Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2007

Floor Speech

PASSENGER RAIL INVESTMENT AND IMPROVEMENT ACT -- (Senate - October 31, 2007)

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Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, yesterday, the Senate made a strong and long-overdue investment in the future of public transit in Rhode Island and throughout the country. I am pleased to have cast my vote for the passage of the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2007 (PRIIA), which will guide the maintenance, growth, and funding of the railroad through Fiscal Year 2012.

Each year, over 12 million business and leisure travelers depend on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor service, which connects the great cities of New England and the Mid-Atlantic states. Providence is a vital link on this route, with more than half a million Amtrak passengers boarding and departing Amtrak trains in the city each year. Also on the Northeast corridor route are Kingston and Westerly, Rhode Island. Kingston is home to the University of Rhode Island, and Amtrak gives students, faculty, researchers, and visitors direct access to this thriving college town. The Westerly station provides rail service to residents of both Rhode Island and Connecticut who rely on public transportation.

Despite its importance to millions of travelers, the Northeast Corridor has fallen into a state of disrepair in recent years. The infrastructure on this route is some of the oldest in the Nation, and a revitalization plan has been necessary for some time. This new Amtrak bill includes a strategy to restore the route to good condition by September of 2012--the first capital development plan put in place since Amtrak's previous authorization expired 5 years ago--and authorizes full federal funding of necessary repairs and upgrades. The Amtrak bill also authorizes the formation of a commission to oversee the operation and maintenance of the Northeast Corridor. The commission will include Amtrak, the Federal Railroad Administration, and each state along the route. I am pleased that Rhode Island will have a voice in future planning for a resource so vital to us.

In addition to funding operations and capital improvements, the Amtrak bill also addresses the congestion experienced on so many of the system's routes. By law, Amtrak passenger trains have the right of way over private freight trains, but this preference is often ignored. The bill the Senate passed today permits the Surface Transportation Board to assess fines against non-compliant freight railroads and to distribute damages to Amtrak. Congestion has increased in recent years, especially along the Northeast Corridor, and this provision should lead to fewer and shorter delays for passengers.

Finally, let us celebrate a piece of good Rhode Island news--I have been informed that the escalators in the Providence train station, which have been broken and covered with dust since early 2005, are scheduled to be reopened and in service by the week of November 12.

I congratulate Senators FRANK LAUTENBERG of New Jersey and TRENT LOTT of Mississippi on the passage of this critical piece of legislation. I also want to recognize the contributions of Rhode Island's own Senator JACK REED, who has been a strong and constant advocate for Amtrak. The new resources and clear development plan outlined in this bill reaffirm Congress's commitment to passenger rail service in the United States.

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