Amtrak upgrades: High-speed proposals could affect 8 states

Proposals by the Federal Railroad Administration to upgrade the high-speed rail corridor through the Northeast have raised concerns , and some enthusiasm, from residents in the eight states containing the route of Amtrak's Acela Express from Boston to Washington.

The most vehement opposition has come from southeastern Connecticut, where residents in Old Lyme and neighboring shoreline towns fear construction of a 50-mile bypass to avoid the current curvy route that hugs the coast would ruin their communities.

Some residents are concerned about a new high-speed route option that could bypass Wilmington, a banking hub and the state's largest city.

The greatest concern voiced by residents and environmental groups has been over a proposed parallel track that could cut into the edge of the Patuxent Research Refuge, a national wildlife refuge.

A proposed alternative route could steer inland, stopping in Worcester, the state's second-largest city, before reaching the end point in Boston.

Or, as others prefer, the railroad agency could focus on upgrading and speeding up the existing route that comes through Rhode Island.

Major upgrades — some already in the works in partnership with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey — would include new railroad tunnels beneath the Hudson River that would improve frequency of trains bound for New York.