Lauds Senate Passage of Federal Rail Safety Bill

Upon passage of the Federal Rail Safety bill in both the House and Senate Chambers, Congresswoman Corrine Brown, the Chairwoman of the House Railroad subcommittee, made the following statement:

"If you're worried about energy prices and the economy, this bill is a one-two punch. Passenger and freight rail are energy efficient, provide good jobs that can't be shipped overseas, and transport thousands of people and tons of cargo each day in a safe and efficient manner. And they accomplish all of this without drilling or polluting any of our nation's coasts!

Let me repeat that. If you're worried about $4 and $5 dollar gas prices, passenger and freight rail are energy efficient, provide good jobs that can't be shipped overseas, and transport thousands of people and tons of cargo each day in a safe and efficient manner.

Rising gas prices, along with increased highway and airport congestion, have made intercity passenger rail more popular and necessary than ever. In fiscal year 2007, Amtrak carried more than 25.8 million passengers, the fifth straight fiscal year of record ridership. Like its ridership gains, Amtrak's financial performance has improved as well, posting approximately $1.5 billion in ticket revenue.

And more than just a convenient way to travel, Amtrak is a "greener" mode of transportation. One full passenger train can take 250-350 cars off the roads. Moreover, rail travel is more energy efficient, and uses less fuel than cars or airplanes. According to U.S. Department of Energy data, Amtrak is 17 percent more efficient than domestic airline travel and 21 percent more efficient than auto travel.

Unfortunately, for many years, Amtrak had been given just enough money to limp along, never getting the necessary funding to make serious improvements to the system. For example, the High Voltage Electrical System is over 70 years old, 65% of the bridges were built before 1920, and several tunnels that trains travel through every day were built in the 1800's.

In 2005, Amtrak conducted a comprehensive review of its capital needs. The review determined that Amtrak should invest $4.2 billion to bring their infrastructure to a state of good repair. Today, with the backlog of major bridge and tunnel work, the necessary investment capital has approached an estimated $6 billion.

As other countries continue to invest tens of billions of dollars each year to improve their passenger rail systems, we are falling further behind by deferring these much needed improvements to our system. We must find a way to speed up Amtrak's backlog of repair work and bring its assets to a State of Good Repair. Then Amtrak can concentrate on increasing capacity, speed, developing new facilities, and planning for the future.

These major infrastructure improvements are also necessary to improve the safety and security of the system as well as its passengers and workers. Amtrak will continue to play a critical role in evacuation and transporting citizens during national emergencies. It was the only mode of transportation out of New York following 9-11 and transported citizens and delivered vital supplies following Hurricane Katrina. Unfortunately, it is also a prime target for those who wish us harm, and we must provide resources to make the system less vulnerable.

This legislation also includes vital railroad safety legislation that will improve the efficiency of our freight rail system, and most importantly, will help save the lives of rail employees and the people in the communities they serve.

Freight railroads are also energy efficient and have made major gains in fuel efficiency through training and improved locomotive technology. A single intermodal train can take up to 280 trucks off our highways. Today, one gallon of diesel fuel can move a ton of freight an average of 414 miles, a 76 percent improvement since 1980.

The American people deserve the best rail system in the world, and I believe rail safety will go a long way in raising the US to its rightful place as a world leader in both passenger and freight rail. We used to be the number one. Now we are the caboose, and they don't even have cabooses anymore! Yet this bill is a good beginning to a revival of our nation's rail system. Like my House and Senate counterparts on the Transportation committee, I wholeheartedly urge President Bush to sign this into law immediately."

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