Washington, D.C. – The U.S. House of Representatives today voted to introduce a new era of passenger rail in the United States by taking the first steps towards developing true high-speed passenger rail service in the United States.
The approved bill merges an Amtrak reauthorization bill, including a proposal by Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Republican Leader John L. Mica (R-FL) to finally develop true high-speed rail in this nation, with an improved rail safety bill, similar to one that passed the House in 2007.
“This legislation provides the historic first steps towards the development of high-speed passenger rail service in this country,” Mica said. “High-speed rail in the United States has been talked about for decades, but this bill moves us beyond talking and signifies the beginning of a new era in passenger rail service in America.
“With high fuel costs and continually worsening congestion, true high-speed rail offers an energy-efficient, cost-effective, environmentally-friendly transportation alternative that promises critical relief for our clogged highways and airspace.
“Bringing high-speed rail to the United States will also serve as an economic generator by creating thousands of jobs when Americans are hit by rising unemployment.
“This legislation moves forward two significant initiatives that will dramatically improve both rail safety and passenger rail service,” Mica added.
Today’s legislation combines the substance of Amtrak reauthorization legislation that passed both Houses of Congress earlier this year (H.R. 6003 in the House) with an improved version of the Federal Railroad Safety Improvement Act of 2007 (H.R. 2095), which originally passed the House in October, 2007.
“Today’s bill also takes important steps to improve rail safety through reforms of the regulations affecting worker fatigue and hours of service,” Mica continued, “and authorizes funding to make critical safety improvements at rail grade crossings. In addition, the bill provides funding for railroads to implement positive train control systems, which can significantly reduce the risk of accidents, collisions and fatalities.”
“This is an exciting day for our nation’s railroad industry,” said Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee Ranking Member Bill Shuster (R-PA). “We are not only reauthorizing Amtrak, which is long overdue, but we are also considering comprehensive rail safety legislation that will make our nation’s railways safer for both passenger and freight trains. I am heartened that we are considering this bill now, and I hope it offers some small degree of comfort to the families that are suffering after the recent Metrolink disaster in California.
“America’s railroads are becoming an increasingly important part of the backbone of our nation’s transportation infrastructure,” Shuster continued. “America cannot continue to sit on the bench while our global competitors invest in high-speed passenger rail. I am pleased that the committee has agreed that private industry must have a seat at the table to make Amtrak efficient and help build our next generation rail system.
“The rail safety component of this bill is equally exciting. It will result in the installation of positive train control on all routes that carry passengers or mainlines that carry toxic-by-inhalation materials by the end of 2015,” Shuster added. “The bill also provides grants to help defray some of the costs of this transition and will improve safety and reduce the chance that the disaster witnessed in California will be repeated.”
High-Speed Rail Provisions Require 2-Hour DC-to-NYC Service
Under the passenger rail provisions of the bill, $13 billion over five years is authorized for Amtrak, state intercity passenger rail, and high-speed rail service. The U.S. Department of Transportation is required to solicit proposals for the financing, development and operation of high-speed rail corridors nationwide, including a Northeast Corridor (NEC) link between Washington, D.C. and New York City.
- The request for proposals (RFP) is open to DOT-designated high-speed corridors throughout the United States, including the NEC.
- DC-to-NYC proposals require express service of no more than two hours.
- Commissions of local governors and mayors, freight carriers and commuter railroads with service in the corridor, labor, and Amtrak will evaluate proposals for each corridor. DOT will then report its recommendations for each corridor to Congress.
- DOT is required to first report to Congress on the DC-to-NYC proposals.
- Congress will evaluate the commissions’ findings and take the necessary action to commence work on any selected proposals.
- $5 million is authorized for the best proposal in each corridor for preliminary engineering costs.
- The proposal includes labor protections.
In addition, the bill includes reforms of the current Amtrak bureaucracy and other provisions to improve passenger rail service:
- Improves Amtrak’s financial accounting system and requires a five-year financing plan to improve management accountability;
- Allows freight railroads to bid on operating passenger services on current Amtrak routes with operating subsidies, including the option to contract to private operators;
- Extends Buy America protections to new State Intercity Passenger Rail Grants program to ensure that infrastructure is built using materials and equipment made in the U.S.;
- New state rail plans bring federal and state governments and railroads together to plan new and expanded rail infrastructure and improve rail system connections;
- Requires Amtrak to evaluate what improvements are needed at stations and boarding platforms to ensure accessibility for people with disabilities; and
- Requires Amtrak to develop and implement a plan to improve on-board food and beverage service.
Over $1.6 Billion to Improve Passenger & Freight Rail Safety
Under the rail safety improvement provisions of the bill, $1.625 billion is authorized over five years for the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). The bill requires and authorizes funds for risk-based deployment of positive train control systems (PTC) that focuses on passenger and commuter routes and main line freight routes that transport toxic inhalants such as chlorine. The bill requires PTC deployment on these routes by the end of 2015, and requires interoperability to ensure that passenger and commuter rail, which travel over more than one rail carrier's track, can safely move from one system to another.
Significantly more rail fatalities result from grade crossing and trespasser incidents. The bill helps address these issues by authorizing $3 million per year for rail crossing safety enforcement and infrastructure improvements, including $1.5 million per year for priority grade crossing safety improvements.
The bill also addresses railroad worker fatigue issues with new hours of service reforms that were agreed upon by both railroad management and labor. The bill includes a phase-down of “limbo time,” the time train crews must wait to be picked up after a run, first to 40 hours per month, and then to 30 hours per month, and caps the amount of combined duty and limbo time to 276 hours per month.
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