Rail service

WASHINGTON (Sept. 12, 2007) – More than $10.6 million in federal funding for essential Delaware transportation and housing projects passed the Senate today, according to Sens. Joe Biden and Tom Carper (both D-Del.). Funding for these Delaware projects was included in the FY 2008 Transportation and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill (H.R. 3074) which passed the Senate, 88-7.    » read more »

New Jersey Senator, Weehawken Mayor Tours Tunnel And Escape Ventilation Facilities, Discusses Future Improvements With NJ Transit, Amtrak Officials

August 23, 2007 -- WEEHAWKEN, N.J. – Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) today announced he secured funds to improve safety, security and infrastructure in the Hudson River rail tunnels. Along with Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner and officials from NJ Transit and Amtrak, he inspected work done to improve safety and security for train passengers. Sen.    » read more »

August 22, 2007 -- (Des Moines) - Today Iowa Governor Chet Culver announced the appointments of two of four members to the Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Compact. The Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Compact, created by an interstate compact in 2000, advocates for expansion of and improvements to the mid-west’s passenger rail system. The commission provides a unified component of a strong transportation system for the future. Member states include Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and Ohio. The compact was created by House File 559.    » read more »

August 17, 2007 -- PORTLAND - Maine Governor John E. Baldacci joined officials today at the Amtrak station for a ceremony celebrating the expansion of the Downeaster passenger rail service. Starting today, Amtrak will offer five daily trips from Portland to Boston.    » read more »

As Part Of Landmark Solid Waste Management Plan; Bronx is Second Borough to Implement the Export of All Household Waste by Rail Instead of Truck

August 14, 2007 -- New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Sanitation Commissioner John J. Doherty today announced that all Bronx residential and municipal waste - approximately 2,100 tons per day - is now being exported for final disposal by rail, rather than by truck. This will mean far fewer trucks traveling on Bronx streets which will help reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality.    » read more »

August 8, 2007 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced that a report from the Connecticut Department of Transportation (DOT) concludes that expanding commuter rail service to New York’s Penn Station is a “viable strategy to relieve increased congestion along the I-95 corridor and improve mobility in the region.”

In June, Governor Rell called for the review of “every available option and potential obstacle” for service for the thousands of Connecticut commuters who travel every day into New York City to locations near Penn Station.    » read more »

Bill Follows Series of Train Derailments in Cheektowaga, Syracuse, Selkirk, East Rochester, Oneida, and Watertown - Would Update Antiquated Railroad Safety Laws

August 7, 2007 -- Washington, DC – Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton today announced that she had joined with several of her Senate colleagues, including Senators Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Gordon Smith (R-OR) to introduce legislation that would update federal rail safety programs that have not been reauthorized since 1994.    » read more »

Fiscal Year 2008 Transportation Bill Appropriates $176 Million More than 2007; Committee Bill Gives Amtrak $1.37 Billion Plus a $100 Million Grant Program to Match State Funds—a Total of Nearly $1.5 Billion

July 13, 2007 -- Washington, DC - Senators Charles E. Schumer and Hillary Rodham Clinton welcomed the decision by the Senate Appropriations Committee yesterday to provide $1.37 billion in funding for Amtrak in the coming fiscal year, plus $100 million for a grant program that matches state funds for intercity passenger rail operations.    » read more »

June 19, 2007 -- RICHMOND – Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine released the following statement after the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors voted 7-1 today to fund the project to extend the Metrorail system to Dulles International Airport:

“I appreciate the leadership shown by Chairman York and the Loudoun Board of Supervisors to provide local funding to extend Metrorail into the Dulles corridor. Today’s approval ensures that Phase Two of this project will extend west of Dulles Airport, ensuring transit and rail access to Loudoun for the first time.”    » read more »

Directs DOT To Review “Every Available Option” For Expanding Service

June 13, 2007 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell, in an effort to promote a better regional approach to rail service today directed the Department of Transportation (DOT) to complete a full review of “every available option and potential obstacle” for service for the thousands of Connecticut commuters who travel every day into New York City to locations near Penn Station.    » read more »

Calls For Passage Of His Legislation; After Major Crashes in Oneida, East Rochester, and Selkirk This Year, and More than 500 Accidents Since 2000, Schumer Called for Long Over Due Congressional Inquiry

May 22, 2007 -- Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer testified before the Senate Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security to blast the railroad companies for turning a blind eye to safety and infrastructure problems in New York and across the country.    » read more »

May 11, 2007 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will soon begin conducting multiple projects in the Port of Tacoma, Wash., to evaluate technology and concepts of operations for radiation detection that will scan cargo at various points in transfer from ship to rail. By establishing a Rail Test Center (RTC) at the port, DHS will identify and evaluate radiological and nuclear detection solutions for intermodal rail port facilities that can be used across the country.    » read more »

May 10, 2007 -- HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell today Pennsylvania’s newest investment of $10 million will improve existing rail service by boosting infrastructure development, stimulating job creation and retention at expanding businesses throughout the commonwealth. The 40 grants are part of the Department of Transportation’s Rail Freight Assistance program.    » read more »

TRENTON – New Jersey Governor Jon S. Corzine today directed National Guard personnel to provide additional security at PATH facilities in New Jersey. The measure, part of a joint operation with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and a regional effort with New York State, is reflective of the Corzine Administration’s ongoing homeland security efforts and is not in response to a specific threat.    » read more »

02 May 2007 -- A train carrying parts for U.S. space shuttles derailed Wednesday when a bridge collapsed, but space agency officials say the accident will not delay the next shuttle launch.

NASA says the accident took place in the southeastern state of Alabama, as the train carried segments of solid rocket boosters from their manufacturer in Utah to Cape Canaveral in Florida. At least two people were injured in the incident and were taken to hospitals.    » read more »