ABOUT CNEC

The Coalition for the Northeast Corridor (CNEC or Coalition) is a membership organization that represents a spectrum of stakeholders who want a strong and vibrant Northeast Corridor  (NEC). Businesses, communities, and individuals up and down the corridor rely on this national asset to conduct commerce, create jobs, get employees to work, and drive the U.S. economy forward. The Coalition is a regional and national advocacy effort led to protect "end-users" that rely on a vital interstate and commuter rail system between Boston, Massachusetts and Washington, D.C. to power the region’s growth.

MISSION

The Coalition’s mission is to advocate for federal infrastructure investment to protect the NEC’s future. Due to the lack of a coordinated effort to motivate Congress to appropriate the authorized funding, a broad coalition of end-users is needed to speak with a unified voice on the value of a vibrant NEC.

WHY NOW

The challenge in upholding this critical asset is the amount of funding required, $52 billion over the next 20 years, in order to reach a state-of-good- repair and accommodate future growth. According to both The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, the corridor’s rail infrastructure will fail without major investment. A sustained infrastructure failure of this magnitude portends serious challenges for rail infrastructure in not only the Northeast, but across the entire United States. According to the Northeast Corridor Commission, “The loss of the NEC for a single day could cost the country $100 million in added congestion, productivity losses, and other transportation impacts.” In order to achieve long term success, Congress must appropriate discretionary funds to establish an infrastructure funding program prioritizing rail.

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ADVOCACY GOALS

The coalition seeks to:

• Improve the safety of passenger rail and increase employment opportunities by increasing infrastructure investment in the NEC through appropriations, public-private partnerships, and alternative financing.

• Expand the quantity and quality of stakeholders capable of weighing-in and influencing the appropriations process, including those who have not traditionally advocated for NEC infrastructure.