State transportation officials are reviving hopes for a second railroad track between Schenectady and Rensselaer, according to the Times Union.

The Rensselaer train station.The 18-mile stretch has long been a bottleneck that delays freight and passenger trains, including Amtrak's Empire Corridor service. Around 80 Amtrak trains pass through the stretch each week, and passengers often wait 20 minutes or more for traffic to clear. 

According to the Capital District Transportation Committee, a transit-planning group, there had been hopes to build a second line before but they plans were sidetracked due to budget concerns. The estimated cost of adding a new line is $60 million.

The CDTC's Planning Committee, which includes representatives of municipalities and transportation agencies throughout the region, will decide later this month whether to put the project back on its agenda.