VTrans highlights bridge work, Amtrak subsidy and corridor planning in FY26 rail budget presentation

Dan Delabriere, rail program director at the Vermont Agency of Transportation, told the House Transportation Committee on Jan. 30, 2025, that the agency's FY26 rail budget centers on bridge replacements, platform reconstructions, continued Amtrak subsidies and corridor‑level planning to support future federal grant applications.

Delabriere summarized a heavy construction year in the prior season, noting work on 29 bridges between Rutland and the New York state line and describing the logistics of closing a rail section for concentrated construction. "We closed the railroad down for 21 days," he said, then described the rerouting and coordination required to keep freight moving during that work.

The rail budget includes the state's share of Amtrak subsidies for two daily Vermont routes — the Vermonter and the Ethan Allen — which Delabriere estimated at about $9.5 million for the coming year when fares and federal offsets are accounted for. He told…