NH Executive Committee Says 'No' to Federal Rail Grant: The NH Executive Council, which has the power to approve/disapprove most state contracts, frustrated an act of the state legislature and undercut the governor's leadership by killing, by a 3-2 vote, a federally-funded (USDOT) study of the passenger rail potential of the Boston-Nashua-Manchester-Concord corridor. This rail initiative had survived the legislative process - no easy accomplishment - and was supported by the governor.

Here's an article from the Concord Monitor on the session and the issues.

What's next? Hopefully, some of our NH members will join in so that this developing story can be updated.

Previously: The NHDOT is holding hearings across the state, looking for public input on their Rail Plan. The Portsmouth meeting, held on February 29th, saw an effort by rail advocates to include Portsmouth to Boston passenger rail service in that plan (currently, it is not included).

TRN board member Bob Hall and UNH manager Steve Pesci spoke in favor of this expanded service noting that the success on the Downeaster points to a need to think beyond the current Amtrak service between Portland and Boston{jcomments on}