Passenger rail projects slated for spring
By Eric Anderson
Schenectady
Construction work on several major passenger rail projects should get under way this spring, two Department of Transportation officials told members of the Empire State Passengers Association at its annual meeting Saturday.
Work on the second track connecting Albany and Schenectady, a fourth track at the Rensselaer train station, and preliminary track and platform work is expected to get under way this construction season, said Susan Andrews, rail projects group director for the state Department of Transportation. The projects will be let as one contract.
Also planned this season is an extension of the existing high-level platforms at Rensselaer that are level with the interior of the passenger cars, making the trains easier to board. And three crossings in Colonie will receive four-quadrant gates and other improvements.
Improvement to the signal system on the Hudson line between Rensselaer and Poughkeepsie also are expected to get under way. The project includes new signals and burying cables that connect them to protect the system from the weather.
http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Passenger-rail-projects-slated-for-spring-5280675.php
