Durbin Applauds Congressional Investment in Amtrak and Passenger Rail Safety

Press Release

Durbin Applauds Congressional Investment in Amtrak and Passenger Rail Safety

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today applauded the Senate passage of a bill that reauthorizes Amtrak funding for 2009 through 2013 and requires the Department of Transportation to develop a long-term strategy to improve railroad safety. The legislation - passed by the House of Representatives and awaiting the President's signature - includes several Durbin initiatives that will create a grant program to promote rail safety; help rail workers receive medical treatment after an injury; encourage an investigation into factors affecting on-time performance; and allow Illinois access more federal funding for passenger rail expansion.

"After eight years, we've finally passed the reauthorization of Amtrak. This bill makes a dramatic investment in Amtrak's future. Significant changes in rail safety will help us avoid tragic rail accidents. An increase in capital grants will help Amtrak rebuild their tracks to increase safety and improve on-time performance," said Durbin.

"For the state of Illinois this bill is essential. The state now has the opportunity to access millions of dollars in federal funding to expand Amtrak service to communities where passenger rail is badly needed. This will reduce highway congestion and pollution while giving families who are struggling with high gas prices a safe, affordable alternative."

Durbin initiatives included in HR 2095 the Federal Railroad Safety Improvement Act will:

* Create a grant program for states under the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to improve rail-grade crossing safety through education and enforcement initiatives. In 2000, after a fatal crash in Bourbonnais, Illinois, Durbin convened a group of rail safety officials to discuss ways to improve safety at grade crossings. Out of that meeting came the establishment of the Public Education and Enforcement Research Study (PEERS) - a commitment from the FRA and the Illinois Commerce Commission to work together to improve safety at rail crossings. Since then, rail-crossing violations in Northern Illinois have decreased by 71%. Today's funding will benefit programs like PEERS in Illinois and across the country.

* Prohibit railroads from denying medical treatment to workers injured on the job. This legislation requires railroads to promptly arrange to have the injured employee transported to the nearest hospital and prohibits railroads from disciplining employees for requesting medical treatment for a work-related injury. This provision was modeled on a law passed by the Illinois State Legislature in 2006 after several cases of delayed medical treatment and employee intimidation were uncovered.

* Empower the Surface Transportation Board to investigate the impact that freight railroads have on Amtrak's on-time performance. If the freight rail carrier is found to be at fault, then the Board may award damages that would be used to improve service on the impacted route. Currently, the Department of Justice is the only agency permitted to enforce Amtrak's preference rights over freight railroads. While Amtrak's revenue and ridership has dramatically increased over the last two years, on-time performance on Illinois routes has been only 44 percent this summer and presenting a significant obstacle to the Amtrak's continued success. Last week, Durbin continued his push for better on-time Amtrak performance by leading a bipartisan group of Illinois delegation members in asking the three major freight railroads that own tracks in Illinois to create a plan to achieve an on time performance of Amtrak trains of at least 85 percent.

* Create a new State Capital matching grant program for intercity passenger rail capital projects. This new program will allow states to use their prior year passenger rail investments as credit toward their matching dollars. Illinois will be allowed to use $15 million per year for the next three years toward their matching requirement. This would allow the state access to almost $75 million in federal funding each year without a match.

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