Rhode Island is expected to seek federal funding for a rail project that will initially improve Amtrak service in Westerly but potentially lead to closing the only gap in commuter rail in the Northeast.
That gap is from New London, Connecticut to Wickford. For years, Rhode Island legislators and rail advocates, principally from the Westerly area, and legislators and rail advocates in nearby Connecticut, have jointly lobbied for the extension of Shore Line East from New London to initially Westerly, and eventually Wickford.
Westerly is one of four rail stations without a raised platform in the Northeast, something seen as essential for any commuter rail expansion and Amtrak increasing stops in Westerly…