Washington, D.C. – Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Republican Leader John L. Mica (R-FL) hailed Congress’ approval of legislation to allow the private sector to submit proposals to develop the nation’s first true high-speed passenger rail service in the United States as “historic and unprecedented.”
The passenger rail and rail safety legislation that passed the U.S. Senate today and the House last week (H.R. 2095), and which now goes to President for signature, authorizes the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to solicit proposals for the development, financing, operation and maintenance of high-speed service in the DOT-designated high-speed corridors around the nation.
The legislation requires DOT to first report its recommendations to Congress on the proposals for two-hours-or-less service between Washington, D.C. and New York City.
“This dramatic departure from Soviet-style train service ushers in the potential for a new era of passenger rail service in this country,” said Congressman Mica, the author of the high-speed rail provision.
“The Northeast Corridor is one of the most valuable yet underutilized assets in the nation. Compared to European and Asian high-speed standards, passenger rail service in the Northeast Corridor limps along at speeds of third-world train service.
“By enlisting the resources and ingenuity of the private sector to achieve two-hour door-to-door express service from Washington, D.C. to New York, we can provide a model for other high-speed corridors around the nation,” Mica said.
“With this legislation, not only do we have the potential for transforming passenger rail service, aviation congestion will also benefit from new high-speed rail. In fact, over 70 percent of the nation’s chronically delayed flights originate from congestion in the New York airspace.
“Developing high-speed rail can relieve congestion, improve economic development, and generate jobs in the Northeast Corridor and around the country.
“Other nations have long benefited from high-speed rail, and this bill gives the U.S. the opportunity to join them in the modern age of rail transportation,” Mica said.
The measure opens 11 corridors across the nation to private sector high-speed rail proposals. The 11 high-speed corridors DOT designated with Congress’ authorization are:
- The Northeast Corridor;
- The California Corridor;
- The Empire Corridor (in New York);
- The Pacific Northwest Corridor;
- The South Central Corridor (Texas-Oklahoma-Arkansas);
- The Gulf Coast Corridor;
- The Chicago Hub Network;
- The Florida Corridor;
- The Keystone Corridor (Pennsylvania);
- The Northern New England Corridor; and
- The Southeast Corridor.
Under the legislation, once the request for proposals is made, commissions of local governors and mayors, freight and commuter railroads, 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 then evaluate the commissions’ findings and take the necessary action to commence work on any selected proposals. The bill also authorizes up to $5 million for the best proposal in each corridor for preliminary engineering costs.
“As gas prices remain high, more congestion chokes our highways, and aviation delays continue to rise, no other transportation alternative is as cost-effective, energy-efficient, or environmentally friendly,” Mica concluded.
Also included in the bill is a rail safety measure that requires better collision avoidance technology, mandates tighter work-hour rules for labor, and expands grade crossing improvement programs.
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