WASHINGTON – The Federal Railway Administration has obligated $7.9 million if fiscal year 2010 funding to the State Department of Transportation to upgrade the Hudson Rail Line between Hyde Park and Red Hook.

The project will bury a stretch of 30 year old signal system cables that are currently above ground. The route carries 26 Amtrak passenger trains a day and the project, when completed, is said will improve signal reliability and train operation, and speed passenger commutes.

“Higher speed rail travel is key to New York’s economic future, and these upgrades are great news for the passengers traveling along the Hudson Line each day,” said Senator Charles Schumer.

He said signal outages from the above ground wires have led to train delays, a reduction in average operating speed, degradation in Amtrak on-time performance and a reduction in the train capacity of the line.