Alstom and Amtrak have signed a contract for Alstom to design and build 28 new high-speed trains, which will run on the Northeast Corridor (NEC) between Boston and Washington D.C. Amtrak and Alstom also signed a long-term contract under which Alstom will provide Amtrak with long-term technical support and supply spare components and parts for the maintenance of the new trainsets. Together, these contracts are worth approximately $2 billion.
The NEC line covers roughly 457 miles. In only 10 years, the number of passengers has increased from 2.4 million passengers in FY 2002 to 3.5 million in FY 2014.