Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo says she's opposed to federal plans for a new Amtrak bypass route for high-speed trains traveling from coastal eastern Connecticut into Rhode Island.
The Democrat says that after meeting Wednesday with town leaders and local legislators who represent communities in southwest Rhode Island, she shares their concerns about quality of life, environmental threats and historic preservation.
Federal railroad regulators last month unveiled a plan to upgrade Amtrak's Washington-to-Boston Northeast Corridor over the coming decades.
One recommendation would speed up southern New England travel by creating a straighter 40-mile bypass route for high-speed trains.
Raimondo says she agrees it's important to increase connectivity and cut down travel times to New York and Boston. But she said she can't support the bypass.