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Senate committee moves rail budget line to cover repairs at White River Junction station
Summary
Committee staff said a longstanding rail subsidy line item was corrected to fund needed repairs at the White River Junction rail station, including roof, sewer and electrical work; AOT staff described the change as a bookkeeping correction to address building damage.
Senate Transportation committee members heard a request to reallocate a rail budget item toward repairs at the White River Junction station, where state staff reported a leaking cupola, water damage to second‑floor offices, failing sewer line and an electrical panel problem.
Dan Delabrio, rail section, told the committee the change corrects a prior line item that had funded a longstanding subsidy (referred to in testimony as the “Wacker subsidy”) that is no longer required. He said the state instead needs to address several structural and utility issues at White River Junction station.
Delabrio described the work as more than a simple roof repair: the agency lists roof replacement as the major element but also identified interior ceiling repairs, an electrical panel replacement and excavation to replace a problematic sewer main that has been causing backups. Committee discussion cited a cost estimate in the hearing of roughly $260,000 for the combined project work.
Committee members asked whether the concentration of rail projects in White River Junction was equitable; Delabrio and other staff noted the station is a state‑owned building in active rail use and requires upkeep. The committee did not take a formal vote at the hearing but recorded the agency’s intent to reassign the previously budgeted subsidy money to the station repairs and to bring project details forward.
Ending: AOT staff said they will return with specific project paperwork; committee members urged the agency to provide scope and cost documentation to justify the transfer.
