NERC’s Mission

The mission of the New England Rail Coalition is to develop, and establish the political and governmental infrastructure and funding needed to implement, a vision for a vastly improved network of passenger and freight rail services that better connects the New England states with one another and with other regions, and that promotes sustainable economic development, enhances the movement of people and goods, reduces the costs of living and doing business in New England, minimizes greenhouse gases and other pollutants, and improves the quality of life for people throughout the region.

NERC’s Statement of Principles

• NERC believes that a balanced and regionally integrated transportation system is the lifeblood of New England’s economic future, and is imperative to maintaining the quality of life that has made the region such an attractive place for people to live, learn and work, and for businesses to invest, innovate and grow.  A substantially greater investment in passenger and freight rail is essential for New England to restore balance to its predominantly highway-oriented, single-mode system, and to build and maintain a sustainable transportation network. 
• NERC believes that improving and expanding the region’s network of passenger and freight rail is essential to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and to New England’s efforts to tackle climate change.  New England’s transportation sector is the region’s single largest and fastest growing source of global warming pollution, adding to the urgency of investing in rail. 
• NERC believes that passenger rail can and must serve as a powerful engine to promote and support compact, economically and socially vibrant communities.  Rail can play a critically important role in linking transportation investment with desired land use goals, and avoiding costly sprawl development – and associated traffic and pollution – so often caused by highways and roads.
• NERC believes that increased investment in passenger and freight rail is essential to reducing congestion and wear-and-tear on our region’s highways and bridges, and avoiding the need for costly roadway and bridge expansions.  New England’s unbalanced transportation system has become an enormous financial burden for states and municipalities as they struggle with inadequate funds to address the high costs of maintaining, fixing and expanding roads.  Rail investments can play an important role in reducing these costs.
• NERC believes that passenger rail can and must play a role in enhancing transportation choice, including better access to jobs, and reducing the proportion of household income spent out of necessity on transportation.  The region’s unbalanced transportation system – by perpetuating dependence on private vehicles and providing inadequate transportation choice – has become an enormous financial burden for many individuals and has contributed to the problem of unaffordable housing.  Investments in passenger rail, particularly when linked with transit-oriented development, can help relieve these burdens.
• NERC believes that enhancing freight rail opportunities is necessary to provide businesses with more transportation options and to improve economic competitiveness.  The region’s heavy reliance on trucks to move freight puts New England businesses at a competitive disadvantage.  Shifting more freight to rail is essential to supporting businesses in New England.
• NERC believes that the New England states must come together and – through close, transparent, sustained collaboration – develop and implement a New England blueprint for a vastly improved regional network of  passenger and freight rail.  To effectively compete with other regions of the country for growing, yet still limited, federal funds, the New England states must “speak with one voice” in communicating and implementing a regional rail vision.