On February 23, 2011, VTrans began an investigation into the Vermont Rail System's (VRS) handling of the "Ethan Allen Express" between Whitehall, New York and Rutland after Amtrak notified the state that track conditions meant the train was frequently delayed. Amtrak evaluated the line as the worst in the nation. During the summer of 2011, VRS conducted work to improve the track in question, planned to result in an eighteen-minute reduction in travel time by the end of the year, with additional work planned for the summer of 2012. The project was funded by both the railroad and the state of New York at a cost of $3.25 million, and involved rebuilding about of track and eight grade crossings. By February 2012, the trackwork had resulted in a 15-minute southbound and 25-minute northbound reduction in travel time between Rutland and Whitehall, while the total time the "Ethan Allen Express" operated behind schedule fell to 135 minutes in December 2011, from 11,068 minutes a year earlier.