U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Roger Wicker’s (R-Miss.) “Railroad Reform, Enhancement, and Efficiency Act,” S.1626, has been approved by the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, the senators announced on June 25, 2015. The committee unanimously passed the proposal.
“Today's vote brings us one step closer to passing a bill that reinvests in vital rail infrastructure along the Northeast Corridor, enhances safety, and protects workers," Booker said. "I am grateful to Senator Wicker for joining me in championing this urgent cause, but there is more work to be done. I now urge Senate leaders to pass this bipartisan bill that invests in a safe and reliable passenger rail system that Americans can depend on. Time and time again our rail system falls short due to a lack of adequate infrastructure investment- we can and must do better. We must quickly build on this bipartisan effort by bringing this legislation to the Senate for a full vote."
The senators’ bipartisan measure to increase passenger rail safety, reauthorize Amtrak services and improve existing rail infrastructure was first introduced on June 19, 2015.
S. 1626 would authorize Amtrak for the next four years at an average $1.65 billion a year. Additionally, $570 million in total grant funding would be made available every year. These competitive grants would go toward programs related to capital assistance, service enhancement and restoration, efforts to alleviate rail congestion, and the Northeast Corridor.
"Investing in our nation's rail system is important to economic growth," Wicker said. "It connects businesses, moves goods, and transports Americans across the country. I am pleased that the committee has put forward a resounding vote in favor of our bill. This measure prioritizes safety, enhances rail infrastructure, encourages competition, and makes smart use of taxpayer dollars. Sen. Booker has played an instrumental role in achieving today's result, and I thank him for his leadership.
The Association of American Railroads responded favorably to S. 1626’s Senate Commerce Committee approval.
“The freight rail industry commends the Commerce Committee’s bipartisan leadership for building unanimous Committee support for a comprehensive package that addresses a number of key areas for our industry, including safety, passenger rail reauthorization and financing, and environmental permitting reform. The AAR looks forward to working with the Committee and the Senate as the bill moves forward,” said AAR President and CEO Edward R. Hamberger. “Safety is a core value of the nation’s freight railroads and we are encouraged Committee amendments improved upon the Department of Transportation’s tank car rule, in particular with respect to the lack of enhanced thermal protection and the unjustified ECP brake requirement. The data-driven, science-based approach by the Commerce Committee ensures that attention is focused on those areas that truly advance transportation safety.”
On passenger rail reauthorization, Hamberger said, “The freight railroad industry has long supported funding for Amtrak at a level that allows adequate capital investment to maintain the system and to deliver passenger service.”
Hamberger also commended the Senate Commerce Committee on the permitting process: “The freight rail industry is very encouraged with provisions to streamline environmental and historic preservation review processes. Railroads have long encountered duplicative and burdensome permitting delays unrelated to environmental quality that have negatively impacted our industry’s ability to put private dollars into rail infrastructure projects and we welcome these commonsense improvements.”