Amtrak advances summer Northeast Corridor infrastructure work

Amtrak this summer will make $55 million worth of infrastructure improvements between Washington, D.C., and New York as part of a larger effort to bring the corridor into a state of good repair.

The railroad has hired 500 new employees to complete the projects, and will continue to hire additional workers.

The projects are designed to reduce the likelihood of lengthy train delays and significantly improve ride quality. Train schedules have been adjusted to account for the work and to avoid conflicts with other commuter agencies, Amtrak officials said in a press release.

"Amtrak continues to prioritize updating our infrastructure to improve service reliability on the Northeast Corridor," said Executive Vice President of Capital Delivery Laura Mason.

For each project, Amtrak’s production team will work at night and heavy production will occur on weekend nights to minimize the impact on riders.

Specifically, the project calls for replacing 40 track switches throughout New York and the northern and southern Mid-Atlantic regions; and updating up to 25 miles of track in the southern Mid-Atlantic.