the modernization of a set of critical transportation infrastructure improvements on the Northeast Corridor (NEC) rail network. The program includes the Hudson Tunnel Project, a construction of a new rail tunnel beneath the Hudson River and repairs to the significantly-damaged North River Tunnel. He has discussed the need to advance this project with DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg and DOT Deputy Secretary nominee Polly Trottenberg. Last year, Blumenthal led a group of fifteen senators from all eight states along the Northeast Corridor in urging the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to finalize and approve plans to immediately advance the Hudson Tunnel Project, a critical element of the Gateway Program.

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