Former Massachusetts Gov. Michael S. Dukakis will be the keynote speaker for an action-oriented discussion about the economic impact of passenger rail in New Hampshire and New England. The event, “Rail as the Economic Engine for NH and the Region: A Time for Action,” will be
held Monday, July 14, from 6 to 9 p.m. in the auditorium of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College.
Dukakis, a former U.S. presidential candidate, will be joined in a panel discussion by New Hampshire State Senator Peter Burling, chairman of the New Hampshire Rail Transit Authority, and Patricia Quinn, executive director of the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority, who will serve as moderator.
The event will focus on the economic justification for rail in New Hampshire and how the New England region can work together to rebuild key strategic routes to remain competitive both globally and within the US. Also, New Hampshire's commitment to leadership in regional rail infrastructure planning will be discussed, as well as the NH Capitol Corridor project, an exciting plan to return passenger rail from Concord to Boston.
Gov. Dukakis has demonstrated a longstanding interest in public transportation, particularly rail. As governor of Massachusetts, he rode the subway to his Statehouse office. He was vice chairman of the board of directors of Amtrak under the Clinton administration, serving a full five-year term on what was then a new board.
The New Hampshire Institute of Politics, the Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission and New Hampshire Rail Revitalization Association are sponsoring the event.