Senator Clinton Hails Final Senate Passage of Legislation She Cosponsored to Improve Rail Safety and Support Amtrak

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Senator Clinton Hails Final Senate Passage of Legislation She Cosponsored to Improve Rail Safety and Support Amtrak

New Safety Measures Follow Rail Accidents Across New York and Deadly Crash in California

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton hailed final Senate passage of legislation to reauthorize and reform Amtrak and make a number of long overdue improvements to railroad safety. Senator Clinton joined Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and others to introduce key provisions of the Federal Rail Safety Improvement Act, which the Senate has now passed.

"The passage of this legislation is truly a great achievement. We have taken a major step to keep New York on track and moving forward. Passenger rail is an essential and irreplaceable part of our transportation network. The rail safety component of this legislation renews our commitment to safe and efficient railroads. These safety measures will help prevent the kind of troubling accidents we have seen across New York in recent years and so tragically in California last month," Senator Clinton said. "For the past eight years, we have had to fight the Bush Administration's constant attempts to privatize and dismantle Amtrak, but now Democrats and Republicans have come together to reject the Administration's approach. The millions of Americans who rely on rail service can be proud of this critically important legislation."

"Our rail package is a real step forward for anyone who's tired of sitting in traffic, paying high prices at the pump and waiting in long lines at airports," said Senator Lautenberg. "As Amtrak ridership continues to hit record levels, our bill gives passenger rail the resources it needs to meet increased demands. Our bill also modernizes safety laws and decreases risk with smarter regulation and new technology. Now that both the House and Senate have passed this package, it is time for the President to sign it into law and give Americans the rail service they deserve."

The Federal Rail Safety Improvement Act included key provisions from the Lautenberg-Lott Amtrak bill and the Oberstar-Lautenberg Rail Safety bill. Senator Clinton was an original cosponsor of both bills and testified about the need for improved rail safety at a hearing of the Senate Commerce Committee last year. Having already passed the House of Representatives, the legislation will now be sent to the President to be signed into law.

The tragic collision in California last month underscored the need to modernize safety procedures across the nation's rail system. A number of derailments and accidents have occurred in New York in the two last years, including incidents at Cheektowaga, Syracuse, Selkirk, East Rochester, Oneida, and Watertown. Some of those derailments involved flammable liquids, explosives, and other hazards that have caused evacuations and increased danger and disruption to local residents and businesses.

The new legislation take a series of steps to improve rail safety, including mandating and funding positive train control (PTC) technology on rail main lines by 2015, limiting the continuous work hours of train crews, regulating the use of cell phones and other distractions in locomotive cabs, requiring risk-based safety programs for all major railroads to prevent deaths and injuries, and creating a National Transportation Safety Board office to assist families of passengers following rail disasters.

The legislation also includes provisions to support and reform Amtrak, including investing $12.9 billion over five years in passenger rail and requiring a new Amtrak board of directors and other steps to improve accountability, service, and efficiency. The bill also would modernize the key high-traffic Northeast Corridor, including vital safety work in the Hudson River Tunnels. The funding allocated under this legislation will allow Amtrak to implement a comprehensive plan that will enhance rail security, reduce train delays, and improve customer service. Amtrak is an integral part of New York's transportation infrastructure and serves as an engine of economic growth and tourism. Amtrak operates more than 140 routes in New York and employs more than 1,900 people.

Senator Clinton has long been a leading advocate for improving our rail system. In her continued efforts to ensure rail safety throughout the state of New York, Senator Clinton testified at a hearing on rail safety last year before the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security, calling for increased oversight and enforcement power for the Federal Railroad Administration. Senator Clinton has also written to and met with Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph Boardman about rail safety in New York.
Last month, Senator Clinton joined Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, New York transit officials, advocates, and unions at Grand Central Station to call for greater support for mass transit.

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