Owens applauds progress on U.S.-Canadian cross-border rail preclearance service

Press Release

Congressman Bill Owens applauded news yesterday that U.S. and Canadian officials have reached a preliminary agreement to establish U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) service in Montreal's Central Station to screen passengers before they board trains traveling into the U.S. This service will enable U.S. CBP officers to identify threats early, before they reach the U.S. border, while also streamlining the transportation of law-abiding travelers who would no longer need to stop at the border.

"Travelers and businesses on both sides of the border consistently call for more access to cross-border transit and our governments have a responsibility to respond to that demand," said Owens. "Developing the procedures and infrastructure needed to improve cross-border rail service is also a smart economic investment that will encourage more trade and tourism, creating and supporting local jobs and economic growth throughout the region. I am pleased that the U.S. and Canadian governments have reached an initial agreement and urge the relevant agencies in both countries to settle on terms that will expedite the approval of preclearance in Montreal as soon as possible."

Garry Douglas, President of the North Country Chamber of Commerce, also responded to news of the preliminary agreement. "We have been working to speed all forms of transportation between Quebec and New York, and a key aim of the last few years has been to see agreement between the U.S. and Canada for U.S. Customs clearance of Amtrak passengers in Montreal when they board, thereby reducing the often long stoppages at the border in Champlain," said Douglas. "This agreement will take up to an hour off of the Montreal-New York City trip and make rail travel more attractive. And it represents another advancement in the improvement of our Quebec-New York connectivity which is crucial to the North Country's future. We thank Congressman Bill Owens for his steadfast involvement in the Beyond the Border Action Plan, which this is a part of, as well as Senators Schumer and Gillibrand who have been strong partners and supporters in all of our cross border efforts. Onward, upward and on track!"

The U.S. and Canadian governments made progress toward establishing rail preclearance in 2011 with the signing of the Beyond the Border Accord, a shared approach to addressing security threats while expediting lawful trade and travel. Travelers on the Adirondack line, which connects Montreal and New York City, would benefit from faster travel as a result of these preclearance services. Such preclearance would be the first ever established for non-air travel.

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