Blumenthal Applauds Biden Administration's Gateway Program Milestone

[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 concluding its environmental review of the Hudson Tunnel Project:

“This milestone is monumentally welcome, even if long overdue. After years of unacceptable delay, the nation’s busiest rail hub is one step closer to vitally important improvements. President Biden has responded to our pleas with real action—hopefully to be followed by more. The decrepit and degrading Hudson tunnels are a real danger to Connecticut commuters and millions of other riders, and require urgent upgrades before tragedy strikes. I look forward to continuing to work with Secretary Buttigieg and Deputy Secretary Trottenberg to ensure the Gateway Program advances swiftly for the sake of our traveling public.”

Blumenthal has long emphasized the need to quickly advance the Gateway Program to modernize 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 the program with DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg and DOT Deputy Secretary 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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