Senate Passes Lautenberg-Lott Passenger Rail Plan To Bring Amtrak Into The 21st Century

As traffic on roads and tarmacs grows, bipartisan plan would improve Amtrak's infrastructure and expand rail into more towns and cities

October 30, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Senate passed an $11.4 billion bill introduced by Sens. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Trent Lott (R-MS) to fully fund Amtrak and bring the passenger rail system into the 21st century. The Lautenberg-Lott bipartisan plan would authorize infrastructure improvements and the expansion of rail routes into new American towns and cities over the next six years.

“This is a huge victory for anyone who’s tired of sitting in traffic or waiting in airports,” said Lautenberg. “When we give Amtrak the resources it needs, more Americans take the train. The funding and improvements in our bill will improve Amtrak and make train travel a more attractive option throughout the country. When travelers choose the energy efficiency of rail over cars and planes, they reduce gridlock, help combat global warming and even reduce our reliance on foreign oil.”

“Preserving national passenger rail service shouldn’t be based on partisan ideology or Amtrak’s profit margins,” Lott said. “Preserving Amtrak is about ensuring that America has a complete transportation system – one that includes planes, trains, lanes and ports.”

The Lautenberg-Lott legislation would authorize approximately $1.9 billion of federal funds per year for six years for intercity passenger rail. The funds would:

· Provide grants to states so they can start passenger rail service to connect town and cities, increase travel options, and remove cars from the road;
· Provide Amtrak resources to bring the Northeast Corridor up to a “state-of-good-repair,” to ensure reliable service for New Jersey’s 100,000 rail commuters on that line each day;
· Put Amtrak on solid financial footing with predictable levels of funding, a debt refinancing plan and a new financial accounting system; and
· Revitalize Amtrak by requiring it to put in place new quality standards and make fundamental operational reforms to provide the best quality service to its passengers.

For fiscal year 2007, a record 25.8 million passengers rode Amtrak, an increase of 1.5 million passengers over fiscal year 2006. With the increased congestion in the nation’s airports and on its highways, passenger rail is a vital alternative for intercity travel throughout the country.

Separate Lautenberg-Lott legislation would allow states to issue federal tax credit bonds to raise capital for passenger rail projects. This legislation was approved by the Senate Finance Committee last month. It would provide an additional $2.7 billion for rail improvements over three years.

Source: Senator Frank R. Lautenberg

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