Rep. Engel Supports Passenger Rail Reform and Investment Act of 2015

Statement

Congressman Eliot Engel, a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, voted in support of H.R. 749, the Passenger Rail Reform and Investment Act of 2015. The four-year, bipartisan bill approves $7.2 billion for passenger rail. Nearly $2 billion will fund improvements to Amtrak's Northeast Corridor, which serves the New York City area and runs between Boston and Washington, DC. The bill additionally commits $150 million in grants to States to improve passenger rail between cities within the Northeast Corridor. Significantly, this bill would allow said grants to finance upgrades to hazardous railroad crossings, like the site of last month's tragic Metro-North crash just north of Congressman Engel's district.

"In less than 14 months, I have seen a tragic train derailment in the Spuyten Duyvil section of my district that killed four people, and a horrific accident at a rail crossing in Valhalla that claimed the lives of six more, including a constituent of mine. We cannot afford to wait any longer to seriously address rail safety," Congressman Engel said. "If we want to continue to promote mass transit as a more efficient form of travel, then we cannot cut corners. The Passenger Rail Reform and Investment Act of 2015 is a bipartisan initiative that will make our railways safer for riders and non-riders, while improving the general infrastructure of our regional transportation systems. I have long been a vocal proponent of increased investment in infrastructure, and I applaud my colleagues in the House for coming together to make rail safety a priority and to ensure the wellbeing of our constituents."

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