ALBANY (AP) -- Gov. Andrew Cuomo is seeking $517 million in federal funding for eight high-speed rail projects.
The projects cover an array of infrastructure upgrades to lay the groundwork for wide-scale high-speed service in New York. The federal government has made $2.4 billion in high-speed rail funding available after it was returned by the State of Florida.
The largest application in New York is for $294.7 million for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's Harold Interlocking plan. It calls for the construction of a new conflict-free route for Amtrak along two miles of the Northeast Corridor where Amtrak service must cross over a flow of MTA trains, resulting in significant and routine delays.
Other work includes completion of a new 4th track at the Rensselaer station and track upgrades at the Schenectady and Rochester stations.
(Copyright ©2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)