Letter to Acting Commissioner Gee and Chairman Ward

Letter

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced that he has written a personal letter to the heads of the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) and CSX Corporation urging them to come to a swift agreement on how to spend the $151 million in funding that the state received from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for the development of high speed rail in New York. Right now, the work is stalled as the two entities have yet to come to an agreement on the best way to deploy the funding and the specifications of any new high speed rail line. Current plans call for the funding to be used to construct a second track from Schenectady to Albany, a dedicated passenger track between Batavia and Rochester and a host of other important improvements.

Starting these projects would provide an economic boon for Upstate economies as the money will be spent to develop plans, hire construction workers and purchase materials. The projects will provide work during a time of high unemployment and economic activity to areas of the state that sorely need it. The current stalemate puts the future of high speed rail in Upstate New York at risk and reduces the impact that this vital funding would provide to the Upstate economy. Today's letter by Schumer is an effort to bridge the divide between the parties, stress the urgency of this much needed funding to the Upstate economy and urge swift resolution to any remaining issues so that the project can begin in earnest without delay.

"High speed rail is too important to the Upstate economy to let disputes about details get in the way," Schumer said. "With unemployment hovering near 10 percent, we can't allow internal disputes to put at risk over $100 million that will go directly to economic development and putting people to work today building the faster transportation system of the future."

In February, the Department of Transportation (DOT) awarded New York State $151 million in funding for high speed rail deployment as a part of the stimulus bill. Now that NYSDOT has the funds they are responsible for working with CSX, the company that owns the right-to-way to the Empire Corridor, to devise a plan to deploy the funding in a way that maximizes Upstate New York's high speed rail capabilities. The plan being formulated calls for a second track in the Capital Region and the beginning of a third, dedicated passenger track that will run through the Rochester-Finger Lakes region, and eventually throughout the entire Corridor. The current dispute centers on what speed the train will run at and how far the dedicated passenger track will be positioned from a current operating freight line. No matter the ultimate outcome of the remaining unresolved issues, the funding would provide an incredible boost to local economies and position Upstate New York as an attractive place for businesses to settle because of the high speed infrastructure in place.

Upstate New York is an ideal location for high speed rail infrastructure. The state is densely populated, and the moderate distances between cities like Niagara Falls, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Utica, and Albany make it time-consuming to travel by car, but inefficient to travel by plane. High speed rail would provide a perfect middle ground by which Upstate New Yorkers could partake in business and leisure travel, all the while spurring local Upstate economies with their presence.

Schumer has been working with all involved parties -- CSX, the White House, the congressional delegation, New York State and AMTRAK -- to make high speed rail throughout Upstate New York a reality. A short time ago, he met with CSX CEO Michael Ward and pressed CSX, which owns the rights-of-way on the Empire Corridor, to negotiate in good faith to advance the third track initiative. And in this past year, Schumer has written letters and held meeting with top transportation officials at the federal, state and local level to stress Upstate New York's potential to become a center for high speed rail development and a shining example of the positive impact that increased infrastructure spending can have on local and regional economies. Today's letter is designed to make clear the urgent need for jobs and economic growth throughout Upstate and the need to settle technical disputes so that this incredibly important project can begin as soon as possible. The full text of Schumer's letter can be seen below.



Dear Acting Commissioner Gee and Chairman Ward:

I write to request that New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) and CSX Corporation work with urgency to utilize the $151 million that was awarded to New York State's Empire Corridor rail line from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). This funding is critical for putting hundreds of New York laborers to work making desperately-needed improvements to New York State's rail infrastructure, and delaying the work will only put the funds at risk.

I worked very hard with my colleagues from the New York State Congressional Delegation to secure funding for the Empire Corridor, which runs from Niagara Falls to Albany, and south to New York City. Rail passage on the corridor, as it currently exists, is crippled by a bottleneck from Schenectady to Albany that adds hours to trip times. A portion of the ARRA award will add a second track from Schenectady to Albany, thus eliminating the backlog. This projects is of the utmost importance in improving rail travel in New York State, and we cannot afford to waste any time in completing it.

Many other projects in New York State will benefit from the $151 million ARRA award. These include things like improved service from the south of Albany to New York City with upgrades to signal systems, improvements to infrastructure on the Adirondack Corridor, rehabilitations to many of the old, run down passenger stations across Upstate New York, and the start of a dedicated passenger track between Batavia and Rochester. All of this work is critical to ensuring faster, safer, and more efficient trips for passengers.

I understand that NYSDOT is working closely with CSX to reach an agreement on use of CSX's right-of-way on the Empire Corridor. I ask that both parties continue their negotiations so that Amtrak trains may increase their speeds on the existing rail line, and so NYSDOT can begin to build a third, dedicated passenger track. Currently, Amtrak passenger trains share the existing track with CSX, and in doing so are unable to reach speeds higher than 79 miles per hour. With the construction of a separate track, for use solely by passenger trains, Amtrak will be able to reach higher speeds on the Empire Corridor.

I share your belief that Upstate New York is an ideal location for high speed rail infrastructure. The state is densely populated, and the moderate distances between cities Niagara Falls, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Utica, and Albany make it time-consuming to travel by car, but inefficient to travel by plane. High speed rail would provide a perfect middle ground by which Upstate New Yorkers could partake in business and leisure travel, all the while spurring local Upstate economies with their presence.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter. If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Katie Kulpa in my Washington, DC office at 202-224-6542.


Sincerely,

Senator Charles E. Schumer

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