The importance of the Northeast corridor : field hearing before the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of Representatives, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, first session, June 7, 2013 (New York, New York).

The Northeast Corridor between Boston and Washington is perhaps the single most significant stretch of railroad in the country, connecting dozens of cities like Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York City. The line carries thousands of passengers daily on a mix of long-distance, regional, and commuter trains. Before it emerged as a vital stretch of railway, some of the earliest railroads in America created a foundation for the future corridor. They constructed a patchwork of lines that laid the groundwork for the Northeast Corridor of today, which later formed integral portions of the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad. The impact of this line is still felt in the many communities that developed along the tracks. While the Northeast Corridor continues to evolve, it remains as relevant as it was when the original developers conceived the rail link nearly two centuries ago.

"David Alff's stylish cultural history of the Northeast Corridor not only illuminates the history and geography of that heavily traveled stretch of railroad between Union Station in Washington, DC, and South Station in Boston-it provides a springboard to contemporary subjects like regional identity, the politics and perils of infrastructure, and the intense diversity of American populations. Paying as much attention to Aberdeen, Trenton, New Rochelle, and Providence as to America's earliest power centers and its current federal and cultural capitals, Alff tells a story of where America has been and where it might-if the rails remain intact-be going"--