PHILADELPHIA: Federal railroad regulators endorsed an ambitious and costly plan to rebuild the congested Northeast Corridor over the next 30 years by shoring up crumbling infrastructure, running more trains and building new tracks that would allow speeds of up to 220 mph on a stretch of the Washington-Boston route. The Federal Railroad Administration’s plan unveiled Friday aims to cut down on delay-causing bottlenecks and increase capacity and reliability by upgrading outdated bridges and tunnels – including ones into New York City that are more than a century old – and realigning tracks to eliminate speed-restricting curves. The FRA estimates the $120 billion plan would cut travel times between Washington and New York by 35 minutes, to about 2 hours and 10 minutes, on the fastest trains and save 45 minutes to an hour on trips between Boston and New York, which now take close to 4 hours. Amtrak’s Stephen Gardner, who’s in charge of business operations on the corridor, said the plan affirms the railroad’s “long-held view that rebuilding and expanding the Northeast Corridor is essential for the growth and prosperity of the entire region.” The FRA’s plan is the first comprehensive look at the future of the 500-mile corridor, which handles about 2,200 trains and 750,000 passengers each day on commuter and intercity trains. The agency said it’s the product of a four-year process that sought input from state and local officials and residents, as well as Amtrak and commuter railroads. Now it’s up to the states, railroads and President-elect Donald Trump to give their approvals and figure out which aspects of the plan to prioritize. Not everyone is on board. Sen. Richard Blumenthal declared a part of the plan calling for new tracks from Old Saybrook, Connecticut, to Rhode Island “dead on arrival,” even after the FRA opted to recommend a tunnel instead of elevated tracks through the historic town of Old Lyme. He contends the plan will still devastate neighborhoods, marshlands, commercial districts and tourist attractions along the state’s southeastern Connecticut shoreline. Blumenthal, D-Conn., questioned the project’s environmental and quality-of-life impacts on those communities, as well as the cost. Rep. Joe Courtney, also a Democrat, said one estimate put the proposed tunnel’s cost at $20 billion, leaving local activists concerned that cheaper above-ground tracks could still be built. They’re also worried the tunnel could harm the environment. Matthew Lehner, public affairs director for the FRA, said that Friday’s recommendation is just one step in the process and that construction couldn’t begin on any aspect of the plan without the support and agreement of state leaders.