Hotline #897

A map of the potential location of Texas Central Railway's Dallas train station. Full story below.

The House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure released the Passenger Rail Reform and Investment Act of 2015 (PRRIA 2015) yesterday. After analyzing the proposed legislation, NARP found many commonsense reforms but remains concerned that there are serious questions that are not addressed.

The most serious of these is that PRRIA 2015 caps Amtrak’s funding at existing levels. The bill authorizes $1.41 billion per in FY 2016, rising to $1.46 billion in FY 2019. It also contains $300 million per year in infrastructure investments, with 50 percent reserved for Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor (NEC). This falls woefully short of the national rail network’s most-basic needs. States and Amtrak have submitted hundreds of applications in previous grantmaking rounds that have gone unfunded. PRRIA 2015 does not allow states to invest in the major infrastructure, construction, and rolling stock acquisition projects their local officials have identified as necessary for improving and expanding the U.S. passenger rail system.

“A successful rail reauthorization must allow the U.S. passenger rail network to grow,” said NARP President Jim Mathews in a press release issued yesterday. “The American people are already voting for more trains with their wallets, setting 11 Amtrak ridership records in the past 12 years. Public use of trains is growing far faster than air or road travel or even the population itself. NARP believes that these people—and indeed all Americans—have the right to choose how they travel. As the U.S. continues to grow, with our population reaching 400 million people by 2050—frequent and reliable train service will be key in maintaining our country’s mobility and prosperity.”

The committee’s GOP leadership emphasized that passenger rail plays a critical role in moving Americans, while criticizing Amtrak’s efficacy at carrying out its role as national operator.

“Passenger rail has a role to play in our transportation network, but we’ve simply got to do it better,” said Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA). “This bill focuses on reforms, transparency, and accountability for Amtrak. By compelling Amtrak to operate more like a true business, cutting red tape, and opening the door to more private sector resources, we can make some long overdue improvements to passenger rail transportation in the United States.”

T&I Democrats, meanwhile, focused on the power of passenger trains to contribute to a healthy economy.

“In every region of the country, passenger rail investments boost local economies and create thousands of family-wage construction, engineering, and manufacturing jobs,” said Ranking Member Peter DeFazio (D-OR). “This bipartisan legislation provides critical investments and system-wide improvements to increase capacity and make our railways safer.”

A mark-up of the bill is scheduled for Thursday, February 12. Keep an eye on www.facebook.com/narprail and www.twitter.com/narprail for real-time updates as we find out more information.

A stalled S.U.V. caused a deadly collision on Metro-North’s Harlem line on the evening of February 3, killing five passengers and the driver of the automobile.

Eye witnesses reported that a Jeep S.U.V. got stuck at a gated rail crossing. The train, which was traveling at 58 mph, or two miles under the speed limit, was not able to brake in time. Investigators have confirmed that the gate arms, warning lights, and alarms were all functioning properly.

For reasons that are still being investigated, an electrified third rail appears to have sparked a fire in the interior of the train, which was packed with rush-hour commuters.

One member of Congress has responded to the tragedy by introducing legislation focused on improving safety at grade crossings. The intersection of rail and automotive traffic is a leading cause of rail-related fatalities in the U.S., killing roughly 250 people per year (the vast majority of whom are automobile drivers or passengers).

“The issue of rail crossings itself is one that really needs more attention,” Representative Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY) told reporters. “We believe there is an important and reasonable step we can take quickly.”

Maloney filed a bill to increase the annual funding for the grade-crossing program to $100 million, ten times existing levels.

The Texas Central Railway (TCR) announced today that it has selected two locations as potential candidate sites for the Dallas high-speed rail station. The company is promising an iconic structure that will act as a catalyst for growth in Dallas.

As part of the environmental review procces, TCR identified seven areas as possible station locations in Dallas. The company way able to narrow the potential sites to two preferred locations:

• "One candidate terminal site is currently undeveloped land located in the South Side on Lamar area and includes the 10 to 20 acres of land TCR estimates is needed for the terminal station, parking and space for future transit oriented development.
• "The second candidate site would extend over Interstate 30 and includes a portion of the first candidate site as well as property next to the Dallas Convention Center."

Texas Central Partners (TCP), an independent development company responsible for the system’s design, finance, construction, operation and maintenance, selected Matthews Southwest to serve as the development partner of the Dallas train station. Matthews Southwest will also oversee the transit oriented development of the surrounding neighborhood, a critical component of the project’s overall value.

At the other end of the corridor, the preferred station location in Houston is still under consideration.

“The project’s NEPA process is still underway, and a variety of station locations are still under consideration, including an intermediate station serving Bryan/College Station and Huntsville,” said TCR in a release. “The final station location selection process is expected to require several weeks to complete based on close coordination with all parties involved in the development of this project’s Environmental Impact Statement.”

The Southwest Chief Coalition released a 2015 update, detailing legislative outreach and communications work the group is performing to secure the future of the service.

The SW Chief Coalition revealed that Amtrak CEO Joseph Boardman sat down yesterday with the Secretary of the New Mexico Department of Transportation to discuss the final terms of an agreement going forward. The general outline of that agreement is:

• The SW Chief will continue to run on its current route.
• Amtrak will not make a request for annual maintenance funding help during the 2015 Legislative Session. Amtrak may need maintenance funding help from New Mexico at a later date.
• Amtrak will join New Mexico communities and counties and the NMDOT to apply for a TIGER grant under the Federal grant program when USDOT opens it for 2015. The grant request will cover New Mexico's one-time capital investment. Those costs are currently estimated at $6.7 million. The grant request may be more if Colorado and Kansas join the application.

The Southwest Chief Coalition is working hard to secure favorable support for this plan in the New Mexico State Legislature, and believes it is making good progress in its discussions with state leaders. To find out more about the great grassroots work being done by the SW Chief Coalition, check out the group’s Facebook page.

The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (NORTA) broke ground on the city’s new streetcar line, a 1.6 mile extension that will connect the French Quarter, Treme, Canal Street, and Loyola Avenue.

"New Orleans’ streetcar system is the envy of the world and an enduring icon for our city," said Mayor Mitchell Landrieu. "The Rampart/St. Claude Streetcar extension will continue this great tradition by enhancing mobility options for riders, improve connectivity to our historic neighborhoods, and spur economic development."

Unlike many U.S. cities, New Orleans never abandoned its streetcar system; the St. Charles Avenue line is the oldest continuously operating streetcar line in the world. To recognize this fact, care will be taken on the project to preserve the historical nature of the system. However, the project will also include modern touches, such as dedicated bicycle lanes.

News in Brief

—Minnesota State Representative Rick Nolan outlined an ambitious vision for passenger trains to local reporters last week. "I want to see all the cities in America connected by high speed rail and spokes going out from there," said Rep. Nolan. "We have been promised that the committee will be allowed to write that legislation and I am convinced that if we are allowed to do that, we can come together. I'm a big advocate for high speed rail, the NLX in particular."

—Seattle is will open its second streetcar line later this year, connecting the hilly neighborhoods around Capitol Hill, Pioneer Square, and Chinatown. Construction of the tracks is already completed, and the Seattle Department of Transportation is just waiting on delivery of new equipment.