Legislation

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Legislation

AAR: Rail Anti-Trust Bill Will Impose Confusing, Overlapping Regulatory Scheme

March 9, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — Legislation approved that will repeal the railroads’ limited anti-trust exemptions creates an unprecedented and confusing regulatory scheme that could alter current economic oversight of the railroads, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR). The legislation to eliminate the railroads’ few anti-trust exemptions was reported by the Senate Judiciary Committee. At the same time, the Senate Commerce Committee will be developing legislation that could subject railroads to still more economic regulation by the Surface Transportation Board (STB). “We face two disparate schemes that spell nothing but confusion for the railroads and those charged with enforcing the regulations,” said
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Legislation

Blumenauer Announces Green Approach to Funding Infrastructure

March 2, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., last month announced a series of principles for financing our nation’s transportation infrastructure. One part of Congressman Blumenauer’s initiative suggests an innovative funding strategy designed to support green infrastructure expansion that reduces our carbon footprint. The tremendous advantages of freight rail are recognized by this proposal as part of the solution to meeting both our transportation and environmental challenges. Moving more freight by rail makes good environmental sense.  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that every ton of freight that moves by rail instead of truck reduces greenhouse gases by more than two-thirds.  In
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Legislation

Advocates: Rail-Friendly Policies Key to Getting the Nation’s Economy Back on Track

March 2, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — Railroad advocates from around the country recently urged members of Congress to keep freight rail working for America by supporting policies that move the nation’s goods, build a green infrastructure and create jobs across the country. Local government officials, business leaders and environmentalists — in Washington as part of Railroad Day 2009 — told lawmakers that Congress must preserve the balanced regulation that has made America’s freight rail system the most cost-effective network in the world. Increased government intrusion in the railroads would cripple efficiency and the railroads’ ability to be the most fuel-efficient form of ground transportation
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Commuter Rail

Federal Budget: High-Speed Rail to Receive $5B

February 26, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — High-speed trains stand to receive $5 billion under President Obama’s spending plan. “This commitment will be essential as we develop surface transportation authorization legislation this year,” said James Oberstar, D-Minn. “This new authorization will require significant investments to help reduce congestion, eliminate freight chokepoints, mitigate the impacts of our surface transportation system on the environment, reduce roadway fatalities, enhance our mobility and safety through innovation and technology, and provide modal choice for all users. “I applaud the administration’s willingness to work with Congress to transform surface transportation programs to emphasize performance measurement, and put these programs on a
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Legislation

Brown: Congestion a Major Problem for Railroads

February 20, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — Congestion is a major problem across all modes of surface transportation, said Rep. Corrine Brown, D-Fla. “And as we begin to develop and reauthorize the next surface transportation bill, it is critical that the need for additional rail capacity for both freight and passenger rail be addressed,” Brown said. “The future of ground transportation is on our rails, whether it is taking freight off congested highways or moving people on high-speed rail corridors. “There is no one solution that will solve the congestion problems plaguing our nation,” Brown added. “New and creative ideas from both government and the
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Commuter Rail

Oberstar: ‘Recovery’ Bill Will Benefit Rail Industry

February 13, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — The so-called “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009″ will help with rail infrastructure and help put Americans back to work, Rep. James L. Oberstar, D-Minn, said. “This bill is urgently needed to put Americans back to work,” Oberstar said. “The infrastructure investments funded by this bill will create good, family-wage jobs — jobs that cannot be outsourced to another country, because the work must be done here in the U.S. on our roads, bridges, transit and rail systems, airports, waterways, wastewater treatment facilities, and Federal buildings. “
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Legislation

Oberstar, Brown Urge ‘Full Funding’ of HMEP

February 13, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — T&I Committee Chairman James Oberstar, D-Minn., and Rail Subcommittee Chairwoman Corrine Brown, D-Fla., wrote a letter to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to urge “full funding” of the Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness (HMEP) grant program at the $28.8 million authorization level.Among other things, the HMEP grant program helps governments develop and implement emergency plans and train fire fighters and other emergency personnel to respond to accidents and incidents involving hazardous materials. It has been projected that there will be a funding shortfall of $9.3 million in 2009. As a result, hundreds of thousands of emergency response personnel will not receive adequate
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Amtrak

STB Announces Speakers Lineup

February 6, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board provided a schedule of speakers’ appearances and their time allocations for the Board’s Feb. 11 public hearing on the Board’s new responsibilities under the recently passed Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008. The Act enhances the Board’s role with regard to Amtrak and its relationships with commuter rail operators, host railroads, states and the public.
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Commuter Rail

Mica: 80 and Counting Respond to Call for U.S. High-Speed Rail

February 5, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — Eighty companies and state departments of transportation have responded to the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) request for expressions of interest to develop high-speed rail corridors, according to U.S. Rep. John L. Mica, R-Fla. “This overwhelming response is remarkable given the current state of the economy,” said Mica, the Republican Leader of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Last year, he led the effort to open high-speed rail development to private sector participation in 11 federally designated corridors in the United States.  The measure including this initiative was signed into law in October. As required by the Mica initiative,