According to a preliminary report recently released by the New Hampshire Department of Transportation and New Hampshire Rail Transit Authority, expanded passenger rail in New Hampshire could be the game-changer the New Hampshire economy needs.

The full report is expected next year, but for now, there are two concerns:

• Will the state’s business community rise to the occasion and champion what could be a huge job creator as well as new economic engine for our state?

• Can our political leaders put aside their ideological differences to make a positive change?

The decision on whether to expand passenger rail could determine whether New Hampshire’s economy continues to stagnate or markedly improves.

The preliminary study outlines what many believe will happen if we figure out how to make passenger rail a reality for New Hampshire: It can be the key to restarting the state’s economic engine.

As Thomas Mahon, chairman of the New Hampshire Transit Authority, said, “There is simply no economic development opportunity on the horizon that could transform New Hampshire’s economy like the expansion of passenger rail could offer.”

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