Amtrak and New York State settle; high-speed rail upgrades a possibility in Capital Corridor?

From The Albany Times-Union (by Cathy Woodruff, "Amtrak, state settle suit," 2007-12-12):

Amtrak and the state Department of Transportation have settled a three-year legal feud over a plan to speed rail service between New York City and the Capital Region by overhauling seven old Amtrak Turboliner trains.

...

The state sued Amtrak in August 2004, claiming the railroad had failed to deliver on its promise to bring high-speed rail service to New York as part of an agreement crafted with the state's Pataki Administration in the 1990s. The state sought $477.3 million from Amtrak.

From Buffalo Business First ("Amtrak deal ticket for high-speed upgrades," 2007-12-12):

About $22 million in state funds was approved in the 2006-07 fiscal year budget for the high-speed rail initiatives, designed to reduce travel times and increase safety along the tracks.

Half of that funding will be used to add a fourth track and extend platforms at the Albany-Rensselaer station, Bruno said at the time.

"This agreement puts to rest a long-standing dispute and enables the state and Amtrak to move forward cooperatively to improve passenger rail service," Gov. Eliot Spitzer said in a statement.

There were 734,187 riders on the Albany to New York City route in 2005.

Chimes in NY1 ("Settlement Revives Hopes Of High Speed Rail Upstate," 2007-12-12):

The plan has been kicked around Albany since the ‘80s but not much has been done with it because of scheduling delays and cost overruns.

The original idea was to run trains that go 200 miles an hour, which would make the trip from New York to the capital less than an hour.