Feds urge southeastern states to develop rail plan
By The Associated Press
Posted 4:26PM on Friday, June 20, 2014
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- The head of the Federal Railroad Administration is calling on state officials to develop a shared vision of rail service along the southeast corridor.<br />
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FRA Administrator Joseph Szabo spoke Friday at a Virginians for High-Speed Rail event in Richmond.<br />
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Szabo challenged officials in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia to develop a plan for service along the Southeast High-Speed Rail Corridor between Washington, D.C., and Atlanta.<br />
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Officials say passenger ridership has been setting record highs in the Southeast. Freight rail traffic in the Southeast also has been increasing.<br />
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The Federal Railroad Administration is working with officials across the country to lay the foundation for a higher performance rail network.<br />
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Szabo says regional planning could effectively yield seamless passenger rail travel all along the East Coast from Boston to Atlanta.