Former Lowell Sun reporter and prolific contributor to the Sunday Column  (back in the day)  -Kevin Landrigan – now covers the NH State House writing reports and a Sunday political column for the Telegraph with the same in-depth attention he gave back in his Sun-days. He is definitely in-gear to cover the the quadrennial  “running of the candidates” in the “first in the nation” presidential primary. Spotted this item of interest in Landrigan’s column today on the NashuaTelegraph.com site – while not about the primary per se it has that “federal” connection as well as a Lowell connection.

All aboard? Supporters of rail transit came in droves Tuesday as a House budget writer proposed to repeal the New Hampshire Rail Transit Authority.

 New Epsom Republican Rep. Daniel McGuire wrote the bill (HB 329) that’s coming before the House Transportation Committee.

 Authority Chairman Peter Burling placed the threat atop the group’s agenda for its monthly meeting on Friday.

 “We haven’t spent a single state dollar on this effort to date, and we are on the cusp of getting a $4.1 million grant to bring this project closer to fruition,’’ said Burling, who has called on mayors and leaders of other affected towns along the proposed high-speed rail link from Lowell, Mass., through Nashua and on to Concord.

 “We are building momentum for this project, and it’s the worst possible time to talk about going backwards.’’

 Read the full Kevin Landrigan column here.