Description
With primarily passenger services, the Northeast Corridor is a cooperative venture between Amtrak and various state agencies. Amtrak owns the track between Washington and New Rochelle, New York, a northern suburb of New York City. The segment from New Rochelle to New Haven is owned by the states of New York and Connecticut; Metro-North Railroad commuter trains operate on this segment. North of New Haven, ownership again reverts to Amtrak, whose tracks stretch to the border between Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The final segment from the border north to Boston is owned by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Under Amtrak's ownership the Northeast Corridor had several high-profile electric-power failures in 2006 and other infrastructure problems. Power outages caused delays of up to five hours for Amtrak and commuter trains. Railroad officials have blamed Amtrak's funding woes for the deterioration of the track and power supply system, which in places is almost a hundred years old. These problems have decreased in recent years after tracks and power systems were repaired and improved.
Amtrak owns Pennsylvania Station in New York, 30th Street Station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Station in Baltimore, and Union Station in Washington.
The NEC has eleven grade crossings, all in southeastern New London County, Connecticut, north of New York. Except for three grade crossings in New London (close to the station), all crossings have four-quadrant gates without exit gate delays as well as induction loops to alert Amtrak personnel about trapped vehicles.
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